Female ducks nipping eachothers necks?

[Miss Lydia]

Any way you can give your drake some time out from all the girls? give the 2 he is most interested in some time to start growing their feathers back. Always where they can all still see each other though.

 

[3bird]

Any way you can give your drake some time out from all the girls? give the 2 he is most interested in some time to start growing their feathers back. Always where they can all still see each other though.

Thanks. At the moment that is a tough. We have two drakes (Angus & Piglet) and the five girls. It's the two smallest ducks that are getting the most "attention." Everyone seems pretty healthy and they all hang out together, but the back of those two girls' necks worries me. Come spring, we're adding a small shed for food, straw ect. out by the duckhouse, and that will have it's own small run and house, but I'm not sure what we can do at present.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe spilt the one you have into a bachelor area? I know it can be worrisome for the girls especially if feathers are gone down to skin which means skin will be next.

 

[3bird]

Maybe spilt the one you have into a bachelor area? I know it can be worrisome for the girls especially if feathers are gone down to skin which means skin will be next.

I'm just trying to think how to do that in the current set-up so that everyone has access to shelter and run but is separated.

 

[Conan]

I have 2 drakes and 11 hens - During spring, the girls usually tend to have little bald patches on the back of their necks. I have had drakes that decide that they have a favorite and really go at her - never a moments peace. Those drakes get the ax. While they do have their favorites, good drakes won't tear up your ladies. There's always a couple that the drakes don't seem interested in at all. I guess that they are the lucky ones though they are typically the girls on the bottom of the pecking order.
Drakes are just rapist jerks, but that's just ducks for you!

 

[3bird]

I have 2 drakes and 11 hens - During spring, the girls usually tend to have little bald patches on the back of their necks. I have had drakes that decide that they have a favorite and really go at her - never a moments peace. Those drakes get the ax. While they do have their favorites, good drakes won't tear up your ladies. There's always a couple that the drakes don't seem interested in at all. I guess that they are the lucky ones though they are typically the girls on the bottom of the pecking order.
Drakes are just rapist jerks, but that's just ducks for you!

So when do you become concerned about the little bald patches on their necks? Do you use any preventative treatment?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Once the skin is abraded then you know it's time to separate. You don't want them bleeding. Thankfully I have never had this problem with my drakes. Muscovy and Runner. A few feathers missing is about it.

 

[Conan]

So when do you become concerned about the little bald patches on their necks? Do you use any preventative treatment?

I become concerned when I see anything other than a little bald patch. Like Miss Lydia says, you really don't want your girls being mistreated. I have tried separating them out, but they just seem really lonely. If they are in with another drake, they tear each other apart (in my experience anyways). This may be because even though they are in a separate pen, they can still see those girls baywatching up the place and they aren't allowed to get some...
Soooo, my preventative treatment is now the ax. Even just this afternoon, we were out working on our hoop house and the boys are already fighting. May have to decide who we like more. I really don't enjoy having to cull, but I'm in this for the eggs and the occasional hatch. I only need one drake for that.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Muscovies are fighters. Never had any other breed till I got the Runners and Buffs kept on 1 drake out of the 4 that hatched here. I think the only reason my Muscovy drake doesn't bother with the Runner is my Runner doesn't look like a Muscovy. I have had as many as 4 Muscovy drakes it was a free for all most of the time except winter. Keeping them separated was a pain too.

 

[3bird]

Muscovies are fighters. Never had any other breed till I got the Runners and Buffs kept on 1 drake out of the 4 that hatched here. I think the only reason my Muscovy drake doesn't bother with the Runner is my Runner doesn't look like a Muscovy. I have had as many as 4 Muscovy drakes it was a free for all most of the time except winter. Keeping them separated was a pain too.

That's interesting. Our two drakes (Piglet and Angus) are both silver Appleyards, but one, Piglet, is pure white. The drakes tussle from time to time, but it's mostly just sumo breast strutting stuff and open bill warnings. Piglet does go out of his way to protect our other white silver Appleyard (mouse) whenever Angus tries to get bust with her.