Help! Drake suddenly singleing out hen

[rabiee]

We keep 3 hens, 1 rooster, 3 female ducks and a drake together. They free range during the day and the last two days the drake has been singleing out one of our chickens. He chases he away from everyone, and tonight attacked her when she was trying to come in the coop. I’ve never had ducks before and I’m really at my wits end. Even if we separate them he would still chase after her when they’re out. I ended up putting him a crate today. They are all about 5/6 months old too.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Was the drake raised with chickens?

We recently butchered out our muscovy drake because he started chasing and attacking my chickens. When a rooster he was known to go after suddenly had half his comb ripped off I decided it was enough. I didn't raise him so I don't know if he was raised and bonded to chickens. I tried separating mine too but it never changed the behavior. Mine I allowed it to go on for a few months with the hope it would stop, but it didn't.

You may need to either separate out the ducks permanently or getting rid of the drake unfortunately.

 

[rabiee]

Was the drake raised with chickens?

That’s the weird thing he was, we’ve had them all together since they were about 8 weeks old. The only thing that changed was adding a new female for him, but we’ve had her for a month now, and she gets along fine everyone. I wonder if it’s becaus he is sexually maturing? And it’s only one hen he bothers, he is fine with the other two and the rooster.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That’s the weird thing he was, we’ve had them all together since they were about 8 weeks old. The only thing that changed was adding a new female for him, but we’ve had her for a month now, and she gets along fine everyone. I wonder if it’s becaus he is sexually maturing? And it’s only one hen he bothers, he is fine with the other two and the rooster.

When one species is raised with another what often happens is the species don't know there's a difference between themselves, and they bond with them. As they sexually mature they continue to interact as if they are all the same species. It's always best not to raise different species together, especially if you plan to combine them at some point.

Your drake probably views the hens as the same as the duck hens and will attempt to mate them and dominate them. A duck can kill a chicken when trying to mate, so it's a bad thing unfortunately.

 

[rabiee]

Your drake probably views the hens as the same as the duck hens and will attempt to mate them and dominate them. A duck can kill a chicken when trying to mate, so it's a bad thing unfortunately.

I’m thinking we are going to need to rehome him we never wanted a drake to begin with, but when we got our ducklings “she” turned out to be he. Do you think the duck hens will be ok without him?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I’m thinking we are going to need to rehome him we never wanted a drake to begin with, but when we got our ducklings “she” turned out to be he. Do you think the duck hens will be ok without him?

They will be fine without him, and possibly much happier.