Harassing male...will he mellow out.

[austroberta]

My Khakhi Campbell drake is harassing and bullying my female runner duck. I expected my drake to harass my female ducks when he got the mating urge, but I see he's going beyond that by chasing one of my runner ducks away from the food/water whenever she wants to eat drink. Giving my runner her own food/water bowl doesn't work, as he chases her away from that too, even when I put it on the opposite side of my yard. (He'll take a few sips/mouthfuls from the main bowl of food and water and then to where she is and chase her there too.) I'd like to find a home for him, but that hasn't been successful.

My runner duck is really stressed by all of this, and to make matters worse, she is molting, and needs that extra food. I am standing by and feeding her worms/slugs whenever I can, but she won't eat her duck food when I try and put it in front of her. She also really wants to be part of the gang, so even though my drake is being a jerk and she is terrified of him, she still wants to be around my other 3 ducks.

Does anyone have any tips?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well one way for her to be part of the flock and not harassed is to put all the girls on one side drake on the other. You can even crate him at night in the coop if you only have one house for them. It’s sad and can cause health issues when one gets picked on like that. Or split them up 2 in one side two on the other and swap the females out with him unless he becomes a jerk with them too. It’s that time of year!

 

[sourland]

Sounds like it is time for separation to guarantee her safety and good health.

 

[austroberta]

Well one way for her to be part of the flock and not harassed is to put all the girls on one side drake on the other. You can even crate him at night in the coop if you only have one house for them. It’s sad and can cause health issues when one gets picked on like that. Or split them up 2 in one side two on the other and swap the females out with him unless he becomes a jerk with them too. It’s that time of year!

Thanks! I can put him in a pen by himself and let the other 3 girls to their own devices. Is this something I'll have to do long term?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Might have to go through the biggest part of mating season. There are plenty of others that have to do this hopefully they'll see your thread and post. I know @onaharley has her drake separate from her females.

 

[onaharley]

Unfortunately this is the sad truth with males sometimes. They pick and choose who they want in their flock, not us. My male has to be separated basically all the time. My pen set is made so that he can get locked up but still see every one. Every night he locked by himself. And the ladies are on the other side. I have to rotate free range days. He is only allowed to free range with one female right now because 1.) that's who is was bought with so they are bonded and 2.) she is the only he's has not hurt trying to mate with.

I have 2 new members and he is showing behavior similar to what you are going through. He just doesn't like my Miss Chance, and I'm not sure why. He chases her away and she won't let him mate her.

The separation blues are a real thing for us caretakers sometimes, but it's what we have to do in order to keep the flock healthy and happy! Let me know if you have questions, I'm more then happy to help!

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I have two drakes and four hens. My boys are usually in drake jail from February-March through July. They usually get afternoon conjugal visits with their hens. This year they are still with the girls (3rd year) and behaving, but if they start getting ugly to my girls, parole will be revoked!

 

[austroberta]

Unfortunately this is the sad truth with males sometimes. They pick and choose who they want in their flock, not us. My male has to be separated basically all the time. My pen set is made so that he can get locked up but still see every one. Every night he locked by himself. And the ladies are on the other side. I have to rotate free range days. He is only allowed to free range with one female right now because 1.) that's who is was bought with so they are bonded and 2.) she is the only he's has not hurt trying to mate with.

I have 2 new members and he is showing behavior similar to what you are going through. He just doesn't like my Miss Chance, and I'm not sure why. He chases her away and she won't let him mate her.

The separation blues are a real thing for us caretakers sometimes, but it's what we have to do in order to keep the flock healthy and happy! Let me know if you have questions, I'm more then happy to help!

I tried to put them in an old pen area that we had for our first set of ducks, as that pen would allow him to see and hear the other ducks, but he kept on getting out! So now I have him in the pen we usually retire all the ducks before we put them in their predator proof house. Unfortunately, that's in a driveway area where he cannot see the other ducks. He isn't happy and I see that he has not eaten or drunk since he has been in there. I'll try and make that other pen area duck escape proof.

We did create an area in their predator proof, night house where he and only he can stay.

My house has a backyard that is fenced off, so I might be able to allow him and his main squeeze to free range in the back while the other 2 ducks free range in the front. The problem I think I might encounter is that one of my ducks, who is not being harassed and who doesn't really mate with him, wants to be around him too, which means that my one harassed duck would be all by her lonesome.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe @onaharlry can share pics of her set up to give you some ideas​