Problems with Fighting Ducks

[cherienug]

Hi. This Forum has helped me so much with chicken advice.Thank You All. Now I need some Duck advice,. I had 4 ducks (2 boys 2 girls) white set and mallard set, a few months ago a dog came into my yard and killed the mallard female, they grieved a long time for her, they are all related and grew up together. Now the boys are fighting nonstop and its sad they were very close. I have others that are a few months younger (5) we rescued them from the flea market, they had Niacin problems could barely walk.. I put 1 of the young girls in with the fighting group and they paid no attention. How do I get them to get along, do I put all of them in a Neutral pen (unclaimed territory for either group) and let them fight it out or do I separated the boys from girls for awhile and put them (boys) in a pen until they become friends without the girls in the mix. Can ducks hurt each other with there fighting they are violent with each other pulling out neck feathers, looks like they try to drown one another, sore, stiff bruised featherless necks. Can not find any thing on the web for these problems. Any advice is Helpful, Thank You and God Bless You All and your animals. cherie

 

[Amiga]

Cherie,
this is the time of year that hormones rage and formerly sweet drakes become menaces, and it can be managed. It can be a pain in the neck, but often things can work out with some planning and effort. Sometimes, though, the drakes don't cooperate, and need to be rehomed.

My first concern is for the girls - the ducks. They need to be kept away from oversexed drakes. Ducks have been drowned during mating. One woman I know saw a Pekin male break a duck's neck. Awful. That was the most extreme case I had ever heard.

The drakes - if they can be kept a distance away from the females (but still safe, of course - all must be kept safe from predators, cold, etc.), often will calm down. Several people I know of have a drake pen. It's like a boys' club.

Regarding the younger ones, introducing them to the older members of the flock is also a task that requires some planning and patience. The littles need to be protected. Generally I have read that you wait till they are as tall as the adults. Then you supervise closely. There is just about always some poking and chasing. That is normal and fine. Even the occasional feather-yanking. Or what I call sumo wrestling, where they shove each other around breast to breast.

But if it is getting violent, stop it, separate them. The biggest annoyance I have when I need to separate is making sure everyone has proper food and water. Plastic poultry fence is very useful, as are dog crates.

 

[cherienug]

Amiga,

Thank you so much for your advice I did what you said and it worked. now everyone gets along and when they get too rowdy i separate them from the boys, they all have 10' x 10' covered cyclone kennels and there inside a fenced year that they run in all day.

 

[Amiga]