Last spring I bought two Campbell Khaki ducklings and put them in with my small flock of laying hens of several different breeds. They proved to be a pair and it was cute to watch their courtship and mating as they grew up. During the winter, an owl invaded the pen and killed the hen duck. At first the drake grieved so hard he would barely eat, but as this spring came on, his natural instincts reasserted themselves. He began to go after the hens, preferring the dark-colored ones that most resembled his mate. And he has been getting them, too! Exactly the same way he did his wife, except that they would not get into the small tub of water provided for him. I have photos to prove this. The only way they can escape him is by going into the coop where he will not follow. So far, no harm has been done that I can see, but I am wondering whether it's time to put this drake into the oven. For various reasons I don't wish to obtain more ducks.

You can boo if you want to, but the local wild life has to eat to survive too, owls, hawks, foxes, coyotes would all benefit from a healthy meal of duck. I know it sounds cold-hearted, but remember that natures balance depends on the predators survival as well as animals who rank lower on the food chain. And a (formerly) pampered pet would be easy game to a predator. "Fish gotta swim, birds gotta eat," - the helpful pelecan in 'Finding Nemo'. I don't think eye pecking is a mating ritual, it's aberrant behavior probably brought on by overcrowding and possibly by competition among the males. If releasing them into the wild is cruel, why don't you think allowing them to peck the eyes out of the females is cruel? I bet those female ducks would agree with me, if they had a vote on the issue. Cheryl

I hate to jump in the tail end of a thread, but nobody has mentioned the white neck ring. My Rouens generally get the neck ring after first molt, before the green head or the curl on the tail. I've never had a hen with a neck ring, but that could be the cross breeding, I guess. Still, I'd vote drake. Please let us know how it turns out.

Just put up test patches of White Duck in our kitchen/dining area--8 1/2 foot ceilings and not a ton of natural light--and it's looking too brown to me. Does anyone have a suggestion that's a similar LRV (mid-70s) but ever-so-slightly more gray? Green undertones are ok--trying to avoid pink or orange undertones.