How many ducks per drake?

[Just Ducky Girl]

BTW, the two ducks on top of each other in the water in my pic are THE HENS. They hang together, when a drake goes for one... the other runs/swims past him. I think they're guarding for each other! LOL!!! I've seen them use their duck house to play keep away... but never seen any roughhousing ever.

 

[Going Quackers]

Hmmm... Are my ducks odd? I have a VERY mixed crew as far as breeds go, and have 5 drakes, two girls. Nobody fights, no feathers pulled, nothing. They sleep all together in one big pile. They were all raised together, born just days apart. Is this unheard of? Is it because they are young(less than 1 yr) or is it because there are only two girls... and YES I KNOW they are two girls and five drakes before somebody asks...

And if I add more hens will THAT start them fighting? Just wondering also... about to add eight girls.

Youth is probably a factor. As i said i can only go by what occurred here within my own flock.these boys were all hatched and ran with the flock from roughly 2.5/3wks old but as time went by the young boys were causing a ruckus, the main drakes disliked the competition and the older ducks were not fond of the advances i actually had some ducks fighting with the juvi drakes lol

I just know all i have ever read was it's best to keep a ratio of fewer drakes to ducks.

 

[Just Ducky Girl]

I just added 7 girls... and the previous owner has the same strain of Pekins as I do. He's raised ducks all his life and said he's never had a problem with drakes or hens picking on each other/losing feathers. He lets his free-range, as I do, and thinks that the large size Pekins keep everybody in line(they can weigh nearly 22 lbs at 5-7 months of age, he developed the line) even tho' they are docile/never push their weight around. He also has a wide assortment everything from Rouens to Scottish Crested, and more drakes always than girls. Guess it just works out sometimes too! Maybe it's in our water.

I count myself lucky! Even my older ducks don't pick.(course they've had more hens always) They accepted the new ducks in 10 minutes flat. Must have just got all good temperaments. Yep, I've always read more hens than drakes too... that's why I was wondering if my duckies were odd... maybe they're just worn out and happy! ha ha

 

[Just Ducky Girl]

7 because the number 8 hissed at me! Never had a DUCK hiss. Figured I'd better leave that one, the drakes might not like that ha ha!

 

[Going Quackers]

I just added 7 girls... and the previous owner has the same strain of Pekins as I do. He's raised ducks all his life and said he's never had a problem with drakes or hens picking on each other/losing feathers. He lets his free-range, as I do, and thinks that the large size Pekins keep everybody in line(they can weigh nearly 22 lbs at 5-7 months of age, he developed the line) even tho' they are docile/never push their weight around. He also has a wide assortment everything from Rouens to Scottish Crested, and more drakes always than girls. Guess it just works out sometimes too! Maybe it's in our water.

I count myself lucky! Even my older ducks don't pick.(course they've had more hens always) They accepted the new ducks in 10 minutes flat. Must have just got all good temperaments. Yep, I've always read more hens than drakes too... that's why I was wondering if my duckies were odd... maybe they're just worn out and happy! ha ha

Well frankly, i think he's been an exception then because i have had a larger flock here and that has simply not been the case and the majority of the birds came in as young and/or hatched here.

My birds all free ranged too, maybe Muscovy have different flock dynamics? ( i doubt this though but anything is possible) accepted new ducks that quickly? again unusual, mine certainly must lean to the aggressive side then because they do not, it takes time and they definitely have a pretty heavy pecking order here.

Again, all i can go by is my own experiences and what has been told to me by others and books on the subject.

 

[Going Quackers]

7 because the number 8 hissed at me! Never had a DUCK hiss. Figured I'd better leave that one, the drakes might not like that ha ha!

Muscovy ducks do but i know nothing about Pekin, i have understood the drake has a special feather in that breed?