How many drakes is too many?

[inlovewitharunnerduck]

Hi! I have six 'teenage' ducks that were hatched out here naturally by a mom duck. Their parents are a Blue Runner and a Cayuga. They are beautiful: four silver ones (one has a green wing!) and four green/black ones. They are three months old. I am listening to them quack, and it seems I have only ONE girl. The other five do the male quack (that raspy, throaty sound). The for-sure girl quacks loudly like the grown female Cayugas.

I am very attached to them since I've known them from day one. One hatched in my hands and another was a preemie with yolk sac still attached and I had to nurture her and hand feed her and hold her a lot. My concern is TOO MANY DRAKES. If I do have five drakes, that adds to my already one grown male Runner, making six. That would leave me with four hens and six drakes. I fear the hens would be constantly pestered and that there would be in-fighting among the males.

Any helpful advice? I don't want to have to give them away because my kids and I are bonded, but I don't want a sticky situation once the hormones kick in.
thanks!
Tracey in Vermont

 

[Wifezilla]

Your choices are...

1. Give away or sell most of the drakes
2. Get enough girls to have 3 females per male
3. Set up a separate bachelor pen

 

[inlovewitharunnerduck]

thanks Wifezilla...as I suspected. Maybe I can trade a few for females, but most people don't want more males, right? THey might EAT them!!! To me they are all pets. So, possibly a bachelor pen....my ducks are free range, so I might not want to do that either. Or I guess finding good homes. So sad. Can you believe that out of six ducklings FIVE are drakes? What are the odds of that.

BTW, is the rule of thumb 3 girls per drake?

Thanks so much!

 

[duckyfromoz]

So sorry aout your ratio..I have been lucky with my hatching lately and found I am having a shortage of males. Out of 25 hatched 22 were Female!!

Any less than 3 females and the drakes will be too demanding on them.... Too many and fertility could be effected.

 

[inlovewitharunnerduck]

Too bad you're in Australia--or you could take a few of my very sweet drakes! Thanks for the advice. I don't know what I'll do yet. I figure I have another month before the hormones kick in to figure it out.

 

[crj]

I am in the same situation. I have 6 fawn and white runners. Two are definitely females and the other 4 are males. I'm trying to find more females in my area. Someone did write wanting some drakes but I would rather trade or find girls before I get rid of the drakes. Make sense? I really love my ducks. They are just over 3 months old.

I had a girl that quacked all the time which kept the other girl quiet. For a long time I thought I had all boys and 1 girl. At least now I have 2 which is a tiny bit better then 1.