Mama Duck Attacked!!

[MamacatPatch]

Just an update and a question ... I should probably start a new thread and if no one answers me here I will.

Firstly, the two ducks left are both boys! DRAT! Now we have FIVE male ducks and ONE female duck and she is usually beaten and battered ... of course we know WHY ... not enough girls to go around! Wonder if they make neck protectors for ducks?

Anyway, the two left from the quad are full grown, fat and sassy and still hang out together in the 'big' area with the goats, the geese, three rogue roosters, the pekin ducks and their papa duck.

My question now is that papaduck and his new girl have a nest inside the goat shed in the corner with seven eggs in it so far! I want to let nature take it's course, but I am concerned about the nest location because the goats would squish a baby duck like a bug. I suppose I could leave well enough alone and see what happens ... it's going to get real cold here in a few months tho. Even though there is another shed nearby, ALL the animals apparently huddle in the goat shed.

Would be wonderful for papaduck and his pekin girl to have a brood and maybe add some GIRLS to the bunch! Sure wish we had a way to put them in a protective area away from all the others, but the coon is smart. We did catch one coon in the trap but we keep the trap in operation just in case there are more. Hard to coon proof a chicken run.

 

[Hattiegun]

Quote:

I need another girl...

 

[wpalmisano]

I would think you need a few girls. 1 drake can easily handle 3 hens. 4 drakes will harass 1 hen to death.

 

[MamacatPatch]

I agree ... in fact, I'd prefer one or two drakes to four or five or more ducks!!! BUT, where can I get ducks now? The only other solution might be to fence the mating pair off on their own area, but then there's that possible coon problem. I really do want to do SOMETHING before she's mangled to pieces.

 

[MamacatPatch]

Okie dokie, after much consideration and weighing all options, we decided more girls is what we need so we ordered six Khaki Campbell girls, one for each drake and one extra 'just in case' ... from McMurray Hatcheries and they'll be here the week of the 20th.

Thought we'd go ahead and try a new breed too! Since they're ducklings, guess it'll be several months before they can be intro'd to the gang of ducks ... right smack dab in the middle of winter snow, ice and bitter cold. Lovely eh? LOL Cost more to ship those dang duckies than it did to buy em!

Holy cow!!

Marci