Mating injuries

[HeritageHenNut]

I've had ducks for 3 years, and this is the first time I've ever had a drake injure one of his girls. Up until this year I've had a small flock of 4, 2 males and 2 females and not a single fight or injury amongst them. I added two new females this spring, looking to make my ratio a bit better. It's the larger of the two new ducks that's getting picked on. She's currently in a separate pen with another female for company, but I'm wondering how best to prevent this from happening again. The two older duck hens haven't got a mark on them.


She's getting badly cut under her wings and just above her tail. I'm quite used to missing feathers here and there, but this is quite new.


Any suggestions oh wise duck keepers?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd do what you have done give this girl so time to heal up. 2 drakes can wreck havoc on a female duck especially if she continually gets zeroed in on. Let her have some healing time then see how it goes if they start on her again you may have a tough decision to make rehoming one of your drakes or her. Or have drake jail and let all the girls be together for a spell.

 

[llombardo]

Are you sure it's mating or non acceptance? Have you caught the males in the act?

I ask because I have a female pekin, a female and male khaki and they(both khakis) pecked at her(pekin) in the areas you described so bad I had to seperate and treat. They were way to young for mating so I know it was not that. They have been better since, but they still try to peck at her every now and then.

 

[HeritageHenNut]

I'd do what you have done give this girl so time to heal up. 2 drakes can wreck havoc on a female duck especially if she continually gets zeroed in on. Let her have some healing time then see how it goes if they start on her again you may have a tough decision to make rehoming one of your drakes or her. Or have drake jail and let all the girls be together for a spell.

Yeah, I think it may come to that. For the time being the girls seem pretty content in their own so hopefully hormones will have chilled s bit when I reintroduce. Otherwise someone will have to go.

 

[HeritageHenNut]

Are you sure it's mating or non acceptance? Have you caught the males in the act?

I ask because I have a female pekin, a female and male khaki and they(both khakis) pecked at her(pekin) in the areas you described so bad I had to seperate and treat. They were way to young for mating so I know it was not that. They have been better since, but they still try to peck at her every now and then.

Yeah, very sure it's mating behaviour. I caught them at it last time and that was when she was really cut up. Poor thing.