help with duck mating problems!

[russellfees]

Hi, I raised two cayuga hens from babies. They're 2 years old now, been laying steadily fora long time. Last week I was given a 1 year old khaki campbell drake and a rouen hen, who were raised together from babies as well. I gradually introduced them to my cayugas and now, the campbell drake chases and mates my two cayugas continually, to the point they are losing feathers and freaking out all day and all night and have stopped laying. The rouen hen however, has not started laying yet, even though shes a year old, and the drake has never ever mated her, even though they were raised together. Question....do drakes only mate hens who are laying?? Any other reason(s) why he would never mate with the rouen hen? I want him to mate all of them....but he just relentlessly pursues the cayugas, who are WAY smaller than he or the rouen are. Help! Thanks!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi, I raised two cayuga hens from babies. They're 2 years old now, been laying steadily fora long time. Last week I was given a 1 year old khaki campbell drake and a rouen hen, who were raised together from babies as well. I gradually introduced them to my cayugas and now, the campbell drake chases and mates my two cayugas continually, to the point they are losing feathers and freaking out all day and all night and have stopped laying. The rouen hen however, has not started laying yet, even though shes a year old, and the drake has never ever mated her, even though they were raised together. Question....do drakes only mate hens who are laying?? Any other reason(s) why he would never mate with the rouen hen? I want him to mate all of them....but he just relentlessly pursues the cayugas, who are WAY smaller than he or the rouen are. Help! Thanks!!!

I don't know why he is mating only your 2 Cayugas but sounds like you need to separate him from them he is stressing them out and also being way to rough if he is continually mating them. He needs a break and they dif do. put him with the Rouen and see how he acts since he'll be separated from the Cayugas. If he begins to mate and not give her a break I'd just keep him separate for a while or only let them be together certain times of the day instead of all the time. Mating will begin to wane here in the USA come late Sept. into Oct. then he will settle down some hopefully. He will also stress the Cayugas out to the point they will stop laying most likely. Your sure the Rouen is a duck and not a drake? no idea why she wouldn't be laying unless she is getting ready to molt.

Welcome to BYC

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

Then hen could not be laying because of the stress of the move. It will take some time for her to lay. I agree you need to separate the male.

 

[russellfees]

Hi folks, thanks for the input. I appreciate the advice and your time to help answer. The Rouen is definitely a hen, no doubt about it. What is strange though, is that she has never laid her entire life and she is about a year old. I think I will take the Drake and put him in a separate yard except maybe in the evening for a little while. The Rouen and the Campbell were raised together since they hatched, and he has never mated her their entire lives. Pretty strange. I wonder if she is a sterile female? Maybe that explains why she is not laying and why he does not mate her? Is it normal for a drake to not mate with a hen when she is not in an egg laying time? Do they only mate when the hens are laying?

 

[duckvader]

I have the same problem with my two year old rouen duck. She never lay a single egg since I've had her at four months old.

I bought her and a khaki Campbell drake from the same owner. They wanted and tried to mate at the beginning but somehow it never seems to work so they both gave up. But he's still very attached to her and never leave her out of sight. He constantly harassed the scovie drake and hens until six month later I brought him two four month old khaki campbell ducks and that seems to keep everyone happy.

She is definitely a duck too, having the loudest quack.

Brownie, the rouen duck, is the one in the back (leading the group).

 

[russellfees]

Good to hear I'm not alone! thanks for sharing!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi folks, thanks for the input. I appreciate the advice and your time to help answer. The Rouen is definitely a hen, no doubt about it. What is strange though, is that she has never laid her entire life and she is about a year old. I think I will take the Drake and put him in a separate yard except maybe in the evening for a little while. The Rouen and the Campbell were raised together since they hatched, and he has never mated her their entire lives. Pretty strange. I wonder if she is a sterile female? Maybe that explains why she is not laying and why he does not mate her? Is it normal for a drake to not mate with a hen when she is not in an egg laying time? Do they only mate when the hens are laying?

My drakes[Muscovy] start mating with the ducks and then the eggs come usually a week or 2 after mating starts. I don't know why the Rouen would be sterile except she had a defect? I've never heard of other domestic ducks being sterile unless they bred with a Muscovy then their off spring would be sterile. I think that's a good idea to keep the drake separate and then give some supervised time in the afternoon like you said. These drakes can be crazy during mating season.

 

[Free Feather]

I had received a chicken from my neighbor, a bantam, who was two years old and never laid an egg. She was definitely a girl. I had to give her to a friend because my mother said she was too mean. The first day the woman had her, the hen laid an egg, and every day since. Not a duck, but similar situation.

 

[russellfees]

I separated them and the hens are doing better. The drake is relentless even through the fence. I think I'll find a smaller breed drake. Thanks again everyone!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I separated them and the hens are doing better. The drake is relentless even through the fence. I think I'll find a smaller breed drake. Thanks again everyone!!!

All drakes are crazy hormonal during mating season some just worse than others, and you can't tell by size so you may just from the frying pan into the fire. so to speak. I have a 10yr old Muscovy drake who is still trying to mate and he can barely walk he is so old. So no matter age or size the desire is still there.