Odd Drake Question Regarding Neutering

[nolamimi504]

I have an all drake flock. I lost my female, and didn’t realize how badly losing her would hurt. My drakes were overly aggressively mating the other females, who were too young, therefore, I rehomed the females and the one male they were with and I had 5 drakes but one disappeared in the middle of the night. My 4 remaining drakes are super aggressive, we’ve split our duck house in half- with two ducks in each half, we let them out in the mornings and two get the front yard and two get the back yard. However, they’re fighting through the fence. 1-Frankie, had a small crack in their bill, it healed within a week; now he has a really thin crack in his bill; Johnny, his brother has a hurt left leg, which I soak in warm epsom salt using a bucket and holding him, then he takes a cold bath, and I put a little vet wrap; Half-Pint (my smallest duck, Mallard), is missing a huge chunk of feathers on one side and a slight eye injury, which has healed. My 4th duck, Chocolate (Khaki Campbell), magically has no injuries. Hun and half-pint share one side of the cage, and there’s a screen that blocks them from getting to Frankie & Johnny. Chocolate & Frankie stick their bills through the fence pecking at one another, or through whatever hole they can find, I keep blocking them. I hate seeing them getting hurt and in pain and was wondering if I can get them fixed? Like, we’re not planning on mating them, I just hate seeing them being so aggressive to one another, not to mention how many times I’ve had to run outside and pull Frankie off Johnny or Chocolate off Half-pint…poor babies are terrified to go into the pools when Choc and Frankie are around, it’s like being in prison and dropping the soap, lol. Obviously a duck’s phallus is only used for mating, I’m just curious if there’s any way to make them less aggressive, if not, is neutering a possibility? If so, thoughts?

 

[Brooke_R]

I have an all drake flock. I lost my female, and didn’t realize how badly losing her would hurt. My drakes were overly aggressively mating the other females, who were too young, therefore, I rehomed the females and the one male they were with and I had 5 drakes but one disappeared in the middle of the night. My 4 remaining drakes are super aggressive, we’ve split our duck house in half- with two ducks in each half, we let them out in the mornings and two get the front yard and two get the back yard. However, they’re fighting through the fence. 1-Frankie, had a small crack in their bill, it healed within a week; now he has a really thin crack in his bill; Johnny, his brother has a hurt left leg, which I soak in warm epsom salt using a bucket and holding him, then he takes a cold bath, and I put a little vet wrap; Half-Pint (my smallest duck, Mallard), is missing a huge chunk of feathers on one side and a slight eye injury, which has healed. My 4th duck, Chocolate (Khaki Campbell), magically has no injuries. Hun and half-pint share one side of the cage, and there’s a screen that blocks them from getting to Frankie & Johnny. Chocolate & Frankie stick their bills through the fence pecking at one another, or through whatever hole they can find, I keep blocking them. I hate seeing them getting hurt and in pain and was wondering if I can get them fixed? Like, we’re not planning on mating them, I just hate seeing them being so aggressive to one another, not to mention how many times I’ve had to run outside and pull Frankie off Johnny or Chocolate off Half-pint…poor babies are terrified to go into the pools when Choc and Frankie are around, it’s like being in prison and dropping the soap, lol. Obviously a duck’s phallus is only used for mating, I’m just curious if there’s any way to make them less aggressive, if not, is neutering a possibility? If so, thoughts?

I’ve heard that neutering a duck is very difficult and dangerous for the duck

 

[nuthatched]

Neutering will just make the Drake infertile but won't necessarily stop the mating. Surgeries are very risky for birds in general, especially invasive ones like Neutering. Can I ask why you rehomed most of your ducks and one drake instead of the bachelor drakes?
@Miss Lydia Can you suggest anything

 

[Miss Lydia]

I will tag @thumper650 he keeps drakes and I'm pretty sure there have been times when all 4 Drakes had their own spaces because of fighting. That is the only thing I can think of if have 4 individual spaces for your boys until mid-summer when things should start to calm down some. I have heard of drakes being neutered but I am with @nuthatched it would be dangerous. But might talk to an avian vet to see what they think. I've had 4 Muscovy drakes for many years and even with their own females they would fight so each one had their own space on the property and their own stall overnight spring through late fall.

 

[ruthhope]

My 4 drakes have been fighting on and off since January when I assume their hormones kicked in. My initial three, a crested pekin, and two muscovies sorted themselves out quite quickly although the muscovies took to being mean to the pekin in the coop and excluding him from the food. I put the crested pekin into a dog crate at night with his own food and water -- initially in my house but he really wanted to be with the meanie muscovies, so I move the dog crate to the coop, and he was happy as were the muscovies. Then at the beginning of March, I had to rehome my son's pekin drake to my coop as he was attacking the female muscovy -- he was fine with the two pekin females that he had grown up with, but really very mean with the muscovy. It has been really difficult settling him in with my drakes. He wants to be alpha male, but my muscovies are bigger and stronger. Ten days ago he lost all his tail feathers in 1 day and the wound was red raw. So I had to buy a second dog crate for him to sleep in in the coop, and keep him inside the coop -- but not confined to the dog crate -- while the other drakes were out free ranging for three days until the red raw wound had dried over.

For the lastweek, I have spent a lot of time -- 30 to 60 minutes every morning for five days and then several hours yesterday and today -- outside sitting with the drakes, and making sure they don't harm each other. The aggressive pekin non-stop attacks the actual alpha male muscovy -- going for his throat and sometimes pecking his caruncles. Each time he was aggressive, I put him in a dog crate in the yard, for 5-10 minutes time out. It made no difference: every time he came out he went straight for the muscovy. The aggressive pekin didn't learn anything but the muscovy learned that I didn't like them fighting and started trying to ignore the attacks -- until he would eventually lose patience and stand on the pekin. When I couldn't be there, I had to put the pekin back into the coop on his own.

Yesterday, I was able to spend several hours out sitting with the drakes, and restraining the aggressive pekin, at my side. He is sweet with me, I must add: very happy to stand by me and rest his head on my lap. I wouldn't let him fight but did let all the drakes come around together. If the muscovy was not present, the pekin attacked my original crested pekin and my other muscovy. He was just really aggressive. Today, I started sitting out with the ducks again and it was clear the dynamics have changed. The crested pekin was going round with the aggressive pekin all day. He was conflicted as he is big buddy with the muscovy that was getting attacked, and at one time he slipped away from the aggressive pekin to go and sit with his buddy muscovy, until aggressive pekin realized and went and got him back. So for most of the day the two pekins were together, when aggressive pekin goes for the muscovy, the muscovy ran over to me and didn't fight , but mainly the two pekins stuck together running around shouting and the two muscovies [that aren't actually buddies] just stay away and leave the pekins to it. I was able to go out and leave all 4 drakes free ranging together for the first time for 2 weeks, this afternoon.

It seems they have now worked it out. The pekin's tail looks strange without feathers, but he has fluffed up his smaller feathers so his wound doesn't show and the muscovy's caruncles are healing.

Sadly, the muscovy now has bumblefoot and didn't like a warm epsom salt soak. He is going to have to get used to it!! He does learn -- he learnt not to attack me back in January , as well as learned not to retaliate when the aggressive pekin attacks him -- and so I hope he learns that the epsom salt soaks don't harm him, so he doesn't have to fight to get out of the bucket.

The important message is that it is possible, if one has the time, to teach drakes not to fight. Both pekins will remain sleeping in dog crates in the coop as the muscovies' modus operandi is to exclude ducks they don't like from the food and water. I was almost in despair in January when the muscovy was attacking me, and again this last two weeks when the new pekin drake was attacking the muscovy. But the muscovy learnt on both occasions. [I have no intention of spending hours sitting in the coop with them at night stopping that behavior!!!]

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I had a drake who had a slight prolapse and lost the end of his penis. He still had his hormones and was just as mean to my other drake and two of my girls but he couldn’t give me fertile eggs. I found him a new home. So, I don’t see how a neutering would work unless you could somehow lower their hormones,

 

[thumper650]

Sounds like your drakes way more aggressive than mine. The fence in my primary pen is made of hardware cloth, so they can’t touch each other. I do hear their bills scraping along the hardware cloth though!
My runners, and pekins are seperate by the fence. Birds of a feather flocking together if you will.
Tiny fences mean separate waters and food dishes. But if you want to keep all the boys it’s worth it.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

I have an all drake flock. I lost my female, and didn’t realize how badly losing her would hurt. My drakes were overly aggressively mating the other females, who were too young, therefore, I rehomed the females and the one male they were with and I had 5 drakes but one disappeared in the middle of the night. My 4 remaining drakes are super aggressive, we’ve split our duck house in half- with two ducks in each half, we let them out in the mornings and two get the front yard and two get the back yard. However, they’re fighting through the fence. 1-Frankie, had a small crack in their bill, it healed within a week; now he has a really thin crack in his bill; Johnny, his brother has a hurt left leg, which I soak in warm epsom salt using a bucket and holding him, then he takes a cold bath, and I put a little vet wrap; Half-Pint (my smallest duck, Mallard), is missing a huge chunk of feathers on one side and a slight eye injury, which has healed. My 4th duck, Chocolate (Khaki Campbell), magically has no injuries. Hun and half-pint share one side of the cage, and there’s a screen that blocks them from getting to Frankie & Johnny. Chocolate & Frankie stick their bills through the fence pecking at one another, or through whatever hole they can find, I keep blocking them. I hate seeing them getting hurt and in pain and was wondering if I can get them fixed? Like, we’re not planning on mating them, I just hate seeing them being so aggressive to one another, not to mention how many times I’ve had to run outside and pull Frankie off Johnny or Chocolate off Half-pint…poor babies are terrified to go into the pools when Choc and Frankie are around, it’s like being in prison and dropping the soap, lol. Obviously a duck’s phallus is only used for mating, I’m just curious if there’s any way to make them less aggressive, if not, is neutering a possibility? If so, thoughts?

This was a long read lol so bare with me if I am not understanding. It sounds like your boys are fighting because they done have any girls. But when you have girls they were getting beat up. Normally ducks mate in water did they have water to mate in? Also I have a bout 45 ducks. And i have only had problemz with one boy.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I have drakes and hens together right now but no large container of water. They have always found a way to mate without it because I end up with fertile eggs. I have larger containers of water outside of their pen that is enclosed but no top and I watch them bathe in it daily when they want to. Then they are put back inside their large covered pen so that hawks don't get them. I see mine mate on land every day with no problems at all. I guess it is just whatever they get used to. Mine figure where there is a will there is a way, lol.

 

[DuckGirl2021]

I have an all drake flock. I lost my female, and didn’t realize how badly losing her would hurt. My drakes were overly aggressively mating the other females, who were too young, therefore, I rehomed the females and the one male they were with and I had 5 drakes but one disappeared in the middle of the night. My 4 remaining drakes are super aggressive, we’ve split our duck house in half- with two ducks in each half, we let them out in the mornings and two get the front yard and two get the back yard. However, they’re fighting through the fence. 1-Frankie, had a small crack in their bill, it healed within a week; now he has a really thin crack in his bill; Johnny, his brother has a hurt left leg, which I soak in warm epsom salt using a bucket and holding him, then he takes a cold bath, and I put a little vet wrap; Half-Pint (my smallest duck, Mallard), is missing a huge chunk of feathers on one side and a slight eye injury, which has healed. My 4th duck, Chocolate (Khaki Campbell), magically has no injuries. Hun and half-pint share one side of the cage, and there’s a screen that blocks them from getting to Frankie & Johnny. Chocolate & Frankie stick their bills through the fence pecking at one another, or through whatever hole they can find, I keep blocking them. I hate seeing them getting hurt and in pain and was wondering if I can get them fixed? Like, we’re not planning on mating them, I just hate seeing them being so aggressive to one another, not to mention how many times I’ve had to run outside and pull Frankie off Johnny or Chocolate off Half-pint…poor babies are terrified to go into the pools when Choc and Frankie are around, it’s like being in prison and dropping the soap, lol. Obviously a duck’s phallus is only used for mating, I’m just curious if there’s any way to make them less aggressive, if not, is neutering a possibility? If so, thoughts?

I had to get my young drake Thumper neutered because of constant prolapse issues. We tried everything with the vet other than hormone therapy because it’s very expensive. But once he healed up he started trying to mate with the females and will fight over the females. I had to break up a squabble today. So I don’t think that will fix the aggressive behavior.