BlessedChaosHomestead
Songster
Meet Vanilla, a year old fawn runner drake.
He's king of the duck world in the flock. Granted he's the only drake now and only has one female, Chocolate, but don't let that distract you. He used to have to vie for her attention. Had to fight his friends to prove he was the big drake. But that's over now.
Life was good in the coop. He spends his days lounging in the pool, foraging through the mud with his girl, chasing away Sir Bites-A-Lot, the disgusting rooster anytime he gets a bit too close- to whatever that might be currently. And the same goes for Sir Bites' harem.
All seemed perfect.
Then they showed up. Throwing his well organized life into a tizzy.
Biscuit, Chicken, and Gravy; 3 runners that could have been his off spring. Colored perfectly like him.
And that's when the life became horrible.
Jail. Solitary confinement. Supervised free time.
All because he can't keep his "wings" to himself so to speak. Or should I say "Quack"?
After some time, freedom has been extended; prison sentence has lessened.
Biscuit has accepted him and he has accepted her. So now he's real big drake of the run.
You'd think that'd make him happy right?
No. He's miserable.
Miserable & will ignore his girls all because in the back coop, away from view sit her two brothers. Even though he can't see them, he knows they're there. So he will pace in front of their door. Rasping his "bwak" over and over.
After a few minutes, he will make his way back to his girls. Strutting like he's big stuff; shooing off Sir Bites because he was too close, once again.
Just when he didn't think he could get more miserable and misunderstood; it happened, though.
In his run, he not only has the two brothers he can't touch, but now running freely, while he has to be supervised is 4 other young ladies.
All who he thinks desperately needs to meet him & love him. When in reality, they are disgusted and fear him.
He paced their cage like a crazed, predatory creep last night, running his bill across the fencing. Until he'd get reprimanded.
Again, leaving his mate to be a vile hormone driven creature.
His prison sentence has been extended due to violation of his probation this afternoon.
He has to just watch from his cell window at night, while the girls enjoy their freedom instead of them being in the cage.
"Life is sooo not fair for a drake in this world!" is his thoughts.
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Ok so now that you have the gist of the story. I'd like to ask some questions.
I know drakes are all hormonal. They use submission to rule as high dominant one. I know they can kill hens overmating or other drakes in fights.
But my biggest question is: Is this normal?
Is it normal that he will not mate with Chockie, even when she's willing & will instead chase & mount Biscuit? Or if her bro's are out, one of them.
He will ignore the females to go after her brothers. They're not even mature drakes; only 12-13wks.
He ignored Chockie tonight, several times but was dead set on assaulting the new group. He got his "hands" on one of the Welsh Harlequins two times. Each time we'd jerk him up before he'd do anything.
He's a conniving jerk honestly. lol He's not dumb at all, he knows I will stop him. He waits till I get busy with a chicken or Chockie, as I stand in the run to watch him & then will beeline over to the group. They can be across the pen a bit but doesn't stop him.
Last night he would wait till I step out of the coop, then he'd go harass them in the cage.
I know we can't anthropomorphize them but it's a bit hard when he's dead set on basically assaulting any of them. lol Especially knowing that he knows he's wrong.
It's also not fair he does have to spend his days locked up but he can't be hurting the youngers either. So it's his fault there. lol
Advice welcome.
He's king of the duck world in the flock. Granted he's the only drake now and only has one female, Chocolate, but don't let that distract you. He used to have to vie for her attention. Had to fight his friends to prove he was the big drake. But that's over now.
Life was good in the coop. He spends his days lounging in the pool, foraging through the mud with his girl, chasing away Sir Bites-A-Lot, the disgusting rooster anytime he gets a bit too close- to whatever that might be currently. And the same goes for Sir Bites' harem.
All seemed perfect.
Then they showed up. Throwing his well organized life into a tizzy.
Biscuit, Chicken, and Gravy; 3 runners that could have been his off spring. Colored perfectly like him.
And that's when the life became horrible.
Jail. Solitary confinement. Supervised free time.
All because he can't keep his "wings" to himself so to speak. Or should I say "Quack"?
After some time, freedom has been extended; prison sentence has lessened.
Biscuit has accepted him and he has accepted her. So now he's real big drake of the run.
You'd think that'd make him happy right?
No. He's miserable.
Miserable & will ignore his girls all because in the back coop, away from view sit her two brothers. Even though he can't see them, he knows they're there. So he will pace in front of their door. Rasping his "bwak" over and over.
After a few minutes, he will make his way back to his girls. Strutting like he's big stuff; shooing off Sir Bites because he was too close, once again.
Just when he didn't think he could get more miserable and misunderstood; it happened, though.
In his run, he not only has the two brothers he can't touch, but now running freely, while he has to be supervised is 4 other young ladies.
All who he thinks desperately needs to meet him & love him. When in reality, they are disgusted and fear him.
He paced their cage like a crazed, predatory creep last night, running his bill across the fencing. Until he'd get reprimanded.
Again, leaving his mate to be a vile hormone driven creature.
His prison sentence has been extended due to violation of his probation this afternoon.
He has to just watch from his cell window at night, while the girls enjoy their freedom instead of them being in the cage.
"Life is sooo not fair for a drake in this world!" is his thoughts.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ok so now that you have the gist of the story. I'd like to ask some questions.
I know drakes are all hormonal. They use submission to rule as high dominant one. I know they can kill hens overmating or other drakes in fights.
But my biggest question is: Is this normal?
Is it normal that he will not mate with Chockie, even when she's willing & will instead chase & mount Biscuit? Or if her bro's are out, one of them.
He will ignore the females to go after her brothers. They're not even mature drakes; only 12-13wks.
He ignored Chockie tonight, several times but was dead set on assaulting the new group. He got his "hands" on one of the Welsh Harlequins two times. Each time we'd jerk him up before he'd do anything.
He's a conniving jerk honestly. lol He's not dumb at all, he knows I will stop him. He waits till I get busy with a chicken or Chockie, as I stand in the run to watch him & then will beeline over to the group. They can be across the pen a bit but doesn't stop him.
Last night he would wait till I step out of the coop, then he'd go harass them in the cage.
I know we can't anthropomorphize them but it's a bit hard when he's dead set on basically assaulting any of them. lol Especially knowing that he knows he's wrong.
It's also not fair he does have to spend his days locked up but he can't be hurting the youngers either. So it's his fault there. lol
Advice welcome.
