Should I get more ducks now or later

[duckitup]

Hi, I have a few questions.....We have 6 Indian Runner Ducks. (this is our first time having ducks) 3 are 12 wks old and 3 are 10 wks old. All are from the same breeder and were brought home at the same time. They all get along so much that I can't tell who is at the top or bottom of the pecking order.

Two of the 12 wk old ducks just started to get their drake feathers. The 3rd 12 wk old is definitely a girl (she quacks loudly). We are pretty sure that at least 2 of the 10 week olds are girls and probably the 3rd one as well but not positive just yet.

Question #1.
If it ends up that we have 2 drakes to 4 girls is it at all possible that it would be okay to keep it at that ratio since they all seem to get along so well? Or is that bound to change? I've read that the best ratio is 4-5 girls to 1 boy.

Question #2.
We can't even think about parting with any of them because we are in love

so we would need to get more girls. If you all think it is inevitable that we will need more girls would it be best to get more girls now before they start trying to mate or would it be okay to wait and see how it goes and get more later if need be?

Question #3.
One of the 12 wk old drakes personality has changed a bit over the last couple of days. We have a 3/4 acre pond that they hang out on and usually they all stick very close together but Fiona (we need to pick a new name now lol) is tending to keep his distance a little 7-10 ft or more from the rest of the flock. Also he sometimes will stay on the water when the rest of the flock come on land to eat or stretch which is very unusual. So my question is.....could it be that the other drake has claimed the flock as his and won't let Fiona near? I watch them a lot and haven't seen any aggressive behavior at all. Or could it be that Fiona isn't feeling well? Should I be concerned about health? I tend to over react when it comes to all of my animals so maybe this is all just normal. Any advice, thoughts etc appreciated.

Sorry this post is so long!

Thanks

 

[Tanichca]

When in doubt, always buy more ducks. At least ten. Maybe twenty. Thirty, just to be safe.

This has been your immoral support of the day.

 

[Wobbles]

When in doubt, always buy more ducks. At least ten. Maybe twenty. Thirty, just to be safe.

This has been your immoral support of the day.

Agreed though LOL

 

[jducour]

I have two drakes and four ducks. The two drakes were raised together since they were two days old, so they have always gotten along. Mine are 20 weeks old, and have never had a disagreement. My Runner has always been the Alpha, and the other drake stands back a bit. He gets some action some times, but he seems to know his place, and hangs back from the group some times. For right now, my 2:4 ratio works, but that could always change. If I want more ducks, I might allow them to hatch a clutch next spring, and keep a few. That's the beauty of having drakes, all of my eggs are fertilized, I don't need to buy ducks, I can hatch my own! I would say keep what you have for now, and see how they do over the winter. The problem with getting more ducks is you might end up with all drakes, and you would have to rehome them.

 

[duckitup]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. I will at least wait a couple of weeks until I know for sure what the three younger ones are. If I end up with 3 to 3 then that will be a no brainer. We wanted to stick with just runners but there is a woman selling her 1 yr old khaki campbells just a few miles away from us. She is down sizing her flock so I would be able to just pick girls. I wouldn't want to risk getting straight run and ending up with the same problem again. If anyone in the Green Bay area of WI is looking to re home girl runner ducks let me know!!

 

[donkeydew2farms]

duckitup I would never get unsexed ducks again. my first ducks came from TSC both turn out to be males I then ordered from metza farms you can order small amounts I got 4 at a time all girls. I incubated some of thier eggs one survived turn out to be a boy. now I have 3 drakes and 6 girls. the first 2 drakes have a bond with each other I never see them fighting but the chase the other one away and over breed the girls. They work as a team. I wish I had known about this forum before I started. I would of got all girls. Now I have a decision to make. I wish you luck.

 

[daddyman]

This is sort of a trick question, isn't it?

The answer is "yes."