Rapey drakes..what should I do?

[FernbergFarms]

Hi, I have 6 ducks 4 boys and 2 girls. Yes I know I have wayyy too many drakes! So I ordered a few more girls which I will be getting in May and that would leave me with 5 boys and 5 girls. Which is still way too many boys. I have my ducks for breeding and selling so I gotta have 1 drake of each breed. So then I’d have to have 3 drakes (Kkaki Campbell, pekin, fawn and white runner) my boys have always been so sweat to the girls but last fall I hatched out 3 ducklings and I got 2 boys and 1 girl. Now that it’s spring my little boys have been over breeding my little girl. Like both of them will get on top of her at the same time. but yesterday the little boys were beating up the little girl again and when I went to pull them away my other Drake Donald rushed over and grabbed them both by the neck! He was trying to pull them off. (I didn’t wait to see if he could but I was pretty impressed that he was trying to get them off) my older 2 boys aren’t really rapey just the younger ones. I have arrangements with a friend to give her one of my drakes if her ducklings are girls (she has 2 so they might both be girls and she hasn’t seen signs of boy markings) so I could give one of my drakes away but that would be like this summer. I have two coops but one is under construction right now so I can’t separate the girls and the boys. I also had to leave them for 10 days and when I came back they were all fine! (My two girls just started laying eggs again after their winter break) what should I do? I am not butchering them. But probably can make arrangements to give them away but that would be in a couple months.
Thx, Alli.

 

[sourland]

Separate them before they permanently injure or kill the hen.

 

[neo71665]

Separate them ASAP. Get More females or get rid of some of the males.

It's a hard realization but raising livestock means you have to look out for their well being which means you might have to butcher. No sense in letting the females suffer like that.

 

[fatty and friends]

Separate them ASAP. Get More females or get rid of some of the males.

It's a hard realization but raising livestock means you have to look out for their well being which means you might have to butcher. No sense in letting the females suffer like that.

you do not have to butcher. i have 3 drakes and 2 hens, and i do seperate the older boys in the spring but they are all happy and healthy. no need to kill an duck just because it’s a drake.

 

[KaleIAm]

I'm with sourland and neo. I feel that you should separate the girls from the boys immediately for their own safety. If your other space isn't ready you can put a barrier in the one you are using right now.

My own duck was permanently injured before I got her by overmating. And we get reports of ducks being killed by drakes too frequently.

 

[FernbergFarms]

Okay thank you. They are so happy together it’s sad to see them apart. But y’all are right their well being is more important!

 

[VeryHappyHens]

P

Hi, I have 6 ducks 4 boys and 2 girls. Yes I know I have wayyy too many drakes! So I ordered a few more girls which I will be getting in May and that would leave me with 5 boys and 5 girls. Which is still way too many boys. I have my ducks for breeding and selling so I gotta have 1 drake of each breed. So then I’d have to have 3 drakes (Kkaki Campbell, pekin, fawn and white runner) my boys have always been so sweat to the girls but last fall I hatched out 3 ducklings and I got 2 boys and 1 girl. Now that it’s spring my little boys have been over breeding my little girl. Like both of them will get on top of her at the same time. but yesterday the little boys were beating up the little girl again and when I went to pull them away my other Drake Donald rushed over and grabbed them both by the neck! He was trying to pull them off. (I didn’t wait to see if he could but I was pretty impressed that he was trying to get them off) my older 2 boys aren’t really rapey just the younger ones. I have arrangements with a friend to give her one of my drakes if her ducklings are girls (she has 2 so they might both be girls and she hasn’t seen signs of boy markings) so I could give one of my drakes away but that would be like this summer. I have two coops but one is under construction right now so I can’t separate the girls and the boys. I also had to leave them for 10 days and when I came back they were all fine! (My two girls just started laying eggs again after their winter break) what should I do? I am not butchering them. But probably can make arrangements to give them away but that would be in a couple months.
Thx, Alli.

Please separate them 2 of my drakes killed my girl frenchie you need 1 drake per 6 females.

 

[VeryHappyHens]

Separate them before they permanently injure or kill the hen.

2x.

 

[FernbergFarms]

What does it look like when the permanently injure the duck like what happens?

 

[KaleIAm]

What does it look like when the permanently injure the duck like what happens?

My duck has damaged feather follicles from where drakes stood on her and dug their nails in. The feathers don't grow normally, they are flatter and curly and some of them are so damaged they grow under the skin. The ingrown feathers get infected and need to be surgically removed yearly after molting.

I have heard of repeated eye infections resulting in blindness. And repeated matings by heavy ducks, or scrambling to get away from agressive drakes resulting in broken bones. Also internal injuries, though the particular mechanics I'm less familiar with.