What to do with this outcasted drake?

[SeaSea47]

I have three drakes, and they've grown up together and gotten along well for about a year, but over the last couple of weeks, they've sort of started outcasting one of them and chasing him away from food. Last night, he didn't want to go into the pen with the rest of the ducks, so I let him stay out, but then he sat pitifully at the door like he wanted in, so I put him back in. Today, he's staying with the group but laying down a lot. I haven't checked him thoroughly yet to see if he's injured though I don't see any noticeable injuries just yet, but I'm most likely going to bring him inside tonight and let him sleep on the back porch for the weekend, injury or not.

I will admit I don't have enough hens for three drakes even though I do have more hens than drakes, and I have more coming this spring, but I'm just wondering what I can do with him in the meantime. I hate for him to be lonely. I thought about building a little mini-run next to my main run and letting him live in there so he can hang out with the others but they can't get to him. But I'm open to other ideas.

And if I do get more hens in the spring that I can incorporate into the group this summer, do you think I could add him back too? Thanks for any input.

 

[Iluveggers]

If you put him in his own run, can you put a few of the gentler females with him?

 

[ruthhope]

That's what I'm afraid of. Next week, when our weather is a little better and I had more time off work, I'm going to add on some extra space to their run so I can keep him and one of the girls separate during mating season or until I can get more girls. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with him in the meantime. I may have to bring him back on my porch for a week or two...maybe with one of the girls. I just don't know which one to choose.

I use a dog crate when I have an aggressive muscovy drake attacking my other drakes. I know when I need to use it as the other two will not go in the coop with aggressive drake inside, unless he is in the crate.

If you don't have a dog crate, pls do keep your little guy on your porch.

You might be able to get a second hand dog crate cheaply by advertising on social media, if there isn't one for sale on Craig's list or Facebook marketplace. I got mine through Nextdoor

 

[SeaSea47]

Thanks for all of your advice. I let him go into the pen for a few minutes after they free-ranged for about 5 hours (I stayed with him in the pen), and things were fine for a few minutes, but they chased him back out. I felt so bad for him because he really wanted to get back in, but I caught him, and he's back on the porch now. He didn't put up as big of a fight today. Tomorrow, I'll bring him a girlfriend to keep him company (all the girls were kind of tucked in and ready for bed tonight and I didn't want to disturb them), though he seems to enjoy my cat's company. He's actually eating up a storm right now, so I'm guessing they didn't let him eat all afternoon.

I've got a little corner between my chicken coop and the duck pen that I could add on to make a small time-out pen for one or two ducks, but they'll also be able to see the other ones still so hopefully, they can all merge back together when I get more girls this year and/or mating season is over. I might take turns with letting each group free range each day? We've got some more nasty winter weather coming later this week, so I'm hesitant to start on it just yet. Plus, I need to make some plans and run to get the lumber and hardware cloth or maybe figure out if I can use these pallets I have sitting around.

But he's safe for now. I love all my ducks and couldn't let them get hurt on purpose. I've got a large glassed-in porch/sunroom that's actually bigger than their pen, and I was planning to replace the carpet out there this spring anyway, so he's got his run of the place and he can see outside from all angles or look inside and see us. He's got his blanket, and his food and water and some peas and mealworms, and I'm gonna put a tarp down and little tub tomorrow so he can splash around in it until I'm ready to take him back out. He's actually become more friendly towards me through all of this, so that's a plus. My girls will eat out of my hands and climb all over me when I sit down, but the boys have always been more stand-offish.

 

[SeaSea47]

Do they act ok together? I don’t know the day-to-day dynamics. You could separate two groups, and if you have a second coop maybe him & 2 ladies could sleep there once they are used to being together?​

Upon further inspection, he’s favoring one leg and limping a bit. The weird thing is most of the girls are staying with him instead of following the other drakes. I’m thinking I’ll bring him in for the weekend and If he doesn’t improve I’ll take him to the vet Monday or Tuesday. If he does improve, I may leave him with the girls and put the other two boys in a separate run.

 

[SeaSea47]

The preventing a duck from eating and drinking is dominance behavior.

I'm glad you have a second pen that your ducks can be separated to. I have to manage with the dog crate: it just goes through the door of the pen and then no one -- no person no duck -- can get in or out once the crate is in. My local rehabber, from whom I got Alpha male mucsovy and the little pekin drake as ducky friends for my own rescued muscovy, is firm in the belief that new behavior is modifiable. A duck that is mean from being a duckling probably can't change but one that becomes mean can learn to not be mean. Certainly the intense therapy I am giving alpha male seems to have made a big difference. He is no longer flying at me and attacking me although he sometimes needs reminding he is not allowed to bite my feet! Putting him in the cooler [time out in the dog crate] seems to have reduced his mean behavior towards the pekin which I will not tolerate. The pekin has a damaged bill from a raccoon attack when he was a small duckling, and is small as a result [either from not being able to eat enough and or from the psychological trauma of the racoon attack.] He is a loud mouth but he has absolutely no meanness and no fight in him. I wont let the muscovies bully him!

I don't actually have a second pen - I'll have to throw something together this week if I do end up having to separate them. My guys have been very sweet up until this point, so I'm hoping their behavior will not last. Maybe I should try separating them for a while too. My little injured guy is doing better today. He's putting more weight on his foot, so I'm thinking it's just sprained or bruised.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you have a dog crate he can sleep in inside the coop. If he were mine I would not let him sleep in the coop unprotected. I had a Muscovy drake kill another drake. Sure isn't worth him possibly dying or being beaten up. Another simple means of separation would be fencing part of your run so he is on one side the 2 drakes on the other, They know he isn't going to fight back. I like to have my flock as stress-free as possible. Of course there are going to be squabbles but being chased away from food and water is just plain bullying.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That sounds like a good plan until you can get your pen and coop fixed. As for which girl is there one that hangs with him at all? if not just choose one. you could actually switch them off an on. Domestic ducks don't actually pair up for life so choosing which one isn't that important unless he is especially bonded with one of your girls.

 

[SeaSea47]

That sounds like a good plan until you can get your pen and coop fixed. As for which girl is there one that hangs with him at all? if not just choose one. you could actually switch them off an on.

They actually all seem to want to hang out with him. When I get my separate run built, I'm actually also considering putting the other two boys in the separation pen and letting him stay with the girls since they seem to favor him over the other two.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like you have it well under control. He'll enjoy having one of the girls in with him for company. Keep us updated.