Single drake behaviors + drake/duck ratio

[Miss Lydia]

Me either and thank goodness I have never had a drake like that.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My girls love their drakes I have 2 their girls are very much in love in those 2 boys

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Thank you for sharing! It's good to know that they aren't all necessarily aggressive. But, jeez, it sure does sound like there is no real way to tell until breeding season comes around. I really hope that mine treats the others well because I absolutely adore all 3 of them and couldn't stand to get rid of Moony. If I have to I'll get another duck for them but I'd really like to find one as friendly with people as they are.

It certainly is a waiting game - I too hope you don't have to get rid of Moony, but if worst comes to the worst you could always separate them during mating season because the rest of the time they'd be fine. What I'd like to add though is that the guy we get the supplies from has tried separating them by putting them in the chicken enclosure but they kept going at the fence until they managed to scramble over it and went right back to the duck pen.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

That's what I'm hoping My ancona is very tame and sweet right now, but that's without hormones...

I know nothing about Ancona so decided to do a little research to satisfy my curiosity - from what I've read they are one of the friendliest breeds and are renowned for being placid - I don't believe we can assess a personality through mating behaviour, duck mating is what it is - it is well documented that drakes are quite often aggressive and many reportedly, rape hens regularly and repeatedly - but that doesn't mean they'l lose their friendliness - albeit there are exceptions to every rule but from what I've read, heard and experienced so far, they typically go back to their usual friendly placid selves once mating season is over. - Given that you have one of the friendliest most placid breeds ever, surely you have more chance of success than not.

 

[Squiggs]

if worst comes to the worst you could always separate them during mating season because the rest of the time they'd be fine.

Luckily I do have a setup that would allow me to separate them during mating season if needed! This has been educational for me, too. Due to my bad experiences with only a handful of drakes, I didn't realize that they aren't always overly randy 365 days a year. I'm glad to hear some of you have very happy and sweet boys.
That's a relief!

 

[rachelsflock]

...uh, drakes are randy 365 days a year...at least the mallard breeds in my experience.

 

[Squiggs]

...uh, drakes are randy 365 days a year...at least the mallard breeds in my experience.

Yes, but obsessively so like during parts of the year? What I'm taking from what others have said is that they obviously still mate roughly, but not with the intensity that they do during breeding season.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

...uh, drakes are randy 365 days a year...at least the mallard breeds in my experience.

Exactly, that is your experience - doesn't mean all will be - according to the rule my boys should have started mating already but neither are even showing signs of knowing what mating is lol, both are Mallard Runners - from all I've read ducks supposedly never put themselves to bed, mine do, always have done so and I didn't teach or train them, they just did from the get go - I know plenty of people with mallards who seasonally mate - depends on individual duck.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Yes, but obsessively so like during parts of the year? What I'm taking from what others have said is that they obviously still mate roughly, but not with the intensity that they do during breeding season.

Where my daughter works there is a public pond - it is frequented by wild Mallards who usually stay the summer then fly south winter, the landlord keeps privately owned ducks on the pond - wings clipped - there are no horror stories, they are peaceful, even when mating - there is the occasional gang rape but this is duck politics/duck nature - on the whole they are calm, peaceful and a pleasure to watch, however what I have noted is that the domesticated ducks of the group don't ever part take in the gang rapes - but I know breeders/duck keepers who have drakes that do perform rapes - no two flocks are the same and no two ducks are the same each have their own personalities, there own way, their own rules and politics and there is always an exception to every rule. Hard as it is you just have to wait and see. One thing people rarely mention is that females can be aggressive too, the first girls we got for our boys were so aggressive they took lumps out of our boys, they attacked our chickens too, so we got rid of them.

 

[rachelsflock]

*sigh*
OP: If I were you I'd just watch your girls for head damage and keep an eye out for more girls. If anyone starts limping or gets seriously injured, I'd consider culling the drake and give a home to more deserving drake. If you can't do that and he starts hurting your girls, definitely get him more girls asap. I've had a lot of batches of drakes. I always pick the one that is the least rough and most calm and eat the rest. Since you can't do that and you'll have to see what you wind up with, if you have a drake in the first place.

I have not observed much of a difference in the mating habits of domestic mallard derived duck breeds. They're not like wild mallards where they ever tone it down really. The females just seem to court the drake harder in the spring. The domestic drake will always mate whenever he can. So just watch.

Don't get me started on wild mallards.

Bottom line: You will probably be fine at least for the next little while and worst case scenario, you might have to get more ducks for your maybe drake.
Good luck!