Aggressive drake in a bonded pair

[Ducktor Beers]

Hey y'all!

Today is a sad day, one of the members of our duck squad is no more. We have three little ducks: two mallards and one runner(?) mix. They've gotten along fine their whole life, the mallards grew up together and we adopted Faye from our neighbors. Then one day I find her in the bottom of their Duck Tub! Our sweet lady Faye. I knew something was up because there was a TON of primary feathers in all her hidey holes and in their run; I thought maybe she was molting. No blood, but I've seen our drake be pretty rough with her in the Tub from time to time. When I found her she was missing a lot of tail feathers and almost all of her primaries.

I'm assuming it was the Drake, so do I trust him with the one other hen or find him a new home? If he can go Bonkers once, what's from stopping him overmating his special girl?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

The drake and hen need separated ASAP. He will kill the other hen. A drake needs 4-5 hens minimum and more aggressive drake's sometimes need even more or to be kept away from hens entirely.

 

[sourland]

I would not get another duck hen. In my experience mallards have been very pair bonded and in the absence of 'extra' drakes did not overmate their hen.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

rehome your other hen. keep the drake and adopt another drake as a friend. they won’t be aggressive if they have no females to fight over and your girl will be happier without him

 

[sourland]

I repeat that in my experience mallard drakes form a strong pair bond and are not abusive to their mate unless their are other competitive drakes in the area. I would for sure closely monitor the pair and his actions.

 

[Ducktor Beers]

Thanks sourland, that's a relief to know I definitely have a soft spot for the hens but don't want to break up the brother/sister/lover bond. She seems to like him okay, but he would go bonkers if she wasn't around!

I would like to get more ducks in the future , but my duck hut can only sleep about 3 or 4 comfortably. Now I get to decide whether it's better to keep him happy or replace him with a couple hens

I repeat that in my experience mallard drakes form a strong pair bond and are not abusive to their mate unless their are other competitive drakes in the area. I would for sure closely monitor the pair and his actions.

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[sourland]

Now I get to decide whether it's better to keep him happy or replace him with a couple hens




,

He will determine that by his actions. How old are they ? If a mature bonded pair, I become even more confident for a positive outcome.

 

[Ducktor Beers]

They're both about six months old; the hen just started laying eggs and I suspect that's what pushed him over the edge with the other one. Good news is that if we do decide to rehome him, I can still visit him on the farm!

 

[AgnesGray]

I would not get another duck hen. In my experience mallards have been very pair bonded and in the absence of 'extra' drakes did not overmate their hen.

I agree with this. I have one drake that is highly devoted to his one and only. All others must go, but she is the queen.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

They're both about six months old; the hen just started laying eggs and I suspect that's what pushed him over the edge with the other one. Good news is that if we do decide to rehome him, I can still visit him on the farm!

Im still going to play the devil's advocate here and advise extreme caution with the single male around the female. I have watched a male mallard go after a female mallard and the whole thing resembled the scene on Beauty and The Beast where the town's fellow is ripping the feather dusters feathers out right and left. There was just an article on the news about a town that was horrified by the male mallards injuring and killing the female mallards to the point the town threw a party when spring was over (not even kidding). Many ducks that are bonded only are bonded for seasonal breeding (I think statistically speaking it's only around 7% of ducks that end up being lifelong monogamous partners) and then find new mates the next mating season. In fact, if a mate is killed they often will bond with a new mate within weeks if not days and once a female mallard starts to incubate eggs the male will often leave.