More duck research questions?

[nao57]

So I have to ask this...

Hope I can word it right.

When you have a drake, and then he mates with the duck hens, does that increase their chances of starting egg production sooner?

And also does that mean that if you got rid of the drake that the egg production would decrease once he's no longer mating with them (but setup after they'd already begun laying).

And when you tame ducklings or ducks or get them to bond with you, I wonder how much contact do you have to have with them, to not lose the bond?

This last one, I ask because some of my ducks used to be more friendly to me than they are now. I think that I've lost some of that bond. (But it couldn't be helped. Until recently we had 100 degree heat, so I couldn't be out in the yard with them that much.)

 

[HollowOfWisps]

1. Being exposed to a Drake does not cause a hen to lay early or more often. Feed, stress levels, daylight and time of year do affect hen egg production levels.

2. It's like with any other animal for there to be a bond you have to trust eachother. You can handle your ducklings daily, but if they do not trust you they will still be uncomfortable. Which is why I'm often get asked "I handle my ducks daily why are they still afraid of me?". My ducks are actually more friendly now as adults than they were initially. For awhile I would go out on daily basis, lay a blanket out to sit on and then put some fresh veggies or fruits next to me. I would allow my ducks to approach me on their own time and not force the interaction I just sat there. Eventually they reached the point where they would eat out of my hands and had no problem being around me. Now when I go out they don't spook when they see me and will walk right up to me. Even if I have no treats and I'm just sitting in the grass they will come over to forage next to me.

 

[Trisseh]

Drakes have no influence over when or if hens lay. Except I guess potentially if they overstress them, then you may have problems, but I’ve not encountered any situations like that. Some ducks just take their time and don’t lay as soon as we’d like them to. My appleyard was 9 months old before she started laying and I believe she would have been older still if it hadn’t worked out seasonally that she turned 9 months in March.

birds are all individuals, and some will naturally be friendlier than others. Most of my birds will come right over for a snack but only a few are ok with being petted or held. It does seem that they all go through a “spooky” stage that lasts for varying lengths of time, usually coinciding with ducky puberty. I usually avoid trying to catch or hold them at this point and just reinforce that people are nice by giving treats daily. They usually come around. Ive only had one that I rehomed because she just didn’t fit into the well handled flock. She’d fly off the handle if you got within6 feet of her and if you did have to catch her for whatever reason, she would scratch and bite as hard as she could. Not a good fit. Lol. Take into account their comfort level and if you really want one to be more like a pet, single out the friendliest one and focus on that one. Or, hatch a couple ducklings and raise them yourself, brood them in the house, keep them with you allll the time, wait for them to get through the spooky stage, and they’ll probably remain pretty friendly.

 

[3bird]

To the best of my knowledge, having a drake around does not directly affect egg laying. Indirectly perhaps if there is stress. We really like having one drake with our small flock. The behavior is really different, although the flock does need to be managed during breeding season (usually April through August).

In terms of bonding, we spend a lot of time with our ducks during supervised free-ranging 2x/day regardless of weather. When we're outside working (which is often in the summer, as we work from home), they are generally out with us. They mostly like to stay close even if we're working with power tools. If they get spooked, they often run to us and gather around our feet, which is absolutely adorable. We handle them from time-to-time, and it's not their favorite, but they're pretty good about it mostly. If we sit down, they will come running and climb on us hoping for a mealworm treat. Like others have said above, it's about trust.

 

[nao57]

Drakes have no influence over when or if hens lay. Except I guess potentially if they overstress them, then you may have problems, but I’ve not encountered any situations like that. Some ducks just take their time and don’t lay as soon as we’d like them to. My appleyard was 9 months old before she started laying and I believe she would have been older still if it hadn’t worked out seasonally that she turned 9 months in March.

birds are all individuals, and some will naturally be friendlier than others. Most of my birds will come right over for a snack but only a few are ok with being petted or held. It does seem that they all go through a “spooky” stage that lasts for varying lengths of time, usually coinciding with ducky puberty. I usually avoid trying to catch or hold them at this point and just reinforce that people are nice by giving treats daily. They usually come around. Ive only had one that I rehomed because she just didn’t fit into the well handled flock. She’d fly off the handle if you got within6 feet of her and if you did have to catch her for whatever reason, she would scratch and bite as hard as she could. Not a good fit. Lol. Take into account their comfort level and if you really want one to be more like a pet, single out the friendliest one and focus on that one. Or, hatch a couple ducklings and raise them yourself, brood them in the house, keep them with you allll the time, wait for them to get through the spooky stage, and they’ll probably remain pretty friendly.

Can they bond with you then without you ever having picked them up? I have been a bit confused with this.

 

[3bird]

Can they bond with you then without you ever having picked them up? I have been a bit confused with this.

I think it may depend on what you mean by bond. Our ducks recognize we are not a threat, and they see us as protecting them (as evidenced by the way they run to us and stand around our feet if they get scared). They get excited when they see us, and they come running for their breakfast and dinner.

We do make an effort to handle them regularly, mostly because it makes it easier if you need to handle them for first aid. Most of our ducks don't like being handled, so they are not bonded with us in the way that I see some ducks who enjoy hopping up and sitting in your lap.

 

[Trisseh]

Can they bond with you then without you ever having picked them up? I have been a bit confused with this.

As 3bird said, they know that people (usually specific individuals) mean food and safety. Doesn’t mean they’re lap ducks or like dogs but once in a while you’ll get a duck that likes to be held, likes to sit in your lap, etc. Lol. In my experience it’s the artificially brooded ones that you hatch, in a smaller group that tend to be friendlier; I think it’s just that each one gets more one on one attention when there’s less of them, and artificially brooder ducklings are usually more people oriented simply because there’s no mama duck involved. I have a drake that i raised that sits on my feet. He no longer likes to be snuggled so much but he’s the first one to come running when he sees you and sticks around. If I have to catch him I can and he settles down pretty quickly.
It’s not so much making them enjoy being held, because most ducks don’t actually like it, but getting to them a point that they tolerate it and are comfortable enough you can handle them when you need to.