What should I do about these ducks?

[moenmitz]

OK, after our mystery predator came and killed our 5 other ducks, (3 females, 2 drakes) we are left with only two Pekins, a male and a female. Initially, I planned on eating all the male ducks, and keeping the females to lay eggs. Well, now I have just these two, who are 5 months old next week, coming into winter. I no longer have the heart to eat the male (He's seen some stuff man!) and had never planned on eating the female and thus made her into a bit of a pet. Plus, I know I cant keep just ONE duck or they will be lonely...but I read that I need more than one female to occupy Mr Lustful or he might love her to death...I think I read 7 females to each drake? Is that right? Meanwhile, winter is coming, the drake is appearing to be amorous already...what should I do? I was not prepared for this situation. We would like to raise Pekins, now that we have tried them out, but I wouldnt want ducklings until spring, and that was when we had initially thought we would bring in some new Pekins. Is there a practical solution I am not seeing here?

 

[ChickenToes]

I would leave the male and female together for the time being. If the male starts getting really rough with the female, then you can start worrying.

 

[vfem]

We've HAD 2 pekin ducks one male one female... they belonged to the previous home owner and had been together 3 years. They never went anywhere alone, I didn't see fighting... never an issue. Apparently, a predator got them... so we not longer have ducks

*sob*

I want more, even if its only 2 to replace them.

Gotta rig me an incubator, or get some babies soon

 

[suenrob]

You could look for some grown ducks. Check the BST forum or your local craigs list.

 

[BantyHugger]

Wow! 7:1 is the highest I've ever heard. We breed pekins and we keep a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. You can still get pekin ducklings from Ideal if you really don't want to keep the boy. I would just keep him until spring and hopefully your duck will go broody so you don't even have to buy new ones. Pekins make excellent mothers.

 

[cayuga26]

you will probably be quite fine keeping them as a pair, just watch that he dosent get to over eager but being a larger breed I would dout he would. As far as our Cayuga's go so far, it seems to be the females who initiate everything and they are often more eager than the males to breed (noticed that in our meat Pekin's this year to, three of them were males and one female and she started the mating stuff quite early on actualy, but the males were uninterested)

 

[moenmitz]

Oh good! That all sounds very positive. I was hoping maybe it would be ok to just have the two of them together for now. I dont really want to get more ducklings this late in the year (envisioning all the frozen poo....) lol I am hoping that she will go broody and raise some next spring...if she lays before then we will just use the eggs. I am not real eager to bring in more adults right now either-I have my hands really full with all the broilers, geese, turkeys, and OTHER chickens- we have close to 200 birds right now-and this is our first time raising ANY of them. Live and learn...


. When DO Pekins tend to breed? All year? Or is it seasonal?

 

[LV426]

They slow down in winter for mating anyway. I have 3 drakes and one hen and she tells them when to back off. I just make sure they don't all mob her and if she gets a little rough around the edges I go ahead and separate her but I only had to do that at the beginning of spring. She was back with the boys in a week.

 

[scooter147]

Don't count on the Pekin going broody or if she does sticking with it.

I have a female Pekin and male Pekin Mallard cross.

She goes broody but the problem is she only wants to be broody during the day. I converted a dog house to a egg laying house for her and installed a door so I could keep the predators out at night. Well right before dusk she gets off the nest walks over to the coop and quacks real loud until I let her in.

 

[sweetshoplady]

That's funny, Scooter!