Both gender Ducks???

[dadaas]

Is this possible? I am going crazy over here. My male duck or at least i have think this duck is male is now seating on the eggs. OK, no problem, i probably made a mistake.

BUT

My biggest duck, and I only have 4 of them, 2 Indian runners, one Sweddish small duck and one BIG duck. I am talking about this big duck. That is the same duck that had problems last year by not being able to walk. She raised one duck so far, that means she was seating on the eggs. I had her seating on the eggs 2 times. Once she was sucesful and raised one duck the other we made mistake by having water supply on the ground and poor ducklings drown.

ANYWAY

That BIG duck is now humping Indian runners. Can someone explain to me what is going on? How come a Fermale duck who was laying eggs is now humping other ducks? Situation in my backyard is going crazy!!!

I need explanation or I am having weird ducks?

 

[eggbert420]

That's how they show dominance.

 

[dadaas]

Isnt that mating? It appeared like the bottom duck take a position so the big duck can easy get on her and that weird humping. And i m 1000% sure big duck is female because she was seating on the eggs 2 times and if she was seating then she probably lay them too?

 

[Ducks4us]

No actual mating is taking place. But a less dominant duck wil squat for a dominant duck even if it is another female
Because even without a male they gave a "pecking order" . Not as crazy as chickens pecking order, but still a top duck in the flock and the other will submit

 

[dadaas]

I see, so i can be sure that out of 4 i have 3 females? 1 is seating on eggs, that big duck for which i m 100% sure is female and the one on who did she hump. So best case scenario is i have 1 male Indian runner duck, worst case scenario my backyard is packed with female ducks and no new babies will come.

But is it possible that duck is seating on eggs that are not fertile?

 

[Ducks4us]

Cant be sure on the rest . Do you have good photos?
Male ducks have much different coloring than females in most breeds.
They also have a curly tail feather
And girls quack loud and males have a quiet froggy / raspy voice

 

[Ducks4us]

And yes ducks and chickens will sit on eggs even if they are not fertile

 

[dadaas]

How long will they seat on eggs if they are not fertile? I mean if there is no male in my backyard then those eggs cant be fertile. And now i know at least 3 of 4 ducks are females and the last one does not look like male to me, but i was wrong before with this kind of estimations.

So for how olng will she seat before she gives up?

Last time one of my ducks were seating so long on the eggs that she forgot to walk, I needed to add special food to make her walk again.

 

[Ducks4us]

Hopefully some one else will have some advice on how to break a broody duck.
I have heard of some sitting for months.
Which is really bad for their health.
I know how to break a chicken of it but not a duck.
I guess if it was me( i have no experience with a broody duck) i would keep taking away the eggs and messing up the nest. And taking her off when you see her go back.
Also I would google " how to break a broody duck"