New mate/companion for widowed Rouen?

[ceramic cat]

My 1 1/2-year-old Rouen drake has lost his companion. I found her dead in their pen a couple of days ago, body intact but severed head lying nearby. I have no idea what happened to her. There was almost no blood on the ground, and very few pulled feathers Her body looked as if it had sustained light bites, not at all the sort inflicted by a predator... She was my third Pekin duck over the years; all have died mysteriously. As it is quite difficult to part with those cheerful birds, with their loving eyes and faces, I think I am through with Pekins.

I don't want the drake to be on his own. There are 3 pairs of Chinese geese in the pen, but they stay well clear of the drake, ever since he has taken a single-minded fancy to one of the geese.

Someone is selling 3-month-old Blue Swiss/Pekin crosses on Craigslist, two females and a male. I'd like to get at least one of them, but I have good reason to fear for their safety, given my drake's current amorous disposition.

My drake and late Pekin had a very strong, albeit Platonic bond. Although he had absolutely no romantic interest in her that I could discern, they seldom strayed more than 3 feet from each other. It seems his passions were all reserved for the Chinese goose... Still, I want to be sure I'm making the right choice. All ideas/ suggestions welcome.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My 1 1/2-year-old Rouen drake has lost his companion. I found her dead in their pen a couple of days ago, body intact but severed head lying nearby. I have no idea what happened to her. There was almost no blood on the ground, and very few pulled feathers Her body looked as if it had sustained light bites, not at all the sort inflicted by a predator... She was my third Pekin duck over the years; all have died mysteriously. As it is quite difficult to part with those cheerful birds, with their loving eyes and faces, I think I am through with Pekins.

I don't want the drake to be on his own. There are 3 pairs of Chinese geese in the pen, but they stay well clear of the drake, ever since he has taken a single-minded fancy to one of the geese.

Someone is selling 3-month-old Blue Swiss/Pekin crosses on Craigslist, two females and a male. I'd like to get at least one of them, but I have good reason to fear for their safety, given my drake's current amorous disposition.

My drake and late Pekin had a very strong, albeit Platonic bond. Although he had absolutely no romantic interest in her that I could discern, they seldom strayed more than 3 feet from each other. It seems his passions were all reserved for the Chinese goose... Still, I want to be sure I'm making the right choice. All ideas/ suggestions welcome.

I'd say get him a companion but keep them separate till the duck is old enough to put up with his advances [around 5 months] , by some kind of fencing so they can get to know each other but he can't get too excited, but I would work on getting a more secure place for them to stay first, what ever got your duck will get more it's just a matter of time, Raccoons .mink, weasel etc will grab ducks through fencing and since they can't pull the whole duck through will pull off the head. this one sounds like it might have gotten scared away before it could kill anything else. Secure fencing with hardware cloth up from ground at least 2' and some kind of house to put them into at night that can be locked up tight is the only way to keep this from happening again. So sorry for your losses. and