Separating drake/mating questions-Pekin

[onaharley]

Sorry to respond late as I was one of those Thanksgiving Black Friday nuts!!

Do they mainly mate in the water and how often do you see them mate outside of the water? I see my drake mate my one hen who is just shy of 6 months old. Isn’t very often but they rarely get in the water together. Is it possible to remove their pool and see if that helps? It might make it less easy for him to catch her and pin her down. That might be an easy try before rearranging everything in your pens to keep them separate.

Happy holidays!! He has on the weekends when I am late to opening up their pen, she always comes out a mess...poo marks on her back. I have seen him try in the morning while I'm getting ready for work 5am...outside of the pool. When I see it I open up the sliding glass door and they stop cause they think they are getting treats!! So as much as I don't want to rearrange everything.....I think I might have to, especially after the school lesson I got today from @chickens really on drakes and mating I mean there should be a book solely on drakes and their breeding habits! Sweet baby Jesus

 

[gimmie birdies]

Also I saw a video of a duck eating its food and dipping in the water to moisten it. in the video fish were coming up and eating the bits that fell from the ducks mouth. People thought, "Aaw, the duck is feeding the fish." I am thinking, no he is just slobby.

 

[kesrchicky16]

I have a fence between the now but when they were together my ducks waited until the "dirty chickens" feeding frenzy died down then pushed them away and ate.

 

[onaharley]

Yes....That sounds like a great plan..I sure don't mind your questions...I asked so many questions and made great friends here in my area just by contacting Duck people..I used to sell Ducklings for a couple of years before I ever had my own..Old lady up North would bring them in..I imprinted 3 to me after a surgery I had and then was hooked...lol...

So sweet!

 

[onaharley]

I had a boy duck (not Timber a diff boy duck) he used to get friendly with my chicken hens, mostly wanted one. I got a girl duck, the guy who gave her to me said her name was "Debby". The boy duck would try and drown Debby, and finally he got his own pen. Luckily boy ducks don't make alot of noise when they quack, it is the girl ducks that sound like an unclassy neighbor lady laughing, loudly...

 

[CayugaJana]

Happy holidays!! He has on the weekends when I am late to opening up their pen, she always comes out a mess...poo marks on her back. I have seen him try in the morning while I'm getting ready for work 5am...outside of the pool. When I see it I open up the sliding glass door and they stop cause they think they are getting treats!! So as much as I don't want to rearrange everything.....I think I might have to, especially after the school lesson I got today from @chickens really on drakes and mating I mean there should be a book solely on drakes and their breeding habits! Sweet baby Jesus

Poor gal I really feel for her......

I must have gentlemen for drakes. Thank goodness.

 

[onaharley]

One thing that is funny about ducks, they are uncouth when it comes to eating in front of chickens. Chickens run up to the food and delicately start to peck. A duck runs up to food and gobbles it up talking with their mouths open and telling everyone to "dig in!"

That's some truth right there!!!

 

[onaharley]

Well here's what we came up with today for the pen separation. the fence with the white sides is hinged and will pull to the door way. One bungee cord can hold the swing door in either open or closed mode. He’s locked in and has plenty of room. She will stay on the other side. Every other day someone will free range!

 

[gimmie birdies]

First thing I wanted to do was laugh at his situation.

 

[onaharley]

They don’t like it but oh well!! Lol