general drake advice

[HollowOfWisps]

I will add if you decide to keep a drake make sure you have a back-up plan ready to go. I usually recommend 5+ hens for most newer duck owners because I have seen too many times where they try to make it work with a lower drake to hen ratio, the hens get brutally mated and then when they realize a drake needs to be removed they either don’t want to butcher or can’t find a home right away. In those cases it’s the hens that suffer. I have had all different drake ratios based off of each drake. However, I have a husband built like a linebacker and two growing boys so the minute a drake needs removed I have no problem making him next Sundays dinner. I also have many different pens that if I wanted to rehome I could separate a drake until a home is found, but we eat meat so we just butcher. So either plan for worse case to either butcher or have a space where you can keep the drake separated until a home is found. It can be unfortunate when it happens, but planning for these cases is part of responsible duck ownership.

 

[Stacey Adele]

Personally I like the bonds I get in a 1 hen to 1 drake flock, but an all hen flock would be calmer.
I have had several drakes over the years and have never considered any of them protection against predators.

Oh, that's interesting! Do you mean you have only 1 drake and only 1 hen. Or do you mean that you equal numbers of drakes and hens?

 

[Yardmom]

Oh, that's interesting! Do you mean you have only 1 drake and only 1 hen. Or do you mean that you equal numbers of drakes and hens?

Equal numbers

 

[Stacey Adele]

Equal numbers

Oh, wow! That's very interesting!Do you have any techniques for making this work (same ages, staggered ages, a drake and hen pair grows up together) or does it all just work itself out?

 

[Yardmom]

Oh, wow! That's very interesting!Do you have any techniques for making this work (same ages, staggered ages, a drake and hen pair grows up together) or does it all just work itself out?

Plenty of space and allow them to stay together and work out their own bonds.

 

[Lori-in-Californa]

Thank you for the advice. Maybe we will do this. It does seem like less stress. Although, I've also head that a drake will protect the flock. With them free ranging, is this something I should consider? I was hoping that with so much space, they would all do fine with a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio.

Nope. Drakes are sexual predators. You need a separate space for mister drake or he will injur the ducks. They don’t protect the flock like a good rooster does.

 

[Lori-in-Californa]

Plenty of space and allow them to stay together and work out their own bonds.

At my house the 2 female broodmates acquissed to the drake easily, but not the 5 ducks I added later. That was brute force every time. Based on a sample size of 1, I would say to get 5 or 6 ducks and one drake all in the same litter. Or better yet, get all ducks.