Help reintroducing drake to flock?

[Skye'sDucks]

Can you set it up so that he can see every one? It will be easier once you reintegrate.
Yes, get hom a few more females. But, then you will have loads of ducks. Is that your plan? Because he will mate females from the ducklings. Plus, you will get more drakes (maybe even half will be drakes). Ideally it is all what your plans are for your flock.

Well the plan is to get rid of all but one (possibly two for now, since one was bitten by a turtle and needs more time to heal up) drake, which would reduce the flock of 22 ducklings to 11 ducklings.

Would two drakes to 12 hens (I'm not thinking that the children would mate the parent, right?) work out?

Yes, the drake can see them through a fence. However, the other area is pretty big and the mother hen and the ducklings aren't always over there where he can 'visit'.

I actually tried reuniting at first the drake and the hen, and it went really well. After a couple of times of sitting on top of her, he began to leave the hen alone. By that I mean he would chase her, but stop a few feet away and just huff and hiss at her. The drake wasn't violent at all. (Just the normal slight pecking of the head, but surprisingly little of that, even)

I was giving them their space, but from what I could see, I don't think any mating went on. I'm unsure on this though.

Then I tried putting the ducklings in once the drake was calmer, and with all of them there, he left them all alone. I however had to cut this short since another duckling refused to go through the gate and was wandering off by himself, and I didn't want him going too far without the rest of his family.

 

[WVduckchick]

Glad things are going ok for the time being.
You could try keeping more than one drake, just remember when they start mating, it could get ugly and you may have to do some separating at that point, or rehome some then. Flock dynamics are all different. I believe the smaller area they have to roam, the more likely fights and overbreeding occurs, but multiple drakes can sometimes be managed. And if your drake and hen weren’t related to begin with, the drake can breed with his daughters, no problem.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Some people with muscovies keep more than one drake, that ratio would work. It all depends on your set up. You might have to separate during the hormonal times. The drake will mate any female - he is not concerned about the familial lineage.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

Glad things are going ok for the time being.
You could try keeping more than one drake, just remember when they start mating, it could get ugly and you may have to do some separating at that point, or rehome some then. Flock dynamics are all different. I believe the smaller area they have to roam, the more likely fights and overbreeding occurs, but multiple drakes can sometimes be managed. And if your drake and hen weren’t related to begin with, the drake can breed with his daughters, no problem.

Me too. And thank you for letting me know; they have a very large area they can roam, so I'm wondering if this would help? I would still probably only keep three drakes tops, unless even that causes problems.

Well, my original drake and hen (the parents) came from the same clutch. So I'm still a little confused on who can breed who?

Some people with muscovies keep more than one drake, that ratio would work. It all depends on your set up. You might have to separate during the hormonal times. The drake will mate any female - he is not concerned about the familial lineage.

Alright, thanks. The area they will all be living in once I have officially reunited my adult drake is pretty big, so they've got plenty of space.

 

[WVduckchick]

Me too. And thank you for letting me know; they have a very large area they can roam, so I'm wondering if this would help? I would still probably only keep three drakes tops, unless even that causes problems.

Well, my original drake and hen (the parents) came from the same clutch. So I'm still a little confused on who can breed who?



Alright, thanks. The area they will all be living in once I have officially reunited my adult drake is pretty big, so they've got plenty of space.

Most people get started breeding by doing it from an original clutch. Breeding parents to offspring is called “line breeding”. I know more about it in chickens, and know it’s ok for a couple generations, but most folks try to bring in different genetics at some point. I am not sure of any issues related to ducks and line breeding, so maybe do some more research on it. Of course, you’ll find many different opinions about it, so dig for a source you think you can trust. I’d check my Storeys Guide, but I’m not at home.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

Most people get started breeding by doing it from an original clutch. Breeding parents to offspring is called “line breeding”. I know more about it in chickens, and know it’s ok for a couple generations, but most folks try to bring in different genetics at some point. I am not sure of any issues related to ducks and line breeding, so maybe do some more research on it. Of course, you’ll find many different opinions about it, so dig for a source you think you can trust. I’d check my Storeys Guide, but I’m not at home.

I see, thanks. I don't want to hatch out the eggs, if I can help it. But the area they live in is pretty big and may be hard to search for nests once they start laying--but I'll be using either golf balls or fake eggs and set something up to hopefully to get them to lay where I can access them.

I'll still research that, though.

 

[WVduckchick]

My Call hens will find a spot to hide that may take me a few days to discover. When i take the eggs, they usually find a new spot! My black Swedish would usually lay in the same spot for a couple weeks, even when I took the eggs daily, then they would move to a new spot for a couple weeks, and rotate.
They also will drop eggs wherever they happen to be walking (or swimming) at the time! Lol

 

[Drake Wrangler]

I've kept brothers and sisters all together for up to a year old and then it gets crazier. So best to prepare for that in advance and find new homes for the extra young drakes while they are more easily manageable for you and the family, also more young/cute looking, and easy for a new owner to become familiar with them or the right time to make the choices of use for them that they acquire them for.
I have a few pairs of drakes that are housed together and I've noticed that the most friendly to each other are the ones that have no line of sight in the hens' pen and also plenty of space. But it could be a breed specific behavior.
Totally agree that adding a few fresh hens on the father drake's side will get him to relax and share the wealth of chasing. What is fun in life without a little chase? The mother hen may do it to test him and he has been getting 'dad fat' and can't keep up eh.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

My Call hens will find a spot to hide that may take me a few days to discover. When i take the eggs, they usually find a new spot! My black Swedish would usually lay in the same spot for a couple weeks, even when I took the eggs daily, then they would move to a new spot for a couple weeks, and rotate.
They also will drop eggs wherever they happen to be walking (or swimming) at the time! Lol

I see. Guess its all up to the hen, lol.

I've kept brothers and sisters all together for up to a year old and then it gets crazier. So best to prepare for that in advance and find new homes for the extra young drakes while they are more easily manageable for you and the family, also more young/cute looking, and easy for a new owner to become familiar with them or the right time to make the choices of use for them that they acquire them for.
I have a few pairs of drakes that are housed together and I've noticed that the most friendly to each other are the ones that have no line of sight in the hens' pen and also plenty of space. But it could be a breed specific behavior.
Totally agree that adding a few fresh hens on the father drake's side will get him to relax and share the wealth of chasing. What is fun in life without a little chase? The mother hen may do it to test him and he has been getting 'dad fat' and can't keep up eh.

Alright. They're about ten/eleven weeks old right now, and they're still pretty sweet. I know I have two friendly boys that would probably go. I found a place on Facebook I'll try to advertise first, unless my mom wants me to do it somewhere else. It seems like it's a little inactive, so I might have to end up trying another place.

My mom will probably tell me no about getting a few new hens, but once we get rid of nine ducks I'm sure I could convince her, hopefully.

Actually this afternoon I took the plunge and let the drake out with the others in the big area. (After introducing first the hen in the small yard, then the babies) I just went outside to check on them, and found the drake just coming up to the female and chasing her around. I can agree with the 'dad fat'. Firefly could barely keep up. I feel bad for Aspen, but at the same time, its kinda funny to see the drake puffing and trying to catch her.