Female Bullying Male?

[Procyron]

I've never seen anything like this, but I have had some setbacks this year with my flock and now have two Indian runner males and one Welsh harlequin female. I'm trying to rehome one of the males, but in the meantime, the female chases around the more timid male and gets jealous/angry anytime he hides behind the alpha. The males get along great, both are very mild-tempered, but the female is a biter. She's really nice to humans, and she handles being picked up really well, but she's terrorizing this poor guy. I heard spraying cologne on the victim would discourage the perpetrator, but that doesn't work. And the runner is so timid around people, he'd rather be bitten by her than be near me, and if I take him away, both males starts making crying noises. When I take the female out, both alpha male and female start making noises--the female is an extremely loud quacker. I did try separating her for a bit anyways, but at night I have to put them all together because it's so cold out. The male doesn't have any injuries yet, but I know the female is capable of real damage, since she damaged her own sister's eye this summer, and it took forever to nurse her back to health.

All the ducks are under a year old. The bully and the bullied were both acquired as adults. I don't know why one is so shy--if he'd just bite her back, I'm sure she'd stop--and why the other is so aggressive.The only normal one in the flock is the one I raised from a baby.

1. Has anyone else had this happen? I thought females were supposed to be the least aggressive of the species, and that Welsh Harlequins are supposed to be mild-mannered?

2. Has anyone ever successfully trained a duck to stop biting?

 

[sourland]

It sounds as if she does not want him near the drake that she has picked as her mate. Some hens are just as 'protective' of their drakes as most drakes are of their hens. Separation and eventual rehoming of the timid male would be the best solution.

 

[Procyron]

It sounds as if she does not want him near the drake that she has picked as her mate. Some hens are just as 'protective' of their drakes as most drakes are of their hens. Separation and eventual rehoming of the timid male would be the best solution.

Thanks. I hope that's how it works out--the poor little guy deserves a good home with ducks that will love him. But despite being gorgeous, my Welsh doesn't lay eggs. So I'm definitely getting others who will behave more normally, and I WILL figure out a way to get Juliet to play nice with others. Somehow. I just don't know yet...