Drake agression

[BasilF]

I keep a trio of Aylesburys and a trio of Campbells in a 12m x 12m enclosure. They are all about a year old. Up until March they were together and getting on fine but I separated them for the breeding season. How I have enough fertile eggs I have removed the barrier but have problems with the drakes being very aggressive to the females of the other variety. This has been going on for about three weeks and is effecting their laying.

Should I separate out one or both drakes. I'm inclined to move both drakes into my 12ft x 6ft cage and let them sort it out without disturbing the ducks. I can't divide the 12m enclose again because that length of electric poultry netting is now housing the ducklings.

 

[Anonymous]

It's so difficult. I ended up getting rid of my drakes as caused too much damage to my girls, dislocated legs, bald heads etc, and i didnt have enough space to get more girls to entertain them a bit more! If i want ducklings now I just buy eggs, and the money i use to buy eggs is from the eggs i sell from my girls for consumption.

When I had my drakes, i used to just keepe them seperate from females at all times, just alllowing them to go in once a week for a few hours to do their business!

 

[BasilF]

I'm begining to think along the same lines. Why do I keep two drakes that cause a lot of trouble and that I only need for two months of each year? Wouldn't it be simpler to eat the current two and buy two new ones next spring? Decent drakes seem to be available in the spring for £15 to £20 and they will certainly eat more than £20 of food each between now and next March. The new drakes can do their stuff (with the two breeds I keep separated) for a couple of months and then provide several good meals and I come out ahead both financially and on aggravation.

Anyone else got any thoughts?