How long till duck start mating?

[Jmiller89]

A few weeks ago we added two, one year old drakes to our flock of eight ducks. Does anybody have experience with introducing drakes and how long it takes them to get with the program? I figured it would take a week or two because of the stress of the move and meeting new birds. They are mingling well with everyone else now and I haven’t seen any fertile eggs yet for breakfast lol. Any thoughts? Am I going to have to wait till mating season before they start? Should I throw some eggs in the incubator to see what happens?

 

[ibarbidahl]

Well- How are you judging the fertility?
What are the flock dynamics - how many hens - what breeds...etc
Are you spending any time outside with the flock to watch and see?
Do they have an open water source?

Sometime the older hens will be a bit standoffish - especially with a young drake if they haven't previously had a drake in the flock. But, they will come around. One way or another.

 

[Jmiller89]

I’ve been looking for a bullseye on the egg but have only been seeing the white dot that is usually there.
there are 8 hens who have not been around drakes half are a little older then these drakes. They have access to horse water troughs that they can swim in (though can’t say I’ve seen the drakes in them).
with two babies in the house I don’t have time to stand out there watching them and where the birds hang out in the morning it’s hard to see them from the window. There was one morning I noticed the girls making lots of noise and I could see them running around. I thought maybe they were trying to mate.
The ducks commingle with geese and the drakes definitely had an unwelcomed welcoming but things are calmed down now and they seem fine with each other now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Usually around 4.5 months on. Depending on breed. My Runners were mating at 4 months and laying at 4.5 months my Muscovy don't mate or lay till following spring after they hatch so usually around 8-9 months old. Very true about drakes and ducks give them time they will get started.