Duck Flock Inbreeding

Something I have never seen talked about when it comes to pet ducks, flocks and owners is duck flock inbreeding. So here is my big opportunity.

Like Rabbits

It is actually a very real thing to consider if you choose to have a male/female mix in your flock. Ducks are like rabbits. In fact if you have ducks, I can guarantee there will be a lot of duck sex, especially in the spring. It’s a rather seasonal thing.

For 6 months they more or less ignore each other in that category. Okay maybe a bit of flirting as they size each other up as mate material. Then the other six months … like rabbits. Of course eggs result instead, which you can choose to eat. Once a number of eggs are laid in a nest, generally about 8, the female duck will sit and brood. Next thing you know, all being well, and you have ducklings. And the cycle starts all over again. It is the animal kingdom at it’s most natural.

Family Ties

But in the duck world, once a duckling fledges there is no more ‘hey you are my sister’, or ‘mother’ or ‘uncle’. It’s about procreation, so any duck is fair game (as it were). Unlike in the wild, where males will often go off to find females in other flocks and thus lessening duck flock inbreeding, in an enclosed flock there isn’t this luxury.

If you have ‘brother and sister’ ducklings, they will grow up to be ‘husband and wife’. Relations and generations mean nothing, it is all about survival of the fittest. So if a female duck is particularly procreative, most of the males will vie for her attention no matter the relationship. And possibly take, even when not mated with her.

Ratios

Ratio of males to females is also important. Ducks don’t mate for life, though they do show preferences to one particular duck. They also are the only bird species that rapes. If you have many males they will even gang up on a singular female and potentially harm her, even sometimes kill her (though it is not the intention). It’s a lust frenzy sort of thing.

In my own flock I am continuously fighting duck flock inbreeding. I started off with Maggie. Then brought in 3 siblings, 1 female, 2 males, to party and hang out with her. Sadly then they disappeared (buzzards I think), but not before Maggie took to brooding and sitting on a nest. Of 19 eggs! Very procreative.

13 of her eggs duly hatched and after they fledged I sent most of them off to new homes. I kept 4 of her ducklings; Sir Studly, Sunny, Tequila and Beepbeep, eg 1 male for 4 females a reasonably good ratio. Except they were all related.

Flock Inbreeding

The following year, when it came nesting time, only 1 duckling survived. George. Maggie killed all her others. I think they were probably not seen as ‘fit’, at least by Maggie. George lived to tell the tale and stuck himself like velcro to Maggie. This was weird, in the duck world.

Excepting one, none of the eggs that Maggie and George had worked on have ever lived, either to hatch or a few days past hatching. That’s inbreeding. The only one that did survive was a choice by me to save it, as Maggie tried to kill it. It had niacin deficiency, and because it required focused attention to recover it imprinted on me and I became mother instead of Maggie.

Time Tells

There is a definite lessening of the quantity of eggs a female lays as she gets older. Maggie’s first spring, though not necessarily her first nest, was very prolific in eggs and thus ducklings. And from that point it lessened in terms of the numbers that hatched. So it’s part age of the mother that affects the ducklings ability to live. The other part is how inter-related the mum and dad are.

George was Maggie’s son, but was also the son of her other son from the year before. So we are talking two levels of inbreeding. When you think on it, if ducks are a primary example (and they are) of survival of the fittest, then it makes sense that the more levels of inbreeding the less likely is the viability of the possible duckling.

A New Introduction

So in my flock I introduced Louis, a white call duck. He always had a passion for Maggie, but George worked hard at deterring him. Still now and then he had his way. Well, maybe more often than less. One year most of my ducklings were very obviously offspring of Louis. Some were a piebald mix of white and mallard. Others were simply lighter, greyer versions of mallards.

With only 1 male duck that was not related, and all the other males related, to my females, it was very definitely time to get in some outside blood. A quirky duck fact, the females can actually in a sense reject or at least stop sperm from unwanted males during copulation. Turns out my ducks were more inclined to keep Louis’s offerings, even over their mates. Natures survival of the fittest mode at work.

A Healthy Flock

Now my flocks health can’t all hang on Louis’s abilities. I went on the search in consequence for more female call ducks. They were my preference as they are somewhat quieter, and definitely sweeter in temperament than mallard females. Something that overall will be good for the flock. And I can’t discount they are really beautiful and make pretty pretty ducklings. Also my flock is of the dwarf, or mignon here in France, variety. That is they are smaller than most other ducks. Bringing in larger ducks is not possible as, well, there is certain level of geometry needed in the male reaching certain female parts.

By bringing in non related ducks now and then to my flock I won’t have to deal with duck flock inbreeding. Result! I do let them brood and hatch eggs, but with no intention of keeping any of the ducklings. My flock should therefore remain healthy going forward. Fingers (or is that wings?) crossed.

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