Will drakes kill their own ducklings?

[saseaver]

Hello,

My ducks are completely free range. I have one pair of saxony ducks (male female). The female finally hatched 3 eggs. I now have the three ducklings (not sure of the genders as i am inexperienced and do not know how to tell until they have all their colors or by their voice). I’d say my ducklings are now approximately 6 weeks old and are getting their color. Up until recently my drake didn’t pay them much attention other then a couple pecks on their back here and there while eating. But now he has one duckling he keeps separated out and will go way out of his way to chase the duckling and bite!! That poor little peep is just honking and running as fast as it possibly can. The drake does this a lot and sometimes i feel he won’t let up. Once the ducking joins with it’s siblings he sometimes lets up. The hen will not protect the ducklings at all. Can someone explain this behavior? Is he simply establishing a pecking order and maybe that one duckling is the only male? This duckling did have a change in voice and now does sound different than the other two. Or is it possible he is trying to kill this duckling? Please help, my heart is breaking for that little peep!

 

[NoahSully]

If he's six weeks old, I doubt the drake can kill it. I would fence the drake off in a separate area if your worried about the duckling not being able to eat or being too stressed out.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC, sorry you're having this trouble. I think you need to separate them until you can figure out a way to keep them together. But yes, your drake is capable of killing the younger duckling.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

My friends drake ate the ducklings. Just keep the drake separate until the ducklings are big enough not to be eaten.

 

[saseaver]

My friends drake ate the ducklings. Just keep the drake separate until the ducklings are big enough not to be eaten.

Ok. They’re pretty big already. Almost half of the full grown size

 

[saseaver]

If he's six weeks old, I doubt the drake can kill it. I would fence the drake off in a separate area if your worried about the duckling not being able to eat or being too stressed out.

But otherwise you think it’s something they should eventually work out?

 

[NoahSully]

But otherwise you think it’s something they should eventually work out?

I think you should segregate the drake from the hen and the ducklings. Once they are the same size, the "duckling" should be able to hold his own.

 

[saseaver]

If he's six weeks old, I doubt the drake can kill it. I would fence the drake off in a separate area if your worried about the duckling not being able to eat or being too stressed out.

So i do not have any pens or anything for my ducks because they are free range and i am totally not handy enough to build anything. Does anyone have any ideas on something i could buy to keep the drake in?

 

[NoahSully]

So i do not have any pens or anything for my ducks because they are free range and i am totally not handy enough to build anything. Does anyone have any ideas on something i could buy to keep the drake in?

I would drive some posts, put some fencing up and attach it with bailing wire. If you can't do that then I suppose you would have to buy a pen. The only pre-made pens I can think of you could buy would be a dog pen and I don't think they make them bigger than 48 inches. This pen is fairly priced.

You could go down to your tractor supply store or what have you and see if they offer pre-made fencing/pens.

Wherever you put him, make sure he has a bucket of water to dunk his head in.

 

[saseaver]

I would drive some posts, put some fencing up and attach it with bailing wire. If you can't do that then I suppose you would have to buy a pen. The only pre-made pens I can think of you could buy would be a dog pen and I don't think they make them bigger than 48 inches. This pen is fairly priced.

You could go down to your tractor supply store or what have you and see if they offer pre-made fencing/pens.

Wherever you put him, make sure he has a bucket of water to dunk his head in.

Ok thank you! The only completely premade stuff i have found so far is like an actual chicken coop. And i feel that’d be a waste of money because my duck doesn’t need all the roosting space and what not. Also, whatever i get to pen him up do i meed to make sure it has a roof so nothing jumps in and kills him?