Finally rounded up!

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Adalida said:
I was hoping your drakes would settle down and not be like mine...I used to have 3 drakes. Like yours, mine were rescues; I hadn't really wanted boys. I had plenty of females for them, but they would completely ignore some of the girls and constantly harass some of the others. I got rid of the most aggressive drake, who was actually my favorite, but then another drake decided to take his place and be the dominant one. I now have only one drake, who is a pansy and gets bossed by all the girls.

Here's my girl Frankie. One day, both drakes piled on her and tore out a ton of her wing feathers and made a huge bald spot on her head. She basically didn't have any wings left. This was the first time I'd seen the two remaining boys act like that. I got rid of the dominant drake and kept the submissive one on probation. I would have gotten rid of him too, except that he is a smaller drake and doesn't have a size advantage over the girls like the other drakes did.


This is what she looked like before the boys did their damage.
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Miss Lydia said:
@Imquackingup I agree with all @Adalida said best to find a home for Curly and hopefully Bing will settle down.Only other thing you can do is divide your pen boys on one side girls on the other.

It's a hard thing to do but for the safety of the girls we have to make tough decisions at times. Thankfully none of my Muscovy's ever ganged up on a female but the fighting between the drakes is what led me to have to rehome.

Ducks eggs also are awesome in baked goods too. Enjoy!!
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We gave 3 eggs to the neighbors tonight. I figured they would be good guinea pigs. Lol Maybe I'll get brave and try them soon. I'm going to try and fix the divider in the pen tomorrow so they stay apart tomorrow. Im trying to figure out how to fence off a small part of the pond where there is a little inlet so they can bathe. The Mallards and Geese have been hanging around and my ducks look so longingly at the water when they see them. I fI do manage to do that I will just let the girls go alone then let the boys, I think they'd be less likely to try and escape if they are not all together.
 
Imquackingup said:
We gave 3 eggs to the neighbors tonight. I figured they would be good guinea pigs. Lol Maybe I'll get brave and try them soon. I'm going to try and fix the divider in the pen tomorrow so they stay apart tomorrow. Im trying to figure out how to fence off a small part of the pond where there is a little inlet so they can bathe. The Mallards and Geese have been hanging around and my ducks look so longingly at the water when they see them. I fI do manage to do that I will just let the girls go alone then let the boys, I think they'd be less likely to try and escape if they are not all together.
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I hope it goes good for you and the girls. Keep us updated.

Any word about the farm?
 
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Miss Lydia said:
How about the fence to separate did you get that up?

I hope you hear something soon also check your area for rescues there are water fowl rescues around.
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I got rejected from Parky's Farm because they already have a drake Peking and couldn't take him but they gave me numbers to a couple of educational farms that might take him. I had them all put up tonight after having them separated all day and both drakes got Dot and stuck her head in the water bowl lucky I stopped them in time, they had her under for a while. I don't have any way to keep them all safe at once at night, only have the one coop so its just a daily risk I take. My hubby is so ****** because I have no grass left where the pen and coop are. The ducks are all digging all day and making mud pies in the water bowls. What are they digging for? It's not like they have to forage anymore, so annoying since we are about to put the house on the market. I'm going to try and extend the pen down to the water so I can pen a portion of the pond for them to swim.Of course I'll have to let the girls go alone then the boys so they don't drown Dot.
 
Unfortunately that destroying-your-yard behavior is pretty typical of ducks. They have a grand time ripping up the grass and playing in mud puddles. Case in point...that pic I posted above, where Frankie is happily dabbling in a mud hole where there used to be a lovely grassy lawn.

I'm not at all trying to be unkind when I suggest this, but have you considered rehoming all, or maybe half of the ducks? Ducks can be kind of high maintenance, and it sounds like you have a lot going on in your life right now, especially if you're putting your house on the market. You aren't failing them in any way if you can't keep them. You've probably already saved them from a winter they weren't equipped to deal with, and there's no reason to feel badly if you can't take on the responsibility any longer. I'm not advocating putting them back on the pond! Have you considered posting in the Rehoming Forum, maybe there's someone near you willing to at least take the drake? Best of luck to you, whatever you decide.
 
Miss Lydia said:
@Imquackingup you might try posting here too didn't you say your in Pa? sorry if i got the state wrong

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/248345/pennsylvania-unite/66290 That way your talking to members who are in your state about the drake or whole flock if you decide to go that way.
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No I'm in SW Ohio near Cincinnati. I've thought about all of them going but they couldn't all go to the same place. I also vision our new home having plenty of room for them to be happy and am really attached to Dot and Bopper so I am torn. Logically thinking it would be so much easier to rehome all but I just don't know. I've even looked at homes with inground pools cuz that would be so awesome for them. lol.
 
Imquackingup said:
No I'm in SW Ohio near Cincinnati. I've thought about all of them going but they couldn't all go to the same place. I also vision our new home having plenty of room for them to be happy and am really attached to Dot and Bopper so I am torn. Logically thinking it would be so much easier to rehome all but I just don't know. I've even looked at homes with inground pools cuz that would be so awesome for them. lol.
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Sorry I thought it was Pa. Here ya go might find some one to take all but Dot and Bopper . Worth a try.https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...et-me-know-your-out-there/11510#post_17986524

it is very easy to get attached to these birds I can't imagine my life with out them.
 
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