Females presenting to males

[nanceann]

Ok to talk about ducks and geese here also? Got mine in mid April. 4 rouens 3 Indian runners 2 geese. I'm not sure if the ducks are 4 male and 3 female or the other way around. I know the geese are 1 male 1 female. Today it seemed like several of the females were 'presenting' to the males. If the femAles are presenting does this mean duck eggs soon?

 

[Welshies]

How old are they? They look like they haven't even started laying yet.
And can you further clarify on this "presenting"?

 

[nanceann]

Presenting was my polite way of saying my girls seem to want to be humped.
Heavy duty flirting. Please mate with me big boy.

They are about 13 weeks.

 

[nanceann]

They aren't laying yet. I'm trying to establish which comes first.
Laying or mating. Although I guess I've answered that because I haven't found eggs but they are mating.

 

[Welshies]

Presenting was my polite way of saying my girls seem to want to be humped.
Heavy duty flirting. Please mate with me big boy.

They are about 13 weeks.

But WHAT are they doing that MAKES you think this? That's what I meant by clarifying.
And they are too young to be so forward; they haven't even lain eggs. Most ducks start laying eggs at 14-28 weeks, and it takes a while after laying eggs (about a month), for the eggs to be suitable for hatching IF they even are fertile. Most ducks want to mate in spring or early summer, if you live in a mild climate, sometimes in early fall. Rouens are really good at brooding their own.
Also the ratio is 1 drake to every 4-5 hens, so you will need to get rid of a few drakes.

 

[quackingdom]

My males tend to start mating the females about a month before they’re old enough to lay. The females don’t ask for it. Welshies said the rest.

 

[Welshies]

My males tend to start mating the females about a month before they’re old enough to lay. The females don’t ask for it. Welshies said the rest.

Oh really? That's interesting. Maybe I misunderstood Holderread. Usually people wait though, until the eggs are healthy and properly shaped, to incubate, right?

 

[quackingdom]

Well, they TRY to mate, anyway. Actually, come to think of it, for a while they just get on and fall off and get on sideways and fall off and get on backwards and fall off and the female runs away. Young males take a while to figure it out. It's funny watching their mistakes...(and how disgusted the females are)

I don't incubate my eggs very often, only once a year, and then it's usually the older ladies doing it. But I wouldn't instantly incubate eggs from really young females.

 

[nanceann]

Well my female goose was biting the male goose on the back and neck and circling around him until he did the same to her. Then he mounted her. Always in the wading pool. Couple of the ducks seem to be the same behavior.

I'm not worried yet about hatching. We have chickens and 1 roo. I don't try to hatch. I live close to Heartland Hatchery. I get my babies from him.

Crap on too many drakes. We like them all

 

[Welshies]

Well my female goose was biting the male goose on the back and neck and circling around him until he did the same to her. Then he mounted her. Always in the wading pool. Couple of the ducks seem to be the same behavior.

I'm not worried yet about hatching. We have chickens and 1 roo. I don't try to hatch. I live close to Heartland Hatchery. I get my babies from him.

Crap on too many drakes. We like them all

I understand but you should get rid of a few drakes. If you have too many drakes per hens they will either turn aggressive towards each other, others, and you, rape each other, or seriously harm the hens with over-mating.