Should I get him a new partner??

[FunnyBunnies12]

With the female due to hatch her 8 eggs end of this month, and on how very cold it will be and going to get and the babies not having their adult feathers, and she is on 1 leg, I know she and her babies will have to be in the house or garage if I can keep a heated lamp on them, and I know it will be a struggle for momma to hop on 1 leg in the snow, so that is why she will be kept indoors with her babies,for that reason and plus she will have the company of her babies. Where as with my drake, he can stay outside, however he will be alone. Should I get him another partne to stay out there with him?? I was offered a Perkin yesterday, and perhaps a pair, and even a male Rouen, my one son really wants boths, but I'm just thinking of my drake runner now and winter. I mean I could also put him in the garage for the winter just keep them a part with a divider and I don't have to get another partner for him.

 

[rainplace]

If you get another drake, then when your hen can go back out, she'll have to deal with two males trying to mate with her. Get him another hen that way mom won't have to take all the attention herself

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

That is what I was thinking, I hope out of the batch of eggs I have hatching, I'll have more hens then drakes. Can you keep hens/drake in separate pens, will the drakes fight each other if you keep drakes with drakes, hens/hens until you want eggs or something.

 

[rainplace]

You'll get eggs regardless.

Just keep enough hens around for the drakes and you'll be fine.

 

[katharinad]

In a flock you should have 3-9 hens per 1 drake. I would not get anymore drakes with you handicap duck. She could not handle 2 climbing her at the same time, and they will do that if you don't have enough girls. My flock consists of 8 girls and one 1 drake. They are quite happy. I actually have away 4 boys to become breeding stock. They will have fun all day. That fixed the fighting issue going on. The flock dynamic changed drastically after their removal. They are relaxed and happy.

Don't worry about him being by himself for a little bit, he will be fine. He needs to be separated from the babies or he may kill them. Drakes do that. A temporary fence may be all that is needed. A little bit of lumber and some chicken wire goes a long way. That way he sees them, but cannot mess with them. You can re-introduce them to each other once the babies are 12 weeks old and can fend for themselves. By then you will know their sexes from their voices.

Make sure all your ducks have natural lighting once indoors. You may have to install special growing light bulbs for plants. They need that for vitamin D production, just like we humans do.

Hens do not need drakes to produce eggs.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Well I'll be, I thought chickens and ducks were different in that way. LOL my boys will be happy to hear that because after watching them mate, they really aren't thrilled about wanting to eat eggs after the males sperm has been on/in them!

That is their thought though. I try to tell them it's no different for them eating duck eggs.