When Is A Duck Old Enough To Mate?

[Soon2BChixMom]

Kind of, but I try not to look lol. That answers my question though, thank you. I'll work on that separate pen tomorrow so that the young ones can get outside, but away from the drake.

Would it be cruel to put the drake in a make-shift pen and then everyone else in the main pen? That way almost everyone could have pool access. He'd be right near everyone with a fence between, but I don't want to stress him though.

It wouldn't be cruel - they call that drake jail. He might not like it though and pace back and forth.

 

[PirateGirl]

Kind of, but I try not to look lol. That answers my question though, thank you. I'll work on that separate pen tomorrow so that the young ones can get outside safely.

Would it be cruel to put the drake in a make-shift pen and then everyone else in the main pen? That way almost everyone could have pool access. He'd be right near everyone with a fence between, but I don't want to stress him though.

I have been thinking of doing just that myself. Separating the drake out and integrating the ducklings with everyone else if they can all play nice. Then only the drake is restricted in space. I don't know if this will make things better or worse when he goes back in with the flock though.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's called keeping the girls safe, Once the females are breeding age then you try him and hope by then his hormones are on the wane. Might be into fall though before that happens.

 

[PeggiB]

This is what has worked for me. I have a 9 month old Khaki drake, two 9 week old female Khaki's, two 9 week old female Silver Appleyards, and one 9 week old Silver Appleyard drake. I put all of the youngin's in the pen when they were 7 weeks old. My 9 month old tried the mating ritual and was soundly rejected by all 4 females. I think he realizes that he will get lucky in about 3 months. All of my girls are feisty things.

 

[Vyctoria]

Thankfully my boy is pretty gentle by drake terms lol. I'll probably give him "girl time" each day in the evening with his older flock. I'd hate to see the little guy frustrated by hormones. He can't help it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They really can't, just wouldn't want any young females injured when it can be avoided.

 

[casportpony]

Kind of, but I try not to look lol.

That's pretty funny.

 

[WVduckchick]

I finally let my Call drake be with the juveniles at about 2 months. He was relentless! But once they got pretty much full size, it was difficult to keep them apart. I chased him away many evenings, trying to divide their yard time. Finally I let him go and one girl submitted and it’s all been fine since. I haven’t even seen him chase them at all since. He is also going into eclipse, so that could be part of it. But I had read if the girls are big enough, slow introductions are ok so I tried it.
It’s hard to watch the first mating, but after he got his jollies, he was a happy camper