Hi everyone, I have raised ducks for years now and unfortunately I've lost many. My question is that well I've had 3 ducks 2 female 1 drake. They mated and out of curiosity I put a few eggs in the incubator and 6 hatched. Well I went off to college and I come home to just the 6 babies I guess you can call them. They're about 5 months now. I came home last night for break and today I noticed that they were fighting. I think there might be 2 or 3 males and the rest females. The 6 ducks all hatched together and raised together. I noticed that maybe the 2 males were fighting. I don't know if this is common but I've never seen it before. Are they like claiming territory? Should I separate them? My next question is that I have a coop. It is winter and there is snow everywhere. We have a light in the coop to keep them warm but since they grew up outside without a coop and no where to go in at night they never go in. I feel terrible is there a way I can teach them to go in? I've tried food water treats i don't know what else to do. Please help
For my ducks I herded them in every night for about a week and now when I go out their at night they are in. But if I miss a night locking them in one night I need to re train them to go in.
Here ducks pen up on their own at dark without any issues. But right now, with snow everywhere, the flock basically stays in their pen all the time. And yes your males will fight. 1 male per 2-3 female ducks (or more!)
Your also taking a big chance a predator is going to wipe out your ducks, being outside over night is just asking for trouble, they literally are sitting ducks. Most ducks herd really well walk slowly with your arms spread wide behind them or use 2 light weight poles, I have an old dust mop pole that I use to herd my geese and ducks with. It may take a while but it will be worth it to have safe ducks. Fighting is very normal, one of your drakes will be the dominant of the 2 and the other will have to mate when he gets the chance the dominant one will have all the ducks most likely. unless he is real lucky and 1or 2 take a liking to him. You might ask someone to help you for a couple days to a week till they catch on to herding, then be sure to reward them for going inside.
