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Ideal drake:duck ratio?

Discussion in 'Ducks' started by Sunny Side Up, Dec 27, 2009.

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  1. Dec 27, 2009 #1
    Sunny Side Up

    Sunny Side Up Count your many blessings...

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    Mar 12, 2008
    Loxahatchee, Florida
    Is there an ideal ratio or does it depend on the particular dynamics of the individual ducks in a yard?

    I have 18 ducks, 3 Khaki Campbell drakes, 13 KC duck hens, and 2 Pekin duck hens. There are 4 separate little houses in the duck pen where they go in their own little groups each night, and they all free-range together throughout the yard during the day. The drakes don't seem to fuss or fight with each other, and each keeps primarily to his own group of duck hens. I have yet to see the KC drakes mating, or even paying much attention to, the Pekins.

    I thought the ratio might be the same as for chickens, 1:10, and had planned to show & sell one of the KC drakes at our next county fair. But since they're all getting along so well, and since each drake seems to be the head of his own flock of girls, perhaps I should keep them all.

    Please let me know what you think. Also, do you think it would upset the groupings if I took 1 of the drakes & 2 of the duck hens to the fair just to show, & return to the yard in a few weeks?
     

  4. Dec 27, 2009 #2
    One Acre Wonder Farm

    One Acre Wonder Farm Songster

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    Feb 20, 2009
    Vermont
    I think it will depend on the individual ducks/drakes but I have 3 drakes with 7 ducks and no problems. Tho two of the drakes are from hatches this summer; they've all been raised together so no problems (yet).

    As long as there are no problems in your current set up I would say don't change it [​IMG]

    My ducks definitely have a "pecking order" and they may be disrupted if a few ducks are gone for a couple of days. They may be reestablishing the order for a few days once they're all back together.
     
  6. Dec 27, 2009 #3
    TK Poultry

    TK Poultry Songster

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    May 25, 2009
    Greencastle, Indiana
    i have 8 hens and 3 drakes i have a year old drake and two drakes that are this years hatch ive hatched ducklings from two of the drakes and they have their own little pecking order in itself, the drakes do. So i say that is a good number of drakes anyway for the amount of hens and your right it does depends of the dynamic of the group of ducks and mine seem to be doing well with the current set up and i plan to expand my duck population so the drakes have more to go around but i would say see what goes on and sometimes especially if the drakes head isnt vividly colored they aren't very interested in mating
     
  8. Dec 27, 2009 #4
    rainplace

    rainplace Interstellar Duck Academy

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    Jun 23, 2009
    Northwestern Washington
    With my bantam ducks I have one drake per female. Whenever I've added a new drake/duck pair, there's been a little fighting with the new drake, but they usually work it out in a few days and then all stick together as a tight little group. With my larger ducks (runners) I have 2 drakes to 6 females, and they all get along also.

    Note: this is my first year with ducks.
     

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