Mating and Duck Behaviour Question.

Epogee

In the Brooder
Jan 22, 2018
14
9
14
I'm in the UK, and I have two white runner ducks which I hatched last year. They are very friendly and about 1year old, and have been laying continuously since then. About three weeks ago, I added three mallard runners (1 drake and 2 ducks) and a black runner drake. They are all about the same age. The girl mallards have just started laying in the last few days.

I'd like to hatch some more eggs, but I'm wondering how I know when they start getting fertilised.

The black drake seems pretty keen on the white girls. He's often chasing after them, but they run away. When he catches them and tries to climb on top, the mallard drake usually pushes him off. I haven't seen the mallard drake trying to mount any of them. Also, the black drake doesn't seem interested in the mallard girls at all.

All 6 ducks get on well together, and they often forage as a group, and sleep together at night. I haven't seen any fighting between them.

Can anyone explain what is going on? I assumed that with two drakes, they'd both be active, but perhaps only one dominant drake gets the girls? Why doesn't the black drake go for the mallard girls? Why isn't the mallard drake active? Will I have to wait for them to get to know each other better before they start mating successfully?
 
If you are eating the eggs, look for the bullseye to tell if they are fertile. A small white dot on the yolk is infertile. A white dot surrounded by a white ring means fertile (to me it often just looks bigger). The egg below is a fertile duck egg.
CDD4C7E6-FDE8-4341-93EA-CB44418502E2.jpeg
 
I'll try separating them. I separated them for a short while last night, and the black drake got very anxious. He didn't like being separated from the mallards. He lost all interest in the white girls, once separated.
 

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