too many males

[leslie harris]

i have 5 pekin ducks that are just now turning a year old. 4 are males and only 1 female. they have been mating with her so many times, sometimes 2-3 ducks trying to get on her at at same time. i feel so bad for her. she seems exhausted and they have pulled all of the feathers out of the back of her head and neck. im really afraid for her safety. i have a friend with 2 females ducks at her pond. i'm thinking about taking her over there. i don't want them to kill her. has anyone else had this problem? she is just out numbered

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Is it possible to rehome the males, keeping only 1? Yes, that is far too many drakes for her.

 

[Redhead Rae]

i have 5 pekin ducks that are just now turning a year old. 4 are males and only 1 female. they have been mating with her so many times, sometimes 2-3 ducks trying to get on her at at same time. i feel so bad for her. she seems exhausted and they have pulled all of the feathers out of the back of her head and neck. im really afraid for her safety. i have a friend with 2 females ducks at her pond. i'm thinking about taking her over there. i don't want them to kill her. has anyone else had this problem? she is just out numbered

From everything I read, they could kill her by overbreeding her. Your best short term solution would be to pen the female away from the males. Long term, most of the males (at least 2-3 of them) need to find new homes or become dinner.

 

[HuskerHens18]

Could you rehome 3 males and maybe try getting more females from elsewhere? If you can't I understand, I love my male birds and could never rehome them. Otherwise, you need to check around maybe on Craigslist OR here on BYC for female ducks people would be willing to give away

 

[Miss Lydia]

Or take her to your friends that has the pond and 2 females . Unless you willing to separate her from the drakes till you decide if you want more females or rehome 3 drakes. Best ratio is 3and up females to each drake.

 

[CayugaJana]

She will have a very low quality of life unless you rehome the males or her. She will eventually be killed over the fighting. Their drive to mate is too high. OR you could get about 20 females and keep them all.

 

[leslie harris]

i am getting 9 baby ducks on Friday. My daughter teaches 5K and she hatches them in her class and brings them to our farm. i have no idea the sex of them, and they wont be ready to go to the pond for months. I think letting her go to my friends pond, may be the fastest solution for her right now. i cannot separate her from the drakes unless i remove her from the pond and put her in a pen, and i hate to do that to her also....even though she would be safer there than on the pond. how long do they mate?

 

[CayugaJana]

They mate year round.

 

[leslie harris]

They mate year round.

That makes me want to cry too! It will be hard saying goodbye to her. I have had them since birth

 

[leslie harris]

one more question....my husband just informed me that when he was down at the pond today, she was sitting on a nest. when he walked over there she got up and there was one egg. so now i really feel bad taking her away from her nest. will she build another one at her new home and continue to lay the rest of her eggs there? maybe i should re-home the two most aggressive drakes and hope the remaining 2 aren't too rough on her, and try to find a few more females.