This is my first time at raising Ducks and as they have been getting older and maturing, I have noticed different duck behaviors along the way, some good and some not so good. 
Our flock is small and even though the drake to hen ratio is off, four drakes and eight hens, they have been really good as far as any negative aggressive behavior towards each other, based on some of the stories that other members have shared with their flocks.
One of our Rouen/Pekin mixed drakes ( Big D ) rules the flock as head alpha duck over the other three drakes. If he sees another drake trying to mate with one of the other eight hens he will run over and chase them off, actually kind of funny to watch. There has been no physical fighting between any of them up to this point and I do realize that this next spring could be a very different story and I will have to separate them.
Most of our hens have started to lay eggs now for the first time and I have been very fortunate that they all like to lay their eggs in the early morning hours in the coop. Every morning I open the coop door at daybreak to let them all out to free range and a few of the hens who haven't laid their eggs yet will keep returning to the coop to do so. Only problem I have started to notice with this is, Big D thinks he needs to follow the remain few hens back into the coop and supervise over the top of them with his raspy drake quack as they are trying to nest in the hay to lay their one egg for the day.
This behavior has just started a few days ago and I was wondering if this is something that I need to be concerned with?
I know with our four hen chickens that they will jump up into their nesting boxes and like to sit quietly for a little while before the spectacular event happens. I would think that the ducks would like the same amount of quiet time without Big D hanging over them trying to coach them on.
One morning I was able to lock Big D and little d his brother out of the coop while the last two hens where in there trying to find a spot to drop their egg. Big D was outside the door passing back and forth along the coop and not liking what just happened.
I know that the hens can lay their eggs just fine without Big D's help, is this new bad behavior of his going to quit or would this be a good time to separate the Drakes from the Hens?
Our flock is small and even though the drake to hen ratio is off, four drakes and eight hens, they have been really good as far as any negative aggressive behavior towards each other, based on some of the stories that other members have shared with their flocks.
One of our Rouen/Pekin mixed drakes ( Big D ) rules the flock as head alpha duck over the other three drakes. If he sees another drake trying to mate with one of the other eight hens he will run over and chase them off, actually kind of funny to watch. There has been no physical fighting between any of them up to this point and I do realize that this next spring could be a very different story and I will have to separate them.
Most of our hens have started to lay eggs now for the first time and I have been very fortunate that they all like to lay their eggs in the early morning hours in the coop. Every morning I open the coop door at daybreak to let them all out to free range and a few of the hens who haven't laid their eggs yet will keep returning to the coop to do so. Only problem I have started to notice with this is, Big D thinks he needs to follow the remain few hens back into the coop and supervise over the top of them with his raspy drake quack as they are trying to nest in the hay to lay their one egg for the day.
This behavior has just started a few days ago and I was wondering if this is something that I need to be concerned with?
I know with our four hen chickens that they will jump up into their nesting boxes and like to sit quietly for a little while before the spectacular event happens. I would think that the ducks would like the same amount of quiet time without Big D hanging over them trying to coach them on.One morning I was able to lock Big D and little d his brother out of the coop while the last two hens where in there trying to find a spot to drop their egg. Big D was outside the door passing back and forth along the coop and not liking what just happened.
I know that the hens can lay their eggs just fine without Big D's help, is this new bad behavior of his going to quit or would this be a good time to separate the Drakes from the Hens?
