Problem drake - when is there not a problem, lol!

[ejctm]

Hi Guys,

One of my 2 drakes has gone a bit loopy. My ducks are 7.5 months old and have just started laying about 2 weeks ago. They have been mating for a few weeks before that.

Quaver (the naughty boy) has started chasing the chickens around and really terrorising them. I thought it was him being randy, so I got another girl duck (3 girls, 2 boys - I know not ideal ratio). Anyway, the girls are most obliging

and flirt with him more than he mates, or seems to want to mate with them. I cannot see that he is chasing the chickens out of lust when the girl ducks are willing and available.

I have watched him, and he tries to grab the chickens on the back of the neck (I know, typical mating behaviour), but they wriggle away and run off. As far as I know, he has yet to mount one of them. They are large hybrids and although he is tall, I think he would have trouble climbing aboard a very reluctant hen. I am more inclined to think that he is chasing them off, in some sort of protective way, as if they are a threat to "his" flock of girls. Today, when one chicken tried to come back down from the area she had run to, he ran towards her aggressively as if to make her go away. This is really strange as he was raised by a chicken, and one of them is his "mother", so they have never been a threat.

I have noticed that the pecking order has changed as the ducks have reached sexual maturity, as the ducks used to have to wait for the chickens to finish eating when there was food put down, but now they are dominant over the chickens.

What I would like to know is, has anyone else experienced this and what did they do? Do you think it is sexual behaviour, or just dominance? And, is it just a phase due to teenage hormones which will settle down and get better, and when? Please say it is so!

I may have to separate the ducks and chickens if it continues, although this will mean that they all have less space. The boys get on great together, being hatch brothers, so I am reluctant to lose one of them, especially since Quaver is my favourite. The other drake, Duckula is a perfect gentleman towards the girl ducks (as is Quaver too) and does not chase the chickens at all.

Suggestions please

!!

 

[HamandLily]

Drakes go a little loopy during this time of year and spring - as it's the mating season, their hormones are off the charts - I think it's a mixture of sexual behaviour and dominance. It should settle down within the next couple of months. It's definatly a stressful time! Are you able to get more females? I know you acknowledge that the ratio isn't great, but it could settle things down a bit! Maybe he just doesn't like chickens - haha!

 

[Callducknut14]

I have had a little bit of experience with naughty drakes. To stop him from chasing the chickens,tie a small piece of light cotton rope from one of his legs to the other,kind of like hobbles. Don't ty it too tight,he should be able to walk comfortably but not run. After awhile,when he stops chasing them,you can take it off. Hope this helps ya!

 

[Luvducks]

Quote:
OH, I like this. I have a little Call Drake and I put him and another Drake in a Bachlor Pen. These 2 get along fine together but if they are with the chickens Noodle (Call drake) does as OP says and I am afraid he will hurt the chickens. Thanks!

 

[gofasterstripe]

I must have the most well behaved Drakes. I had 2 drakes that I got from Curiositycat, they are best buddies and walk up and down the fence line most of the day chatting to each other ignoring the girls, then I found out 1 of my girls wasnt a girl and a drake feather appeared over night, so I now have 3 drakes. No fighting, arguing, no fisty cuffs or pulling feathers or beaking each other to death. In a month or more there will be another drake put in...im sure Elliot is a drake so fingers crossed when he goes in with the big ducks they will all behave and get along together.

 

[sourland]

I think you have answered your own question. It's time to separate them. If the behavior continues your egg production from the chickens will drop off radically. Just common sense.

 

[ejctm]

Quote:
Thanks for the tip, but this would not work - he is an Indian Runner Duck! Walking or running is the same movement (no waddling). Also I think he would get stuck and tied up on things and I would come home from work to find him hanging upside down from the fence or something, lol!

He is such a lovely friendly duck (hence my favourite), just seems to have turned into Dr Jekyll where the chickens are concerned. I have thought about putting the boys together in a separate pen, but the girls would get upset and call for them, etc. so if I did separate them, it would be ducks from chickens.

Does anyone know how long it takes the hormones to calm down, and drake to go from rampaging delinquent to sensible grown-up?

 

[ejctm]

Quote:
We have got one more girl to improve the ratio, but this does not seem to be the problem as the drakes are not over-mating the ducks, and are not fighting between themselves. Frankly the girls would be more than happy with a bit more man-action - they are practically begging for it most of the day

I do hope it settles down. My chicken flock is dwindling too, so there are not as many to bear the burden. One hen died yesterday, we think from internal laying, and another is in my kitchen in a sick-bed with probably the same thing, and bad diarrhoeia

. That leaves only 3 hens in the garden.

Where in England are you Ham?

 

[HamandLily]

Quote:
We have got one more girl to improve the ratio, but this does not seem to be the problem as the drakes are not over-mating the ducks, and are not fighting between themselves. Frankly the girls would be more than happy with a bit more man-action - they are practically begging for it most of the day

I do hope it settles down. My chicken flock is dwindling too, so there are not as many to bear the burden. One hen died yesterday, we think from internal laying, and another is in my kitchen in a sick-bed with probably the same thing, and bad diarrhoeia

. That leaves only 3 hens in the garden.

Where in England are you Ham?

Do they all live in the same place? If so I'd separate them now! And have the ducks and chickens always lived side by side?

And haha - my two would love a male around - I'd give me peace of mind seeing as my giant Aylesbury female is trying to mount (and if aggressivly pulling at the neck) of my little Khaki Campbell! I had to tell heroff the other day because my Khaki was yelping in pain! The only good thing about spring time with ducks are the babies!

Aww that's sad to hear

The stress of the ducks can cause egg binding. Keep up updated n the sick one!

Are the drakes snappy at you at all?

And I live in Morden, near Wimbledon, about 10 miles from Central London!

 

[ejctm]

Yes, they have always lived together. One of my hens hatched and brooded the ducks. they have always got on fine, and it is only one duck that is causing a problem now.

I have separated them into 2 different pens today. They free range when it is not too wet and muddy but I am trying to give the grass a rest when I can or they overgraze it. When I let them out of the pens to free range for 1 or 2 days a week, I will mix them as the hens have loads of places they can go to to get away from the ducks if they want. I think I will keep them like this for a few weeks and see how it goes.

None of the ducks or drakes are snappy with humans, they are real sweethearts. One of my hens however, that is a different story - she is renamed Evil Edna - but she is only vicious when she is molting and very moody and out of sorts. She has been well behaved lately.

I hope the hens are not stressed. This chasing has only just started about a week ago, and if they are internal laying, then it will have started weeks and weeks ago for one to die so suddenly (I have been reading up). Anyway, they are getting a break now in a pen of their own.

Morden? I used to live in Herne Hill and went to college in Croydon!

You don't want a beautiful runner drake do you

??