Drakes & Roosters bachelor pad

[BuergsChickens]

Hello, I am hoping to get ducks this year, I know drakes to hens should be at least 4 or more per drake, but I will be hatching out eggs and figure i will have more males to females then i want (unless I get super lucky), I plan to have a bachelor's pen specifically for my extra rooster grow outs, I want to know and Google isn't helping me, can I keep extra male ducks in with my roosters, or will that cause problems? I plan to hatch in April and my extra males will not be around the following spring, would the drakes and roosters be able to live together for a few months between the time they reach sexual Maturity and late fall?

 

[FrostRanger]

I wouldn't. If the drakes attempt to mount the cockerels it would most likely kill them

 

[Canadian Wind]

I grow mine out with the rest of the flock until processing time. Haven't had any issues with it. I also would not mix the drakes and roosters in a pen. Free ranged they did fine though, with separate sleeping quarters.

 

[BuergsChickens]

I wouldn't. If the drakes attempt to mount the cockerels it would most likely kill them

I did read something about that, which is why I wanted to see if they could be housed for a few months, or if not at all

 

[BuergsChickens]

I grow mine out with the rest of the flock until processing time. Haven't had any issues with it. I also would not mix the drakes and roosters in a pen. Free ranged they did fine though, with separate sleeping quarters.

I live with a ton of predators and wild life, so I can't free range fully, I have a couple very large pens with a netting enclosure, I might eventually try free ranging once more infrastructure is built, but for now I am working with what I have. So would it be better if just keep all me drakes and hens together and then in the fall butcher the additional drakes? If I had 4-8 hens per drake, would that ratio be safe enough to keep both drakes and hens in with my roosters and hens? They would have a lot of space, or would that still pose a problem in the long run?

 

[FrostRanger]

I live with a ton of predators and wild life, so I can't free range fully, I have a couple very large pens with a netting enclosure, I might eventually try free ranging once more infrastructure is built, but for now I am working with what I have. So would it be better if just keep all me drakes and hens together and then in the fall butcher the additional drakes? If I had 4-8 hens per drake, would that ratio be safe enough to keep both drakes and hens in with my roosters and hens? They would have a lot of space, or would that still pose a problem in the long run?

I'd have a separate pen for drakes and a separate pen for cockerels. Even with plenty of duck hens, there's always the risk a drake could try mating a chicken and young birds are especially hormonal. Separate pens is the safest option for everyone involved

 

[Canadian Wind]

I live with a ton of predators and wild life, so I can't free range fully, I have a couple very large pens with a netting enclosure, I might eventually try free ranging once more infrastructure is built, but for now I am working with what I have. So would it be better if just keep all me drakes and hens together and then in the fall butcher the additional drakes? If I had 4-8 hens per drake, would that ratio be safe enough to keep both drakes and hens in with my roosters and hens? They would have a lot of space, or would that still pose a problem in the long run?

I've had predator issues in the past couple of years too and have unfortunately not been able to let them go out much, but one thing I did notice is that I had absolutely no issues with the juveniles being in with the adults (I had removed the adult drakes as they were getting aggressive towards the hens). None of the jr drakes tried to mate the girls, and they behaved quite well with the flock. Most of mine are Muscovy though.

Currently, I have 8 Muscovy hens with three drakes, two Call girls with three drakes (really need to get more females in the Spring!), and five quacking hens with one drake, all living together in one pen, and split up as they please in two coops overnight. Now, it's not breeding season but I don't anticipate any issues in the Spring, and if I do get some, I'll just take the drakes out again and let the juvies grow up with the adults. I plan on making a few breeding pens too and split them out for that period of time.

But again, no issues with the younguns being in with the older ones until processing time.

 

[BuergsChickens]

I'd have a separate pen for drakes and a separate pen for cockerels. Even with plenty of duck hens, there's always the risk a drake could try mating a chicken and young birds are especially hormonal. Separate pens is the safest option for everyone involved

Do you know if ducks or drakes would be okay to share a pen with turkeys and geese?

 

[BuergsChickens]

I've had predator issues in the past couple of years too and have unfortunately not been able to let them go out much, but one thing I did notice is that I had absolutely no issues with the juveniles being in with the adults (I had removed the adult drakes as they were getting aggressive towards the hens). None of the jr drakes tried to mate the girls, and they behaved quite well with the flock. Most of mine are Muscovy though.

I only have chickens currently, but im getting some muscovy, pekin, cayuga, and khaki Campbell's. I have 2 large pens and a few smaller pens, I was hoping to house some of the ducks with my chickens and then some with my geese and turkeys, but if they can be raised with the rest of the ducks while they are juveniles then that will help with not needing another pen just for the extra drakes

Currently, I have 8 Muscovy hens with three drakes, two Call girls with three drakes (really need to get more females in the Spring!), and five quacking hens with one drake, all living together in one pen, and split up as they please in two coops overnight. Now, it's not breeding season but I don't anticipate any issues in the Spring, and if I do get some, I'll just take the drakes out again and let the juvies grow up with the adults. I plan on making a few breeding pens too and split them out for that period of time.

But again, no issues with the younguns being in with the older ones until processing time.

Okay that's good to know! I can remove any aggressive drakes as needed, do you keep them separated from the hens or do you eventually let them back in with the others and see if they have mellowed out?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Okay that's good to know! I can remove any aggressive drakes as needed, do you keep them separated from the hens or do you eventually let them back in with the others and see if they have mellowed out?

Last year was the first time I tried this, and those adult ones actually ended up being processed in the end as I replaced them with fresh genetic stock. I don't see any issue with it though so long as they still can see each other so they don't forget. You may want to do the reintroduction a bit slower though and keep an eye on them.

Do you know if ducks or drakes would be okay to share a pen with turkeys and geese?

As for this, the geese should be fine with ducks so long as they grew up with them, but I don't know about turkeys.

Hope this helps a bit!