Is he confused?

[MysticalMom]

I don't know if some of you remember my menace. He's an appleyard/Khaki cross drake, named Apple, that's just a pain in my.... everything.

He was an "accident" we got with our Pure. Appleyard eggs from Duckkeeper ( who used to be a member here, but haven't seen her in a long while). He was actually the only egg we got from her that hatched, and he's been trouble ever since.

When he was a lone hatch we wanted to get him some buddies in the brooder, and the only thing we could get fast were 2 muscovy ducklings. It worked out well at the time. They brooded together and were none the wiser that they weren't the same species.

Anyway... here in lies my problem. They're all over a year old now. The muscovy drake has his harem of muscovy girls and he's fine. But Apple, who also has his pick of mates and buddies of his own kind, well.... I think he's confused. He hangs out with only the muscovy, has never tried to breed anything but a muscovy girl, NEVER gets in the pools with the other mallard derived ducks, never shows any of the head bobbing breeding bahvior and unlike our other drakes ( who are all younger than him) is not even interested in females of his own species. He wants nothing to do with the mallard derived ducks at all and only chases them away. The muscovy girls really want nothing to do with him, the muscovy drake doesn't want him on his girls, and it's just a mess. He only hangs with muscovy and he's missing all his wing feathers and looks pathetic because the muscovy drake yanks him off by them when he gets on his girls and the other ducks dont like him because he's never nice to them.

What am I going to do with Apple The confused meance? He's none the worse for wear... I just feel sorry for him. ( a big jump from 6 months ago when I wanted to put in the stew pot, eh?) Is there anything I can do to make him realize he's NOT a muscovy.

 

[KansasKid]

Is there any way you can separate him and "his" group from the muscovys for a while. I had some a buff orpington drakes that got attached to one of my rouen females so i separated them from her and put them with there own group in a separate run for a while and it seemed to solve the problem but i'm not for sure how long it would last because a week and a half later i ended up selling them to reduce my numbers. (bad drake to hen ratio anyway)

 

[MysticalMom]

All the ducks are let out together in the morning and free range the farm together. It really isn't possible to separate them during the day.

 

[katharinad]

It would be nice if you can go out of your way and pen him up with a girl until they bond. It will be extra work, but it may pay off nicely.

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh now that's an idea. I don't care about the extra work. I could pen him with one of my Appleyard girls. How long do you think she'd have to suffer?

 

[javajanie]

He's very pretty. Looks almost identical to my mutt duck, Desmond. Hope he finds a girl he can get along with!

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
Thanks jj. He's been so much trouble he should have been in the stew pot long ago. But we hatched him, and brooded him and neither Snakeman or myself can bring ourselves to wring his bad little neck.

Where in SoMd are you? I can't remember. I'm in St. Mary's Co. Great Mills to be exact.

 

[javajanie]

I'm up in Waldorf. I'm a Baltimore transplant. My hubby grew up in Hughesville and all his family is down here. I really love Southern MD, especially St. Mary's County. I'd love to move farther south (someplace bigger so I can get more ducks!). But we are kinda stuck here right now.

 

[MysticalMom]

My husband grew up in Waldorf. in St. Charles. His family is from St. Mary's though and that's how he ended up here.

We have 260 acres ( it's mostly Christmas trees) and even with 20+ ducks I STILL want more.. I have to have some runners... and maybe another swede or 2... and.....and...and...

I need another duck house first though. I'm at my limit with what I have now and not another duck will fit. The Hubby needs to get to work on it! ( Are you reading this Snakeman?? Hint hint.)