Can a female duck be housed at night with 2 male ducks??

[FernbergFarms]

I have 2 drakes with my 1 female in a coop and they grew up together and they have been fine so far. Then I have another 2 drakes and 1 female who have been growing up together as well and the are 2 months old right now. I have 2 coops so this spring I will be separating my girls and boys. I’ve just been waiting to introduce the babies to the big ducks till my 2 month olds can fight back. It kinda depends on breed and age. When it comes spring I would consider separating them maybe a way where they can still see each other like chicken fencing half the coop or something..? So then she doesn’t have to be alone. But it is up to you and I have never had crested so I don’t know how fragile they are or how aggressive. I have Kkaki Campbell’s and 1 Pekin.
(This is random but @KaleIAm what kind of duck is your avatar?! It’s sooo pretty!!)

 

[Trisseh]

I personally feel there are a ton of factors involved before deciding on accommodations like this for mixed sexes. My flock is together for the winter when egg laying stops, but I do have a mule drake that needs to be separate at all times - he can’t father ducklings but boy does he try! The other boys couldn’t care less about the girls during the cold dark winter. Springtime the boys will be segregated, except for the drake I actually want fathering ducklings, and even then they’ll be supervised closely and he may be removed at night. One of the biggest things I’ve found with my ducks is that the ones that were ducklings this year are much better behaved all the way around when they’re in with my mature girl; she doesn’t allow stupidity or overly rough behaviour and she’s got the size to back it up. I’ve watched her flip young drakes right off of her. Lol. They were awful when they were separate to allow everyone to see each other, but the bad/rapey behaviours stopped as soon as she schooled them. So I think it’s similar to when you add a younger cockerel to an established chicken flock, they learn manners from the older birds and become a better flock citizen. Last year’s group was awful, they were a group I raised together, all the same age. I removed the drake (a silver appleyard) in October because he just wouldn’t quit going after my little crested blue Swedish. He was so rough with her he ripped all the feathers out of her crest and neck. He was also aggressive with me, so yeah, he found a new home. Lol. A lot depends on the individual birds for sure. This was my experience with it, and it won’t be the same for everyone, sometimes you just have to keep a close eye on things and intervene where necessary.

 

[KaleIAm]

I have 2 drakes with my 1 female in a coop and they grew up together and they have been fine so far. Then I have another 2 drakes and 1 female who have been growing up together as well and the are 2 months old right now. I have 2 coops so this spring I will be separating my girls and boys. I’ve just been waiting to introduce the babies to the big ducks till my 2 month olds can fight back. It kinda depends on breed and age. When it comes spring I would consider separating them maybe a way where they can still see each other like chicken fencing half the coop or something..? So then she doesn’t have to be alone. But it is up to you and I have never had crested so I don’t know how fragile they are or how aggressive. I have Kkaki Campbell’s and 1 Pekin.
(This is random but @KaleIAm what kind of duck is your avatar?! It’s sooo pretty!!)

She's a welsh harlequin! I think she's a silver phase, but I don't really know much about breeds. In that photo she is wearing her, "summer outfit," then she molts in the fall and wears her, "winter outfit," which has more black and red flecks. She's pretty special, she'll be 6 in a couple months, her name is Pigweed, and she's very entitled. We adore her. <3

 

[FernbergFarms]

@KaleIAm wow she is just gorgeous!

 

[4Dobermans]

The issue is that everything can be going fine right up until the day that it isn't, and they could kill her. You certainly could take the chance. Personally, especially with a crested that's more vulnerable to injury, I wouldn't. Doubly so as they come up on their first adult spring mating season.

Unfortunately, if you've only got the one female you're in a bit of a sticky situation, as separating her out by herself wont be good for her either as shes probably very attached to the others and would be quite lonely. Honestly I'd work on getting some more adult females ASAP so you can get them quarantined and introduced before spring. With 2 males you'd want at least 7 more females probably which is a lot of ducks for people who werent planning on that many. Your other option is to rehome the female to someone with a better gender ratio and keep your two males.

The male is not hugely bigger than her and he adores her, it’s the smaller one that gets like that. They only go in there to sleep and then they come out with all the female chickens. The old ones that were all males, would try to mount the chickens All The Time. They got killed by a possum by accident last year so I got the newer ones and a female. The problem is that when I separated the two from her, because she got cold and she had to come in for a few days to make sure she didn’t get sick, that’s when the runner attacked her. I am already at my limit in the city and it’s hard enough to feed 9 of them. Would she be alright being in there at just nighttime because they do sleep at night and they have never hurt her before. The bigger one loves her and follows her around like a muppet but the smaller one is the little demon but he is way smaller than her. I am hesitant because when they get separated that’s when they really try to hurt her.

 

[4Dobermans]

I personally feel there are a ton of factors involved before deciding on accommodations like this for mixed sexes. My flock is together for the winter when egg laying stops, but I do have a mule drake that needs to be separate at all times - he can’t father ducklings but boy does he try! The other boys couldn’t care less about the girls during the cold dark winter. Springtime the boys will be segregated, except for the drake I actually want fathering ducklings, and even then they’ll be supervised closely and he may be removed at night. One of the biggest things I’ve found with my ducks is that the ones that were ducklings this year are much better behaved all the way around when they’re in with my mature girl; she doesn’t allow stupidity or overly rough behaviour and she’s got the size to back it up. I’ve watched her flip young drakes right off of her. Lol. They were awful when they were separate to allow everyone to see each other, but the bad/rapey behaviours stopped as soon as she schooled them. So I think it’s similar to when you add a younger cockerel to an established chicken flock, they learn manners from the older birds and become a better flock citizen. Last year’s group was awful, they were a group I raised together, all the same age. I removed the drake (a silver appleyard) in October because he just wouldn’t quit going after my little crested blue Swedish. He was so rough with her he ripped all the feathers out of her crest and neck. He was also aggressive with me, so yeah, he found a new home. Lol. A lot depends on the individual birds for sure. This was my experience with it, and it won’t be the same for everyone, sometimes you just have to keep a close eye on things and intervene where necessary.

The males are pretty sweet, I raised them from babies and they were so sweet I thought they were females. The bigger male is like her puppet and the smaller one gets a little snotty sometimes. They grew up together and have lived together for a year. When she was a baby she had a lot of trouble walking and one day just couldn’t get up and was really really pale, I gave her so niacin and she perked right back up. She has had a fit or two with can’t standing up like that but usually she is alright except for some light stumbling. I have taken her to the vet a few months ago and the lady gave her a clear bill of health. They only go aggressive with her after I had taken her out of the coop for a few days but today they are right back at standing guard while she lays in the dirt. They literally follow her everywhere and copy her, she gets a drink they have to too, she gets food they follow, and if she lays down there is one on each side of her standing guard. It’s adorable. I honestly don’t think they would seriously hurt her especially during the night

 

[LT71689]

The male is not hugely bigger than her and he adores her, it’s the smaller one that gets like that. They only go in there to sleep and then they come out with all the female chickens. The old ones that were all males, would try to mount the chickens All The Time. They got killed by a possum by accident last year so I got the newer ones and a female. The problem is that when I separated the two from her, because she got cold and she had to come in for a few days to make sure she didn’t get sick, that’s when the runner attacked her. I am already at my limit in the city and it’s hard enough to feed 9 of them. Would she be alright being in there at just nighttime because they do sleep at night and they have never hurt her before. The bigger one loves her and follows her around like a muppet but the smaller one is the little demon but he is way smaller than her. I am hesitant because when they get separated that’s when they really try to hurt her.

again, no one can say for 100% certain if it will remain alright or not. It might be fine, or one day out of nowhere it might not be fine and you'll be lucky to catch it before she gets seriously hurt. At the end of the day they're animals and have instincts to mate and/or fight for dominance. We neuter male cats and dogs even if we dont have a female to risk them mating with because at some point even the sweetest puppies and kittens *can* turn into the worst unbearable beasts and we don't feel like waiting to find out. Nature either happens or it doesn't. You can keep taking the chance, or rehome the girl/rehome the boys and get another girl, or get a bunch more girls. The options aren't great but that's what they are.

I'd also be concerned for the chickens. Chickens don't have the same anatomy as a duck, a male duck mating with a chicken can kill it. Especially if the female duck tends to reject them, they might try their luck with the chickens instead. They should be penned/cooped separately

 

[4Dobermans]

again, no one can say for 100% certain if it will remain alright or not. It might be fine, or one day out of nowhere it might not be fine and you'll be lucky to catch it before she gets seriously hurt. At the end of the day they're animals and have instincts to mate and/or fight for dominance. We neuter male cats and dogs even if we dont have a female to risk them mating with because at some point even the sweetest puppies and kittens *can* turn into the worst unbearable beasts and we don't feel like waiting to find out. Nature either happens or it doesn't. You can keep taking the chance, or rehome the girl/rehome the boys and get another girl, or get a bunch more girls. The options aren't great but that's what they are.

I'd also be concerned for the chickens. Chickens don't have the same anatomy as a duck, a male duck mating with a chicken can kill it. Especially if the female duck tends to reject them, they might try their luck with the chickens instead. They should be penned/cooped separately

They won’t touch the chickens. They are ruled by the chickens, the other ones used to try and get their ass kicked but these ones don’t even try or think about it. I have security cameras that get almost the whole coop but the hen house and inside the bins at night. I have to watch the neighbors because they threatened to throw rat poison around and I want to make sure they don’t do it towards or by the chickens so the cameras are always on and visible on my iPad during the day. I would catch if they were hurting her during the day. I am more worried about this one chicken that is continuous to get pecked by the chickens and gets bloody sores so then has to be taken out. She is the biggest one but the smallest one is always the one that picks on her. I mean a Brahma gets picked on by a leghorn.

 

[FernbergFarms]

Honestly I think it’ll be fine till spring. Unless one boy takes a turn for the worst i think you can leave them till spring and then consider separating the girl for a little while.
Some people I know said their chickens would peck their ducks eyes because they were so shiny and looked like jewels. And LT7 1689 is right if your drake goes at a hen that will seriously damage her.
I’ve had problems like your before with the chickens bulling other chickens. I took my chickens out and housed them in the garage or old brooder and then put cornstarch on the wound and waited a few days for it to heal up then either at night or when they were all free ranging I would put her back. But don’t put her right where the bully is right away. because when they see blood (red) they will want to peck it and if they know a chicken is hurt or weak they will also try to get it. So she has to be 100% or close to 100% better. My chickens just straight up went Cannibals at the end they were bad chickens

 

[4Dobermans]

Honestly I think it’ll be fine till spring. Unless one boy takes a turn for the worst i think you can leave them till spring and then consider separating the girl for a little while.
Some people I know said their chickens would peck their ducks eyes because they were so shiny and looked like jewels. And LT7 1689 is right if your drake goes at a hen that will seriously damage her.
I’ve had problems like your before with the chickens bulling other chickens. I took my chickens out and housed them in the garage or old brooder and then put cornstarch on the wound and waited a few days for it to heal up then either at night or when they were all free ranging I would put her back. But don’t put her right where the bully is right away. because when they see blood (red) they will want to peck it and if they know a chicken is hurt or weak they will also try to get it. So she has to be 100% or close to 100% better. My chickens just straight up went Cannibals at the end they were bad chickens

I do separate her for days at a time and make sure that they are fully healed. I have even taken the meanest ones out for a day but they went right back to doing it. I love chickens but sometimes they are so cruel and mean.
I will start to keep a eye on them at spring, but I think they will be alright. They worship the ground she walks. Plus if the males start to act up, I will just put them in the dog pen with a kiddie pool. I really don’t want to separate them because there is this black cat in the neighborhood and he has already been in the chicken pen, so I have to be really careful.