Poor female campbell getting damaged by aggressive drakes

[cheesy]

Dear BYC readers,

We've been at our new home for a year and a bit now and some species of fowl were here when we bought the place. There are 2 drakes that are white runner-ish but a little stockier. We took in an aylesbury female that gets on fine with the boys in fact their mating appears completely conceptual as they do the head bobbing up and down dance in the water just prior to doing so and all seems well. The other drake however regularly ran amok upsetting the mallard and muscovy girls in an attempt to mate with them. We decided we should get another female of a similar breed and so acquired a female campbell. She was unfortunately 'raped' the second I put her in the pond and as much as the 4 of them do spend most of the day together - she is regularly set upon by both drakes and today I had to seperate her from them and take her to the vets as I thought she had lost an eye.

Thankfully she hasn't but she has suffered some very upsetting damage and her eye is very sore along with the back area under the wings were the drakes have been clawing to keep her still.

I have the necessary eye drops and some anti-biotics and will keep her inside/away from the drakes for several days but I would very much like to know what I should do to prevent this from happening again. Clearly removing the drakes would be an answer but it's been their home for more than it has been ours - and outside of the breeding season they are delightful.Why does the Aylesbury female get treated respectfully whereas the campbell is just taken for granted. She was set upon whilst I was calling the vet and was blind prior to her eye-lid opening again.

When does this season tend to calm?

Thank you in anticipation of your sage counsel.

Graham

 

[boskelli1571]

'Tis the season for rape and mayhem among the fowl of land and air.....personally, I would get rid of the troublesome male. Keep the nicer one - you only need one boy, he will happily service the ladies. I don't know that much about ducks, but that is what I would do.

 

[chickens really]

You have too many Drakes....You need to keep down the Drake ratio on your pond......They will mistreat the Hens during breeding season...A long time for a Hen to be treated horrid by Males..


Best wishes..

 

[cheesy]

Thanks for your help and advice. I know what should be done from all the readings I've been doing but doing it will be incredibly difficult. I have the luxury of a 2nd pond that I could put fence around and wondered whether I should put one or both of these drakes in this enclosed area until the season has finished. I believe once they begin moulting that their desires calm down - is that right and for UK time when does that typically start?

Graham

 

[drumstick diva]

Drakes also like to breed a hen on water. Often other drakes will pile on . Hen ducks frequently are drowned in this fashion.

 

[boskelli1571]

Thanks for your help and advice. I know what should be done from all the readings I've been doing but doing it will be incredibly difficult. I have the luxury of a 2nd pond that I could put fence around and wondered whether I should put one or both of these drakes in this enclosed area until the season has finished. I believe once they begin moulting that their desires calm down - is that right and for UK time when does that typically start?

Graham

If they are able to fly, that would likely be a waste of time. The breeding season can last through till September I believe.

 

[The Duck Ladie]

Well, the drakes aren't really trying to be mean, Mating is their job. They just have favorites, which is a big problem, who they like to mate more than needed. Even if you have more ducks that drake will still keep going mainly to her probably. I have that problem. My drakes both love one of my campbells and she was getting hurt. (Blister, lost feathers, small case of foamy eye) so I seperate the drakes. I built them a pen inside the pen, and they are fine now.

 

[tonycanevaro]

We are new to ducks and have three female Campbell 300s. The largest female is mounting the smallest. Showing dominance. I get that. However the smallest is now losing her neck feathers and getting quite red. Is there a way to stop this in females or at least protect the smallest duck?