Second drake?

[Cassandra Lana]

My drake has been over mating his girls so we separate him in a section of the run during the day. He becomes very upset whenever his girls go farther than two feet away from his cage . The girls will sleep there but their water and food is farther away. We plan to keep him there till the girls necks heal completely and one girl is almost there and the other has at least 2 more weeks.

Now the local horse barn has a ToN of drakes . Should I ask for one to keep my drake company? Would they have dominance issues ? Would my drake still get upset whenever his girls leave? I am gonna have to train him (the would-be-new drake) not to mate but anything to make Kefi happy.

I don’t think I would be able to take the drake back because Kefi (my drake) and I would emotionally bond with him.

 

[3bird]

What is your ratio of drakes to hens at present? I would be inclined to get more hens if it is anything less than one to four or five. Still, however, you may have problems. We currently have a one to five ratio, and it works out pretty well, but we do have to manage the situation during breeding season, which, for us, is anywhere from April to September. By manage, I mean we have to separate the flock into two groups in adjacent fields during the day (we switch up the groupings), and our drake has a "special fort" in the run for night. Sometimes his favorite girl joins him for the night, sometimes he is alone, but the run is just 16x8, so they are all usually close together and they do fine. We do let them all free range together 2x/day supervised.

 

[Quatie]

I have 2 drakes. My older drake was a pretty chill drake and not massively interested in mating, except his favorite female. We got a second drake, not cause we really wanted to, but to keep a lobe duckling company in the brooder. We worried about them getting along because they can potentially kill each other. Mine luckily get along. When the new drake came of age, my old drake became far more interested in mating, and more forceful about it. We have a 1:6 ratio and have 6 more female ducklings we are growing up to add to the flock.

The point was you never know how adding a new drake is going be. It could make the problem worse. If you can add a duck, I would add more females.

 

[Cassandra Lana]

What is your ratio of drakes to hens at present? I would be inclined to get more hens if it is anything less than one to four or five. Still, however, you may have problems. We currently have a one to five ratio, and it works out pretty well, but we do have to manage the situation during breeding season, which, for us, is anywhere from April to September. By manage, I mean we have to separate the flock into two groups in adjacent fields during the day (we switch up the groupings), and our drake has a "special fort" in the run for night. Sometimes his favorite girl joins him for the night, sometimes he is alone, but the run is just 16x8, so they are all usually close together and they do fine. We do let them all free range together 2x/day supervised.

My ratio is 2H-1D we didn’t realize that would be a problem till mating season started. I’ve been working on Kefi and training him to mate less by putting him in his area a few days every time he starts over mating. The drake would be aprox the same age probably a few months older . I just don’t want him to be lonely cause he gets really upset . I can’t get more hens right now cause the coop is too small. I am willing to get one more but I won’t raise one bird cause that can lead to the bird being a bully. i was thinking I maybe could get him another drake to hang out with so the girls could do there own thing and he would not be alone.

 

[SolarDuck]

My ratio is 2H-1D we didn’t realize that would be a problem till mating season started. I’ve been working on Kefi and training him to mate less by putting him in his area a few days every time he starts over mating. The drake would be aprox the same age probably a few months older . I just don’t want him to be lonely cause he gets really upset . I can’t get more hens right now cause the coop is too small. I am willing to get one more but I won’t raise one bird cause that can lead to the bird being a bully. i was thinking I maybe could get him another drake to hang out with so the girls could do there own thing and he would not be alone.

I don't think you should add another drake. Seems like that would most likely just cause more problems, if anything add more hens.

 

[noodledog]

You can not train a drake to mate less. That's what they're supposed to do and nothing will change if you separate him then put him back with the hens. More hens would be best, unless you're going to keep your drake in a separate coop full time where he can't see or hear the hens - in that case you can add another drake.

 

[Quatie]

If you are constricted by space, you may want to consider rehoming him or other thoughts down those lines. I know it is not likely what you want to do, but you should at least consider something like it.

 

[DukesDucks]

Don't think you can 'train' an animal to ignore what nature is telling it needs to be done. That's one of the reasons why we neuter and spay our cats and dogs. You're not going to teach a tomcat to stay home and watch youtube when he smells the next door cat in heat.
If you don't have room for another female, how would you have room for another drake?
The drake time out method has worked for me. Maybe you can let him out for periods of time when you are able to actively supervise and intervene if necessary.

 

[Cassandra Lana]

Don't think you can 'train' an animal to ignore what nature is telling it needs to be done. That's one of the reasons why we neuter and spay our cats and dogs. You're not going to teach a tomcat to stay home and watch youtube when he smells the next door cat in heat.
If you don't have room for another female, how would you have room for another drake?
The drake time out method has worked for me. Maybe you can let him out for periods of time when you are able to actively supervise and intervene if necessary.

I don’t know anywhere local I can get a adult hen. I can’t raise one chick cause tends to Leed to the chick being a bully that’s why I “don’t have room “ I only have room to add one more bird which would need to be pre raised adult . I think I am not gonna add another bird cause they may fight.

 

[Cassandra Lana]

If you are constricted by space, you may want to consider rehoming him or other thoughts down those lines. I know it is not likely what you want to do, but you should at least consider something like it.

I have plenty of space in the run where they spend most of their time (30 sqft) the drake especially only goes in the coop at night.