What age do ducks start trying to mate?

[Katiepusey86]

I have 2 almost 13 week old magpies. 1 male 1 female. Johnny and june. This morning Johnny and june ran out of their house and jumped in the pool and started trying to get it on. He has only shown interest in June so far. Johnny just got his tail curl yesterday.

We also have 2 cayuga females almost 7 weeks old and 2 jumbo pekin females almost 4 weeks old.

Is 13 weeks to young for them to begin showing mating signs? They did their thing and he went on to forage but she stayed splashing around and bobbing trying to get him to come back

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd say they were practicing. My Females Runners were head bobbing their drake before age 4 months but actually no mating took place till 4 months then egg laying began at 4.5 months. Also having a drake you want to make sure once he becomes sexual he doesn't mate any of your females who are younger than 4 months. They are not mature enough to handle mating.

 

[Katiepusey86]

June keeps laying herself flat in the water and letting him climb right on. He will climb on push her head down a little then climb off and not be interested again no matter how much she tries to get him to come back. He is showing no interest at all in the younger girls. But each age group has their own areas unless they are all in the yard together at witch time I'm out there with them all keeping an eye on them all. My almost 4 week old jumbo pekins stay I their penned in area and they only get visits from behind the fence for now

 

[Katiepusey86]

I did buy Johnny and june from tractor supply so not entirely sure of their age but they couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 days old when we got them. They were tiny and had juat arrived from shipping when we bought them

 

[KathiQuacks]

All of my ducks started mating practice at 3 months, but they won’t be sexually mature for a few more months.

 

[Miss Lydia]

June keeps laying herself flat in the water and letting him climb right on. He will climb on push her head down a little then climb off and not be interested again no matter how much she tries to get him to come back. He is showing no interest at all in the younger girls. But each age group has their own areas unless they are all in the yard together at witch time I'm out there with them all keeping an eye on them all. My almost 4 week old jumbo pekins stay I their penned in area and they only get visits from behind the fence for now

It's true the girls mature faster than the boys and begin chasing them. Mine were the same and it got to where the girls would practice mating each other while the drake would stand outside the pool and watch. Then in the morning when everyone got released for the day the poor drake would be surrounded by all the girls head bobbing him.

 

[Katiepusey86]

So it sounds like they are pretty much right on track. Iv been keeping a good eye on them all so I can separate him if I need to