# Ducks: All Male or All Female Flock?



## TaraontheCoast (Mar 24, 2010)

I was going to ask the person I'm getting my ducklings from if she could try to sex my babies before sending them to me, as I was thinking 3 drakes would be ideal. I'm vegan and don't eat eggs, and wouldn't have any use for them.

Then someone mentioned that 3 drakes might be fighting with one another because there wouldn't be a female around to court. Does anyone have experience w/just having drake ducks?

I could find people to give duck eggs to if I ended up with a female, but honestly, the idea of giving away fertilized duck eggs to people to eat feels like it goes against my eating/mindfulness beliefs...At what point does a fertilized embryo get formed? I read somewhere that the babies have eyes at 7 days old in the egg. I would NOT feel comfortable giving those eggs away to be eaten.

Am I better off with trying for all females versus males?


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

First of all, depending on the breed, it may be difficult for whomever you are getting them from to sex them at a very young age. It's not easy for your average poultryman to do with some breeds.
Second, certain breeds of duck will fly where-ever they need to in search of a mate if they aren't provided with one. (Muscovies, mallards, Rouen, etc.) A few won't (Pekins, giants, etc.) 
You can sell the eggs as fertile hatching eggs. Chances are, they wouldn't be eaten, they'd be incubated. (Hatching eggs usually sell for more than eating eggs do.) If they do get eaten, well, you've done all you can within reason. Besides, you shouldn't be selling eggs that have been set on for 7 days to develop to that stage! As with any other egg collection/sales enterprise, you should collect duck eggs every day and hold them in a cool place until you have a sufficient number (a dozen or what have you.) Also, most ducks will lay an egg a day in a nesting site, but won't even begin to incubate them until there is enough of them there (6 to 12 or more, depending on the breed). So, in light of these issues, there would/should be no developing embryo at all in the eggs you sell. If you sell an egg with a 7 day embryo in it, it will likely be dead long before someone tried to crack it into their frying pan. Unless, you collect the eggs daily.
Now, if you have an issue with someone eating a fertile egg that has not yet begun to develop, I'd say you'd be better off with either just drakes, or just ducks. Ducks will give you eggs to sell, but they will be sterile with no drake around, so there's no danger of having anything develop inside the egg.


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## xoxoGOATSxoxo (Jul 29, 2006)

Mmm, I'm not sure if just drakes would fight or not. I dont have enough birds to be a good judge, but whenever I've kept drakes together without any females they dont fight. It's only when there is a hen to fight over. But again, I havent ever had a large enough number of drakes to say that thats what most of them would do. 

What if you tried for three hens? Could you give away all the eggs they produce? What breed are you getting? Some lay A LOT more eggs than others. As a general rule, the meat breeds and bantams lay less. 

Fertilized eggs wont develop without a consistent source of heat, among other things. Even if a hen lays an egg and sits on it for a few hours before you collect it, I dont believe that anything is going on in there yet. You'd probably want to look that up, though to be positively sure, instead of just trusting me. There could very well be some cell-division or something, and I could be completely wrong. But when they are laying a clutch, the hens will sit on the eggs at night, then lay another one in the morning, then go off on their way and come back at night until the day that they think there are enough in the nest. The eggs are fine in between, even though they are kept warm at night and cool in the day. But there may be some development going on, just very slowly and too small to see when we candle the egg. No way would you want to give away 7-day-old incubated eggs (or any age incubated eggs) to eat, since there would definitely be a well-developed embryo (you can see it when you candle the egg, it has eyes and blood vessels and a heartbeat and it moves! ) but 7-day-old un-incubated eggs, kept in the refrigerator (or even at room temperature, but they'd age very quickly - gross) wouldn't have any more of a duckling than a freshly-laid fertilized egg would.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

If you collect eggs every day and keep them chilled, even fertilized eggs will not begin to develop. If you leave eggs a day or two in a hot summer, you might see a teeny bit of blood in an egg, but that's it. I've had some people ask for non-fertilized eggs only because fertilized eggs supposedly 'taste different' - but I'm assuming the taste difference that they associate it with is actually the difference between unfertilized storebought eggs, versus 'usually' fertilized farm fresh eggs.  I often value that the same as when people ask for only brown eggs because they 'taste' better... hehe. 

I would likely keep all hens, as drakes are randy and would likely fight. I assume these will be for just pets, correct?


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## xoxoGOATSxoxo (Jul 29, 2006)

^That's true. It all depends on how many embryo cells you have a problem with being in there. If you feel that even an embryo thats just a few cells more than what it was when it was laid shouldnt be eaten, then you should definitely not produce any fertile eggs and give them away, because there is no way for you to verify that. Unless you're like a cellular biologist or something... maybe?


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## TaraontheCoast (Mar 24, 2010)

Thank you all such much for the thoughtful replies!

Yes, these will be for pets only. I have a lovely organic vegetable garden, a ton of slugs and an obnoxious influx of mosquitoes, and the ducks will be be pest control team. 

Based on what you've all said, it's kind of one of those "I can only do as much as I can do." Unlike goats, who need to be pregnant to produce milk, ducks are going to lay eggs whether there's a drake around or not. I've chosen to buy my ducklings from a small, family farm that has their ducks wandering over 30 acres, because that's important to me. I think that, fertilized or not, I can collect eggs daily and refrigerate them and give them to coworkers/friends.

FYI, the ducks are mutts, a rouen, sweedish and pekin mix, according to the lady I'm getting them from. I don't think there's danger of them flying away?
This is a photo she sent me of some of her flock: 









I'm only getting 3 ducklings. Will it be an issue if I end up with, say, 2 drakes and one duck? Would they fight over her? Would 3 drakes crate a serene "dude" atmosphere, I wonder?


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I have a fair number of ducks. I often separate the drakes out during the spring because I have a few too many for the number of ducks I have - even though I have a lot more ducks than drakes. Most drakes that are raised together establish a flock dominance and are fine, esp. when they are separated from the girls. Sometimes they chase each other around and pull a few feathers. I had one fight that ended in blood, I culled the aggressive drake. It's going to be hard to be sure they are sexed, it takes and expert with day old ducks. I don't do it myself, except for certain crosses that give me sex linked colors and the like. 

If you do have a choice, three girls will be cute and easy to get along with. Three drakes ought to do well too - generally I wouldn't expect problems if they are raised together. Getting three babies is a very good idea, ducks are unhappy by themselves and something could happen to one of them. In your position, I'd go for three drakes, they should be fine together and that mix of breeds likely won't fly. The nice thing is that extra drakes are often butchered, you'd probably be prolonging their lives. Extra ducks are usually kept or found homes for as their eggs are valuable. I wouldn't hesitate to take drakes myself. Those are larger breeds too and they are usually more mellow than the smaller ones.

Edit: what you would have a problem with is a mixed flock to be honest. One drake and two hens would probably be fine, the other way you'd have to do something, they would fight and they would breed her too much.


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## TaraontheCoast (Mar 24, 2010)

GrannyCarol, thanks again for your wisdom. The lady said she'd try and sex them, so we shall see...I'll try and be zen about what arrives on my doorstep


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## xoxoGOATSxoxo (Jul 29, 2006)

Not much danger of them flying away, with those breeds.  They might be able to fly over a three or four foot fence if they are really strong and have an inclination to, but the majority wont be able to get over that. Especially if they are happy where they are. 

They are nice-looking ducks!  

Two drakes and a hen is no good.


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## TaraontheCoast (Mar 24, 2010)

xoxoGOATSxoxo said:


> Not much danger of them flying away, with those breeds.  They might be able to fly over a three or four foot fence if they are really strong and have an inclination to, but the majority wont be able to get over that. Especially if they are happy where they are.
> 
> They are nice-looking ducks!
> 
> Two drakes and a hen is no good.


The fence is quite high, maybe 7-8 feet?

Hm...that's not good. If the lady I'm buying them from can't sex them then I might end up some kind of uneven combination of the genders. 

Man, why does buying ducks this way (i.e. locating some humanely raised, naturally hatched) have to be so darn HARD?


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

If I were you, I'd get more than 3. You may loose one or two in the raising - accidents happen. Or, you might loose some to predators. Then, if you have extra drakes, just give them away.

Another option might be to get ducklings from the owner, and ask to return any extras you have; that way, she profits because you're paying for feed to raise, while you' benefit because you get to choose males/females and how many you want. 

Are you anywhere near MI? If so, I have muscovy ducklings hatching now! 14, most currently pipped - momma is talking to them constantly.  I have another on 17 due 5/6, and another that just started to set a couple days ago on 23 - due 5/31.


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## xoxoGOATSxoxo (Jul 29, 2006)

Could you get more from her and then sell back or just sell the extras? Or could you wait until they are a little older and its easier to tell whats what?


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## TaraontheCoast (Mar 24, 2010)

mygoat said:


> If I were you, I'd get more than 3. You may loose one or two in the raising - accidents happen. Or, you might loose some to predators. Then, if you have extra drakes, just give them away.
> 
> Another option might be to get ducklings from the owner, and ask to return any extras you have; that way, she profits because you're paying for feed to raise, while you' benefit because you get to choose males/females and how many you want.


That's a good point, but she's located in PA and she's shipping to me in CA. I'd hate to ship the adults back, and I'm not sure if I could give them to someone local.

I'm honestly not picky about breed, as far as what I'm getting, but I haven't been able to find any local that aren't shipped from big commercial hatcheries.

The garden, I think, is too small to accommodate more than 3 full grown ducks.

The reason I want day-olds is because they're first and foremost pets, and I want to bond with them, and get them used to my dogs and vice versa.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I've had a disproportionate number of drakes, and they got along just fine.

Now, I have Mr. Bill Drake and 6 hens. 

My hens are Khaki Campbell, Welsh Harlequin, and Pekin. None of them has ever attempted to fly. Heck, the thought probably never even entered their minds. 

Bill, OTOH, does like to stretch his wings on occasion. So he waddles over to me and pecks my feet to indicate that it is now time to pick him up and gently toss his feathered fanny into the air. 

He flies. He lands, more or less. Sometimes, he skids on his breast and beak. LOL!

But none of my ducks have ever tried to fly off on their own.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Some of mine are flying mallard crossed with runner. Man, can they ever fly! OTOH, the breeds you are getting are pretty easy to keep in.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Pony said:


> My hens are Khaki Campbell...... None of them has ever attempted to fly. Heck, the thought probably never even entered their minds.
> 
> Bill, OTOH, does like to stretch his wings on occasion. So he waddles over to me and pecks my feet to indicate that it is now time to pick him up and gently toss his feathered fanny into the air.
> 
> ...


LOL,ours go down the steps with all the trappings of a bowling ball,flying is NOT an issue with our KC ducks,LOL!


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

My Khaki drake is quite a good flier for a domestic duck. He can get 3 - 4' in the air and fly about 10'. He is quite capable of getting over the 3' gate between his yard and the larger yard, which explains why he's in with the girls and most of the other drakes aren't! That is the only time he's ever flown over a fence - in the spring when there are girls on the other side! He can even land, but he's had six years practice.


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

I have to say.... it sounds like you plan to let them into your garden? I hate to tell you, but they won't just eat the bugs. They'll strip your greens down to stems. I was amazed at the damage my own three did in literal seconds, as I was right behind them shooing them on.


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## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

If you get three hens don't be surprised if one day a drake falls out of the sky and stays with them. In other words, a mallard drake will inevitably show up with three loud hens quacking.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

jen74145 said:


> I have to say.... it sounds like you plan to let them into your garden? I hate to tell you, but they won't just eat the bugs. They'll strip your greens down to stems. I was amazed at the damage my own three did in literal seconds, as I was right behind them shooing them on.


 How timely that I read this just as I came back in from chastising my happy little flock for eating the leaves off my brand new Elberta Peach trees. 

No, the ducks aren't that good at jumping, but the trees are still in the pots waiting to be planted, the wind blew them over (it's particularly breezy today), and those fowl [sic] feathered fiends were decimating the leaves.

Oy.

If they weren't so darned cute, they'd be on their way to a new suit of white freezer paper...


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## mayfair (May 7, 2006)

I have three drakes and the two raised together get along. The old guy and one of the young ones (his son) have epic battles.

The main problem is they try to mate with the chickens and bloody their combs, so no drakes are allowed to free range in the spring. They are in duck jail. I have Khaki Campbells and the drakes are excellent fliers. I have to keep them in an enclosed duck tractor.

And yes, they destroy the garden. I let them in during the winter and before planting.


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