First Time Duck Owner!

[quackers123]

I want to get Pekin Ducks, this is my first time owning birds, and I want to get four, is it safe to get 2/3 males and 1/2 females? Or should they all be male or female? Will the males fight over the females? Thanks!!

 

[needlessjunk]

I want to get Pekin Ducks, this is my first time owning birds, and I want to get four, is it safe to get 2/3 males and 1/2 females? Or should they all be male or female? Will the males fight over the females? Thanks!!

You should get 1 male and the rest females. It isn't so much the males fighting that is a problem. They over breed females and can really injure them.

 

[quackers123]

You should get 1 male and the rest females. It isn't so much the males fighting that is a problem. They over breed females and can really injure them.

Well, I was thinking I'd rather have males than females, if I got just males would I be okay? And are males as friendly as females? Thanks!

 

[quackers123]

Actually, I'd probably be just as happy with more females!

 

[jenny7609]

If you keep all males they will be happy and all females will be happy, you can also have 1 male and the rest females but more males than females is a no no as needlessjunk said they can injure the females from over mating with them .. Little pests! Haa

 

[quackers123]

If you keep all males they will be happy and all females will be happy, you can also have 1 male and the rest females but more males than females is a no no as needlessjunk said they can injure the females from over mating with them .. Little pests! Haa

Well, my mom went ahead and ordered them, but we got mixed. So I have no idea the gender, you said more males than females would be bad, but what about equal numbers? I'm really worried now. It was cheaper and we're spending a lot on supplies to set up for them and gosh now I'm super worried. Would it help if we kept them separate at certain times of the year?

 

[DucksAndGardens]

Since the males only breed in early spring and summer (their penises fall off in the fall) you can separate them at that time but really you might not have a problem with over mating. You just have to see what their behavior is. Some drakes will have a go at anything in the vicinity and I've seen other lower pecking order drakes not even try. If you have a way to separate them ahead of time then you wil be prepared in case you do need to separate them.

 

[jenny7609]

Don't be worried you get what you get.. I had 1 male and 1 female together and they were fine you'll just have to wait and see worse case scenario you might have to give away/sell or keep seperate a few of the males, I'd say 1:2 or 1:3 would be ideal

don't worry though

 

[Tuhmu]

Agreed, more than one male with that few of females will have males that start to fight once they start liking girls and the females will get over stressed from all the....advances?

 

[needlessjunk]

Since the males only breed in early spring and summer (their penises fall off in the fall) you can separate them at that time but really you might not have a problem with over mating. You just have to see what their behavior is. Some drakes will have a go at anything in the vicinity and I've seen other lower pecking order drakes not even try. If you have a way to separate them ahead of time then you wil be prepared in case you do need to separate them.

Ummm, their penis does not fall off. Usually in the fall and winter they chill out but they can still mate.

1:1 is not a good ratio at all if you have more than one drake. 1:1 only sometimes works and is not the norm. I would be concerned with your order of you plan on keeping everyone. You should make some back up plans for what to do with extra males. My drake has 5 females and right now all of their backs are all missing feathers. It isn't raw but they are very much all getting matted and I wonder if we would be better off without him.