I'm about to kill my drake....rant

[Darklingstorm]

I have two Khaki Campbell ducks, one hen & one drake. The drake has developed an obsession for my black star chicken hen. Chocolate (black star) has a squirrel tail (crooked tail) and I guess it's a sexy thing to a drake because he torments her something fierce. It has gotten so bad, that when I go outside she runs to me and stays near me all the time.When I open the pop door for the chickens, he stands near by and watches for her; as soon as she is out he runs at her and tries to mount. She fights him off most of the time, but sometimes he get hold of her feathers and won't let go. In the beginning the other chickens (especially the dominant hen) attacked him every time he went after her, but I guess they gave up helping her. Yesterday was the closest he has come to dieing. I put fresh watermelon out for all to eat and as soon as Chocolate got a beak full, Tuck (the %$#*ing drake) tried to mount her. She couldn't even eat in peace for a minute, so I ended up chasing him down and locking him in my empty chick run till she was done.

When the weather cools down, I'm planning on building a duck pen. Right now the ground is like concrete, it has been so hot and dry, and there is no way to get the pen up. I can't keep a full grown duck in the chick run either, since I have chicks that I take outside before the temperature gets too hot for them. Besides it's only secure enough to keep chicks in, not a determined duck. I'm just hoping that once the pen is built and he comes to terms that he can't have her, that all will be peaceful again in the backyard.

But I'm always open to try roast duck too.

 

[ChickenScratchin]

She fights him off most of the time, but sometimes he get hold of her feathers and won't let go.

Sorry, this made me chuckle. Made me think of Shawshank Redemption.

So frustrating when they just. won't. behave! Darn those hormones!

Hope you can get him to give it a rest!​

 

[dabblingducks]

We had to separate off various chickens/ducks a while ago because they weren't getting on and were either attacking or constantly trying to mate with each other. We built new runs for them, and I think this is the only long term solution... in your case, I think its probably best to get a new coop set up for the ducks as soon as possible, and for now to separate them in whatever way you can think of. It could just be a seasonal thing for the duck - if it's mating season, he might stop it when it's over. Even if it means taking the hen away and putting her in the enclosed bit when the chicks aren't there, it will give her some respite until you can get a new fence up.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

Ducks are not meant to mate with chickens and I have had ducks mate a chicken before but it kills them. Just thought I would share that with you. So the sooner you can separate them the better for your poor hen.

 

[sheila3935]

I know how you feel. I had a runner drake and even though he had 4 girls he would go after one of my barred rocks. It got so bad that she wouldnt even come out of the coop. I finally rehomed him. I hated to do it he was a beautiful drake but I couldnt have him terrorizing Sweet Pea.

 

[newbyduckmom]

I swore I would never consider rehoming or butchering my ducks. But after the drakes behavior in this last week, I am not so sure. I had separated them, but the hens are much happier (appear much more relaxed and less stressed) when at least one of the drakes is around. So tried a limited release, with one drake in with the hens. It was a no go. Immediately had to separate them again because the drake was so nasty. And they are being aggressive toward me too. The drakes were my favorite ducks, but suddenly it's like a Jeckel and Hyde sort of thing. Worst I have seen is they cornered a hen, got her head lodged through the branches of a blueberry bush with two drakes on one side holding her head (pinning head on one side of bush), and her body with the other drake on the other side of the bush. Was just lucky I got too them before they killed her. It's a wonder they didn't break her neck.

And yet the hens quack loudly and continuously when the drakes are separate....

The two Khaki drakes are relentless. The Magpie drake is less so but I think it is because he is larger and there is not a deep enough source of water available to make him successful in breeding.....so he attacks me instead.

 

[GrannyCarol]

Separate them and get your drake some more girl friends. A ratio of 5 - 6 ducks for one small breed drake should keep him busy enough not to harass his duck girls. Otherwise, part with the boy and get another girl to keep your duck company.

I keep several pens and separate my ducks as needed. Parts of the year most of the drakes are in their own pen, in the spring I have a couple of breeding pens, a pen for the layers and a drake pen. It's a lot easier to keep them all safe/happy if I have enough pens to separate the ones that need to be separate.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Separate them so that ALL the ducks are penned separately from the chickens.