I have 5 ducks, 2 males (1 saxony, 1 ancona), and 3 females (2 ancona, 1 saxony). Prior to about a month ago, I've never had any problem with the males overbreeding or pestering the females too much. Then, about a month ago, one of the female anconas was attacked by a dog. She was injured fairly badly, so I put her in isolation, gave her antibiotics. She slowly recovered and has now regained enough strength that I can let her out with the other ducks. However, the Saxony drake will not leave her alone. He hunts her down to mate her repeatedly as soon as I let her out. Then the ancona drake sees, and he has to mate with her as well, and it is like they are tag teaming her. This whole time, I never see them mate with either of the other two ducks, even when the recovering duck penned separately. It seems to be especially hard on her. She will stagger and seem tired and weak after they had jumped on her a few times. Sometimes she goes and hides. I want her to be out so she can forage for her food, since that is what the ducks mostly eat. She lost a lot of weight while she was recovering in isolation, and when she is out with the others (no drakes) she acts normal, foraging and walking around with the other girls. I've been keeping her separate from the drakes, penning them up during the morning, then switching her and one other duck to the pen in the afternoons. The drakes spend all of their foraging time trying to get back to her, pacing back and forth along the fence separating them.
How do I get her integrated back into the flock without further injury to her? Why are the drakes solely focused on mating her and ignoring the other females?
Thanks for your help.
How do I get her integrated back into the flock without further injury to her? Why are the drakes solely focused on mating her and ignoring the other females?
Thanks for your help.
