HELP! My drake is killing my hen

[DuckyMom]

I would like to preface this by saying I have 5 ducks. 4 hens to 1 one drake. I'm pulling my hair out trying to come up with a way to keep my drake.

Stanley is my Indian Runner drake, he has become obsessed with Frances, my imprint runner hen.
He has 3 females who are tripping all over themselves for some attention, headbobbing like mad. Frances is the only uninterested female. So logically she's the only one he wants anything to do with.
He is mounting her nonstop, she has ended up bleeding, he has nearly drowned her on multiple occasions, the backs of her head and kneck are bald and scabby, and she's loosing weight. I've been keeping her inside as much as possible. But the poor thing is falling apart. I've been giving her plenty of extra food during her alone time along with a handful of cat food added in to help her gain alittle weight, and she perks up after getting cleaned up and eating, but I can't leave her in, I am usually not home.

I have them seperatly penned at night, but during the day and while free ranging their all together. She spends alot of her free time in the pen hiding from him. It breaks my heart.

I want to find a way to prevent Stanley from causing her further harm, and I really don't want to rehome him. I do love all my ducks. (Even if he is kind of a jerkwad.)

Thanks
Emily

 

[zzGypsy]

best suggestion I have is to pen her separately from the other ducks 24/7. give her a little peace, time to heal and grow new feathers, and maybe time for him to get interested in the other girls. if she frets when penned alone, you can pen one of the other girls with her. you'll need to suplement for the feed she's not getting free ranging, but right now, that free range isn't doing her enough good to stay healthy anyway.

you'd think he'd take advantage of the plethora of female company, but sometimes there's just one sexy girl in the bunch.

 

[heatherindeskies]

Quote:
X2...and if that doesn't work, you will have to separate them for good which will be a total pain or rehome one of them. Good luck and here's to peace for the female!

 

[DuckyMom]

Thank you Thank you Thank you all so much!! I just separated them, and am planning to keep it that way until she heals completely. I'll keep ya'll posted!

Thanks,
Emily

 

[DuckyMom]

Alright. So Frances seems happier! Although it may just be the rain. I have the pen devided in half (Frances and her sister on one side, and Stanley and my 2 holderreads heans are on the other.) I have Stanley and his girls using the duck yard and I moved Franny and her sister to my fenced in veggie garden during the day. I'm still figuring out a free ranging schedual, but for now theyre fine!

Stanley is most definatly peeved. He bit me repeatedly in the ankles when I was taking her away. He is ignoring the other hens but tried to mate with my arm today! stuborn little bugger.

Thanks for the help!
Emily

 

[zzGypsy]

sounds like you're on to a solution.
nice to know you're the *second* sexiest girl in the place!
Maybe Stanley will find the other girls more interesting after a while... I'd give it 2 or 3 weeks at least. guess you'll see how stuborn he really is!

 

[paul4565]

Hi Emily,

Just read your problem, Ive got exactly the same one! ("< ~ Help!

My female ended up with quite a bad limp so I penned her separately for 5 days (and nights) then put her back into 'General Population' as soon as I did, the male rushed in and it started all again. To make matters worse the other male (I have 2 males and 6 females) helps capture and steady her for the rampant male.

I have decided to separate her almost indefinatelly until she starts looking like a nice white (not virginal!) duck again.

I have thought about separating the troublesome male but, maybe better to leave him to the other 'Spincter' females.

Bye for now

Paul (UK)

 

[zzGypsy]

Polite male behavior amongst our animals is one of the things we require... we'll spend a little time trying to get them sorted out, in case it's a thing we can solve with the situation, or small changes to our management methods. but in general, if it doesn't sort out pretty quickly, the offender has to get out of the gene pool... not only do we not want it in the papas, we don't want it in their offspring either.

one of the primary rules of our farm... if you're tasty, you shouldn't also be mean....

 

[Gone-Ducky]

I had the same issue with my male scobie I have a 4 to 1 also but the guy wanted only one I put him in a pen next door he was mad but the girls couldnt have been happier. Smart move on separating him.

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

So sorry about your duck! I just need to point out that he will not drown her, but if he is causing her to bleed then, separating them probably is the best. I've had my males do this too, only, I've never had a bleeding head because of this. There has been plenty of bald heads (my girls don't even seem to mind it now)! But no bleeding.... So like I said earlier in this (and other people have also said), separate them. Sorry about your duck and hope everything works out alright!!!