I have a duck problem

[Lorettawyandotte]

I have 8 ducks, 4 Pekins and 4 Rouens...7 of them are drakes...looks like I have 3 options...place 6 drakes with someone else, eat 6 drakes (never happen) or find me a bunch more hens...

or maybe get rid of them all...also never happen...the hen is a hoot...loud, brassy, in charge...first to do everything...the boys are very sweet and goofy...

Ideal, Cackle and McMurry all have Pekin duckling pullets? available...are the ducklings called pullets like chicken baby girls? What do I know...what I know for sure is I love my ducks and I have to do something right for them...

I was only going to have a few chickens for eggs...what has taken possession of me? I have 65 chickens, 8 ducks and 4 geese...and I want more...

I need more fm ducks, silkies, bantam cochins, some polish......


heeeeeelllllpppppp......

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I'll help you place an order.

I'm in the same boat. Now I have 16 turkeys added to my flock.

 

[shelleyd2008]

You should do what I did.

Originally, I started with 4 ducklings. My newbie brain did not (at that time) realize how easy it was to sex them at an early age. I just knew of the drake feather thing. So I ended up with 4 males, and this was after I had released them on the pond! Impossible to catch them!

So I went and bought 4 females, 1 girl for each boy, no problem, right?

Then my dog decided that those squeeky birds were to much to resist, which left me with 2 girls and 4 boys.

A friend 'donated' one to the group, supposed to be a female, which of course it wasn't! So then I had 5 males, and only 2 females....went to the auction and found another hen duck, brought her home...duck count 5 male, 3 female....ooooh! Getting closer!

I had pekins and rouens, could not for the life of me find rouen ducks anywhere! Everyone had drakes to sell.....but oh!! Look at those pretty black ducks! Poked my finger at them through the wire, and what do you know? It really IS a m/f pair! How unusual that someone would be selling what they say!!

Duck count: 2 pekin m/f pairs, 3 rouen drakes, 1 rouen duck, 1 m/f pair of black cayugas....

Got tired of trying to 'find' ducks, so just order hatching eggs, no problem! 30 eggs later, I finally have 3 m/f pair of pekin, 3 m/f pair of rouens, and 1 m/f pair of cayuga. Lucky boy that one, cause he has 2 girls instead of just one!

So new duck count is 7 males and 8 females....at least I'm '1-up' on ducks now!!

I would say either get rid of the extra drakes or order the female babies. Either way, you'll still need to get rid of some drakes, otherwise you'll need upwards of 30+ ducks for them! If I could catch my extras, they would be soooooo gone! I don't need to buy anymore!

 

[MandyH]

A female duck is a hen and your best bet is to get rid of some drakes. They will worry her to death when they are big enough to mate. OR buy a LOT more hens.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but a female duck is called a duck

 

[EricShane]

Quote:
Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but a female duck is called a duck

lol.. thats what I was thinking.. and the male is a drake, right?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but a female duck is called a duck

lol.. thats what I was thinking.. and the male is a drake, right?

That's right, the male is a drake. I'm not sure what young ones are called (technically), and that's what the OP was having difficulties with, I believe. I just call them young ducks and old ducks, or young drakes and old drakes

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Yes and a YOUNG (under 1 year old) female chicken is called a pul___ Over 1 year old they are called hens. So are you sure that all female ducks are called hens or is duck the correct term? or pullet for young ducks?
_

 

[froggie71]

Quote:
lol.. thats what I was thinking.. and the male is a drake, right?

That's right, the male is a drake. I'm not sure what young ones are called (technically), and that's what the OP was having difficulties with, I believe. I just call them young ducks and old ducks, or young drakes and old drakes

yes, female duck is a duck, male is a drake, a baby is duckling. Seems too simple, but that it is!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
That's right, the male is a drake. I'm not sure what young ones are called (technically), and that's what the OP was having difficulties with, I believe. I just call them young ducks and old ducks, or young drakes and old drakes

yes, female duck is a duck, male is a drake, a baby is duckling. Seems too simple, but that it is!

Okay, gonna toss a wrench in here. If a female duck is a duck, and a male duck is a drake, a baby duck is a duckling, then what is a female duck that is 6 months old? Is that a duck or a duckling? How about a 2 month old? Looks like any other duck at that age, but is unable to breed/lay at that young age? That's the question on the table now

I don't know what a 'young' duck or drake is called, one that is not of breeding age, which is basically what a pullet chicken is, to an extent anyway