For those who keep all the ducks together(hens&drakes) what do you do when ducklings come?

[Gone-Ducky]

Then my scobies are weird cause my hens on the nest would kill to keep the nest safe but the scobie males will bug them they don't take no for a answer.

 

[Mum]

You heard absolutely right. I do not allow and will NEVER allow ducklings to be around drakes. The drakes can kill the babies. I have the mama and babies in a separate pen from the rest of the animals. They remain in there until they are a little bigger. On weekends when I am home to supervise, I let the mama and babies out to free range and walk around, so that they can see the other animals (including the drakes) and vice versa. I do not leave them unattended. I put them back in at night and continue to do the same thing every day until the babies are old enough to care for themselves and the drakes are familiar with the babies and they won't attack them and when I feel comfortable. I have not lost 1 single duckling to a drake attack since I have been using this procedure. It's been working for me.
To be on the safe side and it's better to be safe than sorry, I would separate the drakes from the babies once the babies are hatched. You just never know what could happen.

So, the question begs to be asked: how on earth do ducklings flourish in the wild around drakes? Hasn't "nature" done this for eons?

I do get the "you just never know what could happen" argument but, that is like saying you won't send your child on the school bus because "you just never know what could happen".

A drake will not kill its own offspring - that is counter productive to nature! There is an argument that a drake "may" kill hatchlings which are not their own but how does a drake decide that?

OP: how many ducks are housed together? So far, I pick up on 2 broody's and 3 drakes. The ratio will make quite a difference to your outcome. As will their pen vs free range time.