- Jul 30, 2013
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So one fine day in January my husband surprised me with two "female" Cayuga ducks. We already had 2 chickens (and 3 dogs, 3 cats, turtle and honey bees). My husband loves duck eggs and thought these two beauties would be a good addition to our menagerie. There where named Mavis and Emily. My son who loves Thomas the Train has named all of our "flock" after the trains in the show.
We started with the ducks in one house and the chickens in another with a common enclosed pen between them. Well after the first big snow storm after the ducks arrived....they promptly marched themselves into the much larger chicken house and decided they would be living there from now on. They all cohabited together beautifully.
Come spring we had just began to get some duck eggs along with our chicken eggs, to my husbands delight, and all was right within our flock. Then one night we where away from home later than usual and had not "tucked" our flock into the safety of their house and something found a weak spot in our enclosed pen and unfortunately attacked one of the chickens and Emily. Mavis was devastated. Also at this time we began to suspect that Mavis was actually a boy. "She" didn't quack loudly like the other and no eggs where to be had. After the attack, Mavis became attached to the remaining chicken and followed her every where. That is until Mavis discovered her/his reflection in one of our basement windows. Everyday when we let out Mavis (which I started calling Maverick now) and his chicken friend to free roam our yard, he would ignore the chicken and go to the window and "talk" to his reflection all day. We started putting a tub of water by the window so he and his reflection "Flo" (another kid cartoon reference) could swim together.
After a about a month, we decided to add three new chickens. At first Maverick did not like these new girls and we had to separate him so he wouldn't attack them. That only lasted a week or so and then he took to one of the hens as his new BFF and left "Flo" behind. For the rest of the summer and winter, Maverick has been very happy with his little flock. He follows them everywhere and even perches with them in the coop at night.
Now its spring and Maverick has decided he is very much a man and has taken to trying to mate with our smallest chicken and yesterday went after one of the others. As normal with ducks he is quite aggressive. So he is back to being separated from the flock during the day and we let him sleep in house with them at night since they can get higher in roost than him and can stay away.
So now I am torn between riding this out (any one have any idea how long I can expect?) and finding him a new home with other ducks where he might be happier? I know its hormonal and he is really a sweet duck, but I feel bad keeping him locked up every day. My hens are getting stressed from him chasing them. I'm not really interested in getting more ducks - we have (until recently) a harmonious mix that I do not want to disturb.
Anyway - that is our story - any thoughts on Maverick that anyone can share would be appreciated.
We started with the ducks in one house and the chickens in another with a common enclosed pen between them. Well after the first big snow storm after the ducks arrived....they promptly marched themselves into the much larger chicken house and decided they would be living there from now on. They all cohabited together beautifully.
Come spring we had just began to get some duck eggs along with our chicken eggs, to my husbands delight, and all was right within our flock. Then one night we where away from home later than usual and had not "tucked" our flock into the safety of their house and something found a weak spot in our enclosed pen and unfortunately attacked one of the chickens and Emily. Mavis was devastated. Also at this time we began to suspect that Mavis was actually a boy. "She" didn't quack loudly like the other and no eggs where to be had. After the attack, Mavis became attached to the remaining chicken and followed her every where. That is until Mavis discovered her/his reflection in one of our basement windows. Everyday when we let out Mavis (which I started calling Maverick now) and his chicken friend to free roam our yard, he would ignore the chicken and go to the window and "talk" to his reflection all day. We started putting a tub of water by the window so he and his reflection "Flo" (another kid cartoon reference) could swim together.
After a about a month, we decided to add three new chickens. At first Maverick did not like these new girls and we had to separate him so he wouldn't attack them. That only lasted a week or so and then he took to one of the hens as his new BFF and left "Flo" behind. For the rest of the summer and winter, Maverick has been very happy with his little flock. He follows them everywhere and even perches with them in the coop at night.
Now its spring and Maverick has decided he is very much a man and has taken to trying to mate with our smallest chicken and yesterday went after one of the others. As normal with ducks he is quite aggressive. So he is back to being separated from the flock during the day and we let him sleep in house with them at night since they can get higher in roost than him and can stay away.
So now I am torn between riding this out (any one have any idea how long I can expect?) and finding him a new home with other ducks where he might be happier? I know its hormonal and he is really a sweet duck, but I feel bad keeping him locked up every day. My hens are getting stressed from him chasing them. I'm not really interested in getting more ducks - we have (until recently) a harmonious mix that I do not want to disturb.
Anyway - that is our story - any thoughts on Maverick that anyone can share would be appreciated.
