Shunned drake

[prock family]

I have noticed the hens chasing off one of the drakes over the last few days. My husband's theory is that they're trying to make him integrate with the 2 babies that they hatched that are almost at maturity. Google states that shunning could be a territorial thing but I would think it would be the other drakes chasing him off rather than the hens. Also the possibility of illness but the drake doesn't seem to be acting abnormally so I don't think it would be that. Just looking for some other ideas about what could be going on and if there's any way to make the others accept the shunned one back in the flock.

 

[ruthhope]

I have noticed the hens chasing off one of the drakes over the last few days. My husband's theory is that they're trying to make him integrate with the 2 babies that they hatched that are almost at maturity. Google states that shunning could be a territorial thing but I would think it would be the other drakes chasing him off rather than the hens. Also the possibility of illness but the drake doesn't seem to be acting abnormally so I don't think it would be that. Just looking for some other ideas about what could be going on and if there's any way to make the others accept the shunned one back in the flock.

Hi @prock family , how many ducks do you have? How many are drakes? Some ducks do meanie things to other ducks. Pecking and biting is establishing pecking order and normal. Head down running at other ducks and even ducks' human mamas and papas is common. My son has a female pekin who has done that to the other female pekin on occasions, although they mostly get on just fine. I have two pekin drakes that took advantage of one of my muscovy drakes being out of sorts during a big molt, for more than three weeks. The three had been fine together prior to the molt, but the two meanie pekins started running the muscovy offwhen he was molting. THe two have been sleeping in a dogcrate in the coop to stop them being mean to him at night and are currently retained in a temprary pen attached to the coop during the day. I let the other 4 ducks out first and shoo them out of the pen into the garden; then close the pen gate and let the two meanie ducks out. My version of drake jail.

 

[prock family]

Hi @prock family , how many ducks do you have? How many are drakes? Some ducks do meanie things to other ducks. Pecking and biting is establishing pecking order and normal. Head down running at other ducks and even ducks' human mamas and papas is common. My son has a female pekin who has done that to the other female pekin on occasions, although they mostly get on just fine. I have two pekin drakes that took advantage of one of my muscovy drakes being out of sorts during a big molt, for more than three weeks. The three had been fine together prior to the molt, but the two meanie pekins started running the muscovy offwhen he was molting. THe two have been sleeping in a dogcrate in the coop to stop them being mean to him at night and are currently retained in a temprary pen attached to the coop during the day. I let the other 4 ducks out first and shoo them out of the pen into the garden; then close the pen gate and let the two meanie ducks out. My version of drake jail.

There are 4 male and 4 female adult ducks and then the 2 babies that are almost done growing but we're not sure yet if they are boys or girls.

 

[ruthhope]

There are 4 male and 4 female adult ducks and then the 2 babies that are almost done growing but we're not sure yet if they are boys or girls.

I think your basic problem is the wrong male: female ratio. With 4 females you really only need one drake.

The solution is to separate three drakes into an all drake flock, away from the females. Leave the drake that gets on best with the females, in with the females.

 

[prock family]

I think your basic problem is the wrong male: female ratio. With 4 females you really only need one drake.

The solution is to separate three drakes into an all drake flock, away from the females. Leave the drake that gets on best with the females, in with the females.

Yeah, we've been talking about getting rid of the extra ducks as we don't really have a way to keep them separate but never found someone to take them.

 

[ruthhope]

Yeah, we've been talking about getting rid of the extra ducks as we don't really have a way to keep them separate but never found someone to take them.

Please don't dump them in the wild. It is much better to quickly cull them -- whether or not you use their meat -- than to leave them to the ravages of a predator