Help!! Ducks picking on another duck!

[Duckmom2021]

I have 10 Pekin Ducks and today when I went out to feed and water them and , two of them were picking on one. Only one of my ducks is positively a drake (he has a curved feather) but I'm thinking others in my quack pack are drakes as well but don't have their feather yet? But either way I took one out (an obvious female) because my drake and another were rippi g out her neck feathers. Granted she held her own but I couldn't just watch. I'm a new duck mom. What do I do???

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. If the one has a drake curl, all should be old enough for voice sexing. Ducks quack and drakes have a raspy voice. A 'Plan B' may be necessary as too many drakes gang breeding the ducks can injure/potentially kill them. Separation or rehoming may become necessary. Monitor closely, and good luck in resolving this. I'd be more tempted to remove the aggressors from the flock.

 

[Miss Lydia]

X2!

 

[Duckmom2021]

Thank you! I'm happy to be a part of this community. So should I just remove the biggest drake instead? He's a big boy. Sorry if I sound ignorant to flock care.

 

[my gang eats grass]

So should I just remove the biggest drake instead?

Not necessarily, you should keep the one who is gentlest to your ducks. It may be hard to tell which drake is best for your flock if they are all competing to mate your ducks, so I would separate out the drakes, and leave one with the ducks at a time to see which one is best, then sell the rest. You'll have to pick up all the ducks to see which ones have raspy, low, quiet quacks. Those are the drakes. The females will quack much louder.

 

[Duckmom2021]

Not necessarily, you should keep the one who is gentlest to your ducks. It may be hard to tell which drake is best for your flock if they are all competing to mate your ducks, so I would separate out the drakes, and leave one with the ducks at a time to see which one is best, then sell the rest. You'll have to pick up all the ducks to see which ones have raspy, low, quiet quacks. Those are the drakes. The females will quack much louder.

What great advice!! I hadn't thought of that! I tried reintroducing the female last night and she seemed to actually be the aggressor...not sure if that is normal...but everyone seems to be very happy without her? My boyfriend jokes that she's the loudest and they can't stand her yammering. I see other ducks "bicker" but it seems to be havoc when she is in there. It's been raining so much here that we haven't been able to put up their larger pen so they don't have as much space as they need. Once it's up they will have almost 5 sqft apiece so hopefully the room will help! Thank you for any and all advice. I could go on and on with my questions but I don't want to annoy anyone!