Topic of the Week - Drakes and Drake Behaviour

[sumi]

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This week I would like to talk Drake 101. We all know ducks are absolutely delightful birds, but the males can be a bit of a handful. Ducks owners, please tell me about your experiences and management practices when it comes to your drakes. Some specific points I'd like to hear about are:

- Sexual maturity and aggression.
- Human aggression and its meaning.
- Feeding and handling of young Drakes.
- What would be the ideal female to male ratio for a happy flock?

Pic by @NathanZee
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For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

 

[BantyChooks]

- Sexual maturity and aggression.
- Human aggression and its meaning.
- Feeding and handling of young Drakes.
- What would be the ideal female to male ratio for a happy flock?

Sweet, a duck topic

I'm a pretty new drake owner so I'll sit out here.

 

[N F C]

Glad to see a duck topic! Even though I don't have any, I keep hoping that day will come so I enjoy reading about them

 

[casportpony]

Great topic!

I need to look through my notes to see when I acquired my newest Muscovies. I know it was late spring, maybe early summer, so that makes them 6-8 months? They have been sexually mature for at least 40 days because a hen just hatched some sired by one of them, and they have been fighting with each other for a few weeks even though they have plenty of room.

 

[N F C]

Great topic!

I need to look through my notes to see when I acquired my newest Muscovies. I know it was late spring, maybe early summer, so that makes them 6-8 months? They have been sexually mature for at least 40 days because a hen just hatched some sired by one of them, and they have been fighting with each other for a few weeks even though they have plenty of room.

Do drakes do that because there aren't enough girls to go around? Or is that just their nature anyway?

 

[casportpony]

Do drakes do that because there aren't enough girls to go around? Or is that just their nature anyway?

There are plenty of hens for both of them, so who knows?

 

[N F C]

There are plenty of hens for both of them, so who knows?

Interesting. Maybe just 'feeling their oats'.

 

[casportpony]

Interesting. Maybe just 'feeling their oats'.

That could be it. They are the youngest of all my drakes.

Just checked my pictures folder and it looks like I got them in mid April when they were about one week old, which makes them almost 8 months old.

 

[chickens really]

This is great..
Drakes 101...
My Drake experiences...Each breed of Drake can have their own Behaviours that change as the seasons change..
Young Drakes begin to be interested in Hens once they have gone through the juvenile molt and have their full Drake feathers in...That's at around 3 to 4 months old..
For the most part Drakes are well behaved, although there are aggressive Drakes that are human aggressive just as some Roosters are aggressive..
Sexual maturity and hormones can have your once sweet Ducky turn into a biting feather duster..
I love my Ducks but do not cuddle or love on them..Breeding season here begins usually around December...My Ducks are a month early...I have my Drakes separated because it's not pretty when two Drakes begin fighting over Hens...The breeding will continue till probably July.I have Calls and this year my ratio will be Fabio with two Hens and Casanova with three Hens..
Drakes can make great pets as long as no Hens are involved...Then they get too hormonal...Drakes are breeding machines and if the ratio is wrong Hens get injured or Drakes do..I always have a plan B in place and a plan C because everyday is a new Day with Drakes and Hens..

 

[chickens really]

Sweet, a duck topic

I'm a pretty new drake owner so I'll sit out here.

Don't sit out...If you have Drakes say what happens and what you observe within your flock...