how to get him to stop attacking me!

[Miss Lydia]

I wouldn't say they "broke" him.
They raised him with a lot of love and care, yes he imprinted, probably before they knew it was a drake and before they knew he would behave this way. Plenty of people don't realise what imprinting does to an animal longterm

Sometimes it ends okay, sometimes it doesn't. I'm sure this is a lesson learned for OP, and they don't need such a harsh response.

Instead of giving them one, how about you explain *how* to "fix" him.

 

[quackkquack_]

I wouldn't say they "broke" him.
They raised him with a lot of love and care, yes he imprinted, probably before they knew it was a drake and before they knew he would behave this way. Plenty of people don't realise what imprinting does to an animal longterm

Sometimes it ends okay, sometimes it doesn't. I'm sure this is a lesson learned for OP, and they don't need such a harsh response.

Instead of giving them one, how about you explain *how* to "fix" him.

Yeah I dunno how I would've "broken" him.. I had hatched Newt and Buzzard to raise them as pets, I didn't know if either of them would be drakes and I wouldn't dare to try and vent sex them since I don't trust myself doing that lol.

EDIT:
When Buzzard was a duckling, he seemed fine on his own so I didn't give him much attention, he "temporarily" imprinted on a stuffed animal I gave him since I didn't have time to give him as much attention as I gave Newt when she was younger (because of school) so I would hangout with him every now and then but when he started getting bigger (still didn't know his gender by then), he kinda seemed depressed and lonely and since they are flock animals and he was still too small to be with Newt I would hangout with him until he got big enough and him and Newt went together so yeah.
I don't think he imprinted on me right away, I think it was at the point he started to get lonely and since I would hangout with him he imprinted then I assume?

 

[ruthhope]

Yeah I dunno how I would've "broken" him.. I had hatched Newt and Buzzard to raise them as pets, I didn't know if either of them would be drakes and I wouldn't dare to try and vent sex them since I don't trust myself doing that lol.

EDIT:
When Buzzard was a duckling, he seemed fine on his own so I didn't give him much attention, he "temporarily" imprinted on a stuffed animal I gave him since I didn't have time to give him as much attention as I gave Newt when she was younger (because of school) so I would hangout with him every now and then but when he started getting bigger (still didn't know his gender by then), he kinda seemed depressed and lonely and since they are flock animals and he was still too small to be with Newt I would hangout with him until he got big enough and him and Newt went together so yeah.
I don't think he imprinted on me right away, I think it was at the point he started to get lonely and since I would hangout with him he imprinted then I assume?

I dont think he imprinted on you, @quackkquack_ Imprinting occurs soon after hatching -- certainly within 2 days. I think he bonded with you. My Daffy came to me at 2-3 days old having been found in a parking lot alone in a rainstorm and in danger of being washed down a drain. His original rescuer tried to raise him but he stopped eating and drinking and was on the verge of death when he came to me. Daffy is tightly bonded with me. At 4 weeks old he followed me wherever I went. At 7 weeks old I got him 2 ducky friends and all seemed to be well with them. Daffy still comes when I call him and follows me round the garden. He has taken to biting my ankles demanding attention. Last year and prior when he was a duckling, he played nibbly nibbly and I let him. Now it's Bitey Bitey and I don't like it. But he still does it. Drakes are unpredictable in how they will respond to hand raising. It's not you, @quackkquack_ its just the way they are. You did and are doing your best for him

 

[ruthhope]

If you do not hand raise and allow to imprint they won’t be rapey and aggressive towards humans. This is what happens when you allow drakes as ducklings to imprint. I have never once had a drake attack me and I don’t allow them to imprint. I love my ducks, but I do not allow them to see me as a flock member because I am not one.

Edit: I just wanted to add that I’m not saying every hand raised drake will be human aggressive. What I am saying is the only cases I have seen where a drake is human aggressive the drake was hand raised/imprinted.

I did not hand raise my problem drake -- O Pato. He is a rescued muscovy who came to me at about 7 weeks old having been raised in a brooder with lots of other rescued muscovy ducklings. He was mellow for his first 6 months and then became "psychotic" with his first spring hormone surge. I have written elsewhere how I addressed his violent attacks on me, and this year he is a lamb. He has only forgotten his manners once. Who knows why he was so violent last spring. I don't. Maybe he had post traumatic stress from his life before rescue.

I am glad I persisted with him. He's a handsome boy and is tightlyly bonded with my special needs crested pekin drake. I can't explain that either!

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

If you do not hand raise and allow to imprint they won’t be rapey and aggressive towards humans. This is what happens when you allow drakes as ducklings to imprint. I have never once had a drake attack me and I don’t allow them to imprint. I love my ducks, but I do not allow them to see me as a flock member because I am not one.

Edit: I just wanted to add that I’m not saying every hand raised drake will be human aggressive. What I am saying is the only cases I have seen where a drake is human aggressive the drake was hand raised/imprinted.

I 100% agree with what you said
I have had 5 drakes now 4 as my brother needed a drake
I spoiled 2 of them when little and both imprinted on me
Needless to say those two will at times bite my toes not always but they do
The other 3 drakes didn’t imprint and never ever act like this
My brother got one of my nice ones

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

You raised and treated him like a human , what do you think is going though that animals mind. If one of your family member (brother/uncle) would be doing that, what would you call it. You broke him and now you have to fix him

My boys aren’t broken
Maybe spoiled anc well loved
Giving a duckling attention isn’t treating them like a human it’s just making sure they don’t feel alone
Ducklings do much better with attention until you can get them a friend or till they grow big enough to join the bigger crew

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

last year was worse then this year with my two drakes who bite my toes
I tried many things
Time out
Pinning them down
Picking them up and cuddling
The picking them up worked the best. They never bite me when held
This year it’s much less then last
I wouldn’t dare wear sandals this year I’m wearing my sandals again
I did find if I walked around with a blue pool noodle they would look the other way
So I cut it down so I could carry it in my back pocket and it still worked
I would pull it out and off they go
I have never had to touch them with it but use to guide them in at night with them
Maybe they were scared I would put them to bed early
The two boys that do this are the ones I gave lots of attention to when little
The other 3 boys never act like this
They are also the first two to run over to say hi when I come out and don’t run away when I go to pick them up

 

[quackkquack_]

I went to go see Buzzard and Newt just a bit ago. Of course right as I walk in, hes on my shoes and biting at my pants. Didn't hurt though.
I sat down and I tossed him in the pool. He didn't jump out like he usually does and just swam around. I cuddled Newt for a bit before she got in the pool and they just swam around, nipping at each other and scaring each other a bit.
Also, Newt does this thing where she kinda vibrates her head forward and almost like jumps on Buzzard? I think it's to assert dominance or to tell him to back off, not entirely sure, shes always does it though.
But besides that, I stood up to leave and when I do that, he'll jump out of the pool and start trying to get my shoes but this time he didn't!
When I walk around their enclosure or even near it, he'll jump out of the pool and rush to wherever I am and try to get me through the wiring but again this time he didn't.
Hes so unpredictable, one moment he'll be fine and the next he wants to mate with me.. most of the time its the second one though lol.