Mating

[annaagarland]

My two ducks are almost 5 months old. They have just started mating. So far it does not seem very violent, In fact I think the female may actually like it. What signs do I look for to know if they need to be separated or not? How many times a day is intercourse acceptable?

 

[Isadora]

My female ducks do enjoy mating. Sometimes they will follow my drake around and bob their heads at him, inviting him. I've only noticed they don't like it if it's too much.
An obvious sign of over mating would be if your female starts losing too many feathers on her neck or on her back where he's climbing on. She could also start to avoid him or running away.
Do you have pictures of your ducks you could share? I'm wondering what kind they are.

 

[annaagarland]

My female ducks do enjoy mating. Sometimes they will follow my drake around and bob their heads at him, inviting him. I've only noticed they don't like it if it's too much.
An obvious sign of over mating would be if your female starts losing too many feathers on her neck or on her back where he's climbing on. She could also start to avoid him or running away.
Do you have pictures of your ducks you could share? I'm wondering what kind they are.

They are Mallard and KC. They do love each other very much. thank you for the advice!

 

[Isadora]

They are Mallard and KC. They do love each other very much. thank you for the advice!

Wow, they're beautiful!

 

[LucyLovesDucks]

They are Mallard and KC. They do love each other very much. thank you for the advice!

So beautiful!

Our ducks started mating at 12 weeks, with the females initiating. In the beginning we kept them separated at night until they grew a bit more, to avoid injuries.

As for the frequency, I think it matters more what’s the female’s attitude towards it. If she bobs her head and flattens her back, she willing. But if he’s grabbing her by the feathers and she seems to run away from him, then you know she’s had too much. Generally, I see each duck mating with a male a couple of times a day (and then the females among themselves on top of that!).