When to separate into breeding pens

[sherrik9]

I have calls ducks that had I got 36 lovely babies from this year. Next year I'd like to have a bit more control over who is breeding and need to know when I should set up the ducks I would like to breed. I'm rebuilding pens now and wonder if I should keep them permanently apart or just during breeding season. They started laying in January this year but don't know if they set up who liked who well before then or not. Any suggestions?

 

[70%cocoa]

Sherrik, if you would like to pair them up then do it at least 3 weeks before you want to start to collect eggs. Anecdotally, duck sperm can last three weeks so if you don't separate them for that long then you can't be sure that the father is the drake that you have penned with the duck.

So, as a minimum, you'd want to pen each pair for four weeks - 3 weeks to be sure of who the father is and then 1 week to collect eggs. If you want to collect eggs again later you'd have to repeat this procedure, so how long you need to do it for depends on how many times you want to incubate eggs.

What are your plans - do you want to set eggs just the once or do you want to have multiple batches? If you want to have multiple batches then I'd separate them for the whole time you want to collect eggs, starting from 3 weeks before you want to collect the first egg and ending after you collect the last egg.

I hope you have another wonderful hatch rate this year and lots of beautiful babies!

 

[sherrik9]

What are your plans - do you want to set eggs just the once or do you want to have multiple batches? If you want to have multiple batches then I'd separate them for the whole time you want to collect eggs, starting from 3 weeks before you want to collect the first egg and ending after you collect the last egg.

I hope you have another wonderful hatch rate this year and lots of beautiful babies!

I only want about the same number of ducks again next year. I love having the ducks hatch the eggs and would like to have a better set up so they can raise them. This year they brooded and hatched but I took them out anywhere from 3 days to 1 week because all the ducks are together.
I have a few friends that like the ducks for herding and I'd like a big enough group to herd with my own dogs.

 

[knightie]

This is just a question I'm not saying its wrong or right.... but as a herding dog breed owner why on earth would anyone want to use little tiny call ducks for herding? And not to mention they fly?! All I can think is poor dogs (if they fly off) and poor birds (if the dog is a little Rough!) I can see using pekin or Cayuga size birds (don't fly but sane (g) and big enough they stand a bit of chance if something goes wrong.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Most people who use ducks for herding use runners and here many buy our khaki Campbell's for herding. Calls are way too small and yes can fly.

Now back to question, we split everyone up here in December for the next years breeding pairs. Gives the, time to settle in and get use to the new housing and mate.

 

[sherrik9]

This is just a question I'm not saying its wrong or right.... but as a herding dog breed owner why on earth would anyone want to use little tiny call ducks for herding? And not to mention they fly?! All I can think is poor dogs (if they fly off) and poor birds (if the dog is a little Rough!) I can see using pekin or Cayuga size birds (don't fly but sane (g) and big enough they stand a bit of chance if something goes wrong.

The calls are great for teaching patience, they flock nicely and seem very hearty. Clip one wing and the dog should not be close enough for the duck to want to fly. Young dogs are on a line so as not to hurt any duck. Runners and Campbells are also used but more folks in this area are moving to call ducks. I'm certainly not an expert at herding mostly going on advice from a few herding instructors. Pekin and Cayuga sized ducks are too heavy for herding. The other nice thing about the calls is that they are seasonal breeders so you don't have to worry about a duck being worked with an egg ready to drop.