Help with meanish drake mallard

[Cowgirl2]

Hello all you duck lovers. I have an established flock of females. 1 white, 1 Cayuga, 1 kaki Campbell. a neighbor wanted us to take a drake mallard that had mysteriously lost his 2 hens. So we did, but he has been pulling the feathers out of the white until she has started to bleed. How should I handle this? Thanks in advance.

 

[cavemanrich]

I don't have ducks,,,,,,, but let me still chime in with ideas. Are the pulled feathers from the drake trying to mount the Ducks??? If so,,,, then maybe consider something like chicken aprons,, that protect hens from over-aggressive roosters.
If it is other reason for the feather plucking,,,,,, maybe the mallard is not compatible with your other breeds..
I do have wild mallards that visit my yard during spring, and summer daily. They eat the seeds dropped from bird feeder, and drink the water I place in containers on ground. They are always paired up with a hen,, and I never have seen any rude behavior.
You may have to rehome drake, or figure a different alternative to him not being with your flock any longer.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[raingarden]

If you have a drake then there is going to be spousal abuse. It's difficult to watch sometimes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you introduce him to your females through fencing to start off or just plop him down in with them? If so I'd start over by placing him beside them but with fencing in between, let them live like that for a while. If you can't separate then possibly a large dog kennel with him inside so he and your girls get use to each other. Maybe since your other two ducks are dark in color the white one just stands out as different. Who knows what goes on in the mind of a drake? But if you can let them have this time after a week or so start letting them have supervised time together and see how it goes. Toss something tasty like mealworms on the ground to entice them to forge instead of plucking.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Even though mallard drakes have had a lot of their natural instincts bred out they still can tend to single out one female. Wild mallards will often choose a single female for each breeding season then switch the next mating season. Unfortunately your white hen is the "shiniest" one of the bunch and probably the first hen to catch the new mallards eye. I agree with Miss Lydia on trying to re-integrate from the beginning being your best option.

 

[Cowgirl2]

I don't have ducks,,,,,,, but let me still chime in with ideas. Are the pulled feathers from the drake trying to mount the Ducks??? If so,,,, then maybe consider something like chicken aprons,, that protect hens from over-aggressive roosters.
If it is other reason for the feather plucking,,,,,, maybe the mallard is not compatible with your other breeds..
I do have wild mallards that visit my yard during spring, and summer daily. They eat the seeds dropped from bird feeder, and drink the water I place in containers on ground. They are always paired up with a hen,, and I never have seen any rude behavior.
You may have to rehome drake, or figure a different alternative to him not being with your flock any longer.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thank you for your input

 

[Cowgirl2]

Did you introduce him to your females through fencing to start off or just plop him down in with them? If so I'd start over by placing him beside them but with fencing in between, let them live like that for a while. If you can't separate then possibly a large dog kennel with him inside so he and your girls get use to each other. Maybe since your other two ducks are dark in color the white one just stands out as different. Who knows what goes on in the mind of a drake? But if you can let them have this time after a week or so start letting them have supervised time together and see how it goes. Toss something tasty like mealworms on the ground to entice them to forge instead of plucking.

Sounds good, thanks for your info.

 

[Cowgirl2]

Thanks all for the advice, I am trying and have faith it will go well!