Drake to Duck Ratio

[CindyinSD]

I'm thinking about getting some ducklings this spring. Appleyards maybe, and maybe at some point Muscovies. I want the Appleyards for eggs and possibly meat.

Can anyone give me some guidance as to the preferred duck to drake ratio? I realize they're all different, but in your experience, what works best for you?

I have a quartet of American Buff geese, nearly a year old, and while my gander attempts (he hasn't figured out his moves yet, at least when I've been able to watch) to breed all the geese, there is one goose who is usually shunned. I'd rather not have that going on and am wishing I had only gotten a trio. My goal was to make sure he was satisfied enough not to try to breed my chicken or turkey hens. I think I overdid it with the harem and I don't want to make the same mistake with ducks.

 

[Beaglegal]

I'm thinking about getting some ducklings this spring. Appleyards maybe, and maybe at some point Muscovies. I want the Appleyards for eggs and possibly meat.

Can anyone give me some guidance as to the preferred duck to drake ratio? I realize they're all different, but in your experience, what works best for you?

I have a quartet of American Buff geese, nearly a year old, and while my gander attempts (he hasn't figured out his moves yet, at least when I've been able to watch) to breed all the geese, there is one goose who is usually shunned. I'd rather not have that going on and am wishing I had only gotten a trio. My goal was to make sure he was satisfied enough not to try to breed my chicken or turkey hens. I think I overdid it with the harem and I don't want to make the same mistake with ducks.

I have 6 hens and 1 drake but there are certainly ones he prefers. I think it must be somewhat different when there is only one drake, when there isn’t any competition to worry about, but I think he could do well with fewer hens then the 6 he has. He used to only have 2 but I didn’t live here then so I am not sure how it all went.

 

[Miss Lydia]

At least min of 4 females to 1 drake. My Muscovy drake has 4 and makes sure to love on each one but has never over done any. My 2 Runners have 9 females between them there’s half a duck each in there somewhere.

 

[CindyinSD]

I have 6 hens and 1 drake but there are certainly ones he prefers. I think it must be somewhat different when there is only one drake, when there isn’t any competition to worry about, but I think he could do well with fewer hens then the 6 he has. He used to only have 2 but I didn’t live here then so I am not sure how it all went.

Thanks! Any insight is really helpful. How does your drake do with fertilizing so many ladies, if you've had occasion to check?

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Runners do a great job. My Muscovy I will have to wait till breeding an laying begins they are 7-8 yrsold so not sure on the scovys My Runners are less than a year to 3 yrs great fertility there.

 

[CindyinSD]

At least min of 4 females to 1 drake. My Muscovy drake has 4 and makes sure to love on each one but has never over done any. My 2 Runners have 9 females between them there’s half a duck each in there somewhere.

Good to know! I'm thinking of keeping pure breeds and I think I want Appleyards for eggs and maybe meat. Maybe I don't need them, though. Maybe Muscovies would be enough...

 

[CindyinSD]

Oh yes, since you've responded, @Miss Lydia (thanks!) I've been wanting to ask you... I'm in zone 3-4, surrounded by national forest (almost uniformly pine with some spruce, aspen & birch... not a lot of water. Unfortunately long winters (lately). Would I need to worry about accidentally starting a feral Muscovy population here? I haven't seen any Muscovies on public waters although Canada-type geese have begun to be a problem. OTOH, I'm not aware whether anyone very near here keeps them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Only way a feral flock would happen is if they flew off and began multiplying, just a small back yard flock as long as you keep them home won’t be a problem.

 

[Miss Lydia]

One thing having Muscovy is taking on the responsibility of not letting feral populations happen. I clip wings in the fall after their big molt to keep my females grounded. We live right above a mountain river and they love to fly. That is how I actually go started with Muscovy meeting 2 drakes in our river.

 

[3bird]

We have five silver Appleyard ducks and one one drake, and we live in Maine. Most of the year they all do fine together, but there are times when we need to keep a couple of the girls separate. Usually we do this by keeping his one favorite girl with him and the two he has been picking on the most away from him during the day. We then mix it up with the other two so that their little groups are always changing. When our drake is really being a turd, he goes into a separate area of the run (lovingly called "the hole") with his favorite girl at night. It's not an issue in the winter.