3 Month Old Female Welsh Harlequin is biting and attacking...help!

[mive16211]

I have a 3 month old female welsh harlequin that is biting and and attacking not only me but others too. She is with a male blue swedish and a male cayuga. I have noticed that she has kind of become alpha of the group. When you get close to her or are trying to round them all up to go into their pen, you can noticably see her head shake (vibrate) then she turns and comes running towards you beak open. I stand up to her, but the little kids when they are trying to play with them gets super scared of her and runs away. The males havent done it, but I want to try to get her to stop, before the males start, and someone gets hurt. Does anyone have any suggestions of what to do with her to try to get her to stop? I'd really appreciate it any suggestions of how to help.

 

[Amiga]

Is it possible she's going broody? Do the males mate with her too much?

 

[mive16211]

I keep a close eye on them while they are in the water. They play around with each other, but i havent ever seen them mate. So i dont think thats the problem. Could it be a hormonal problem?

 

[Amiga]

I keep a close eye on them while they are in the water. They play around with each other, but i havent ever seen them mate. So i dont think thats the problem. Could it be a hormonal problem?

Yes, hormones are often behind their more agitated behavior. Maybe a timeout away from the kids for a few days would help.

Also, if she has a favorite treat, you might see if that helps.

 

[mive16211]

Okay I will try to keep her away from the kids. But is there any actions or solutions to this problem? If its hormonal will she grow out of it? If its not I may not be able to keep her, but don't know what I'd do with her if I have to give her away. She seems to get "annoyed" with the kids, and thats when she attacks. My males are sweet, its only her that I'm having a problem with. I'd separate her from the males but they are all very imprinted on each other, and do not like to be separated. Its just getting to the point that even I am getting scared of her. Putting my hand anywhere near her, her head starts vibrating and she opens her beak ready to bite me, while my males just sit and watch. I need to know if someone else has had this problem and has been able to resolve it. This is my first time raising ducks, and I'm kind of at a lose for what to do with her.

 

[Cherib603]

Stand your ground with her.
Like I tell my parrots if they get nippy - "I'm the boss, applesauce!" And "act" brave, lol. Tell her "No!" loudy and take a step toward her at the same time. She is trying to train YOU. "If I come at them with my mouth open, they'll back up and leave me alone!"
If you don't back down, she'll get the point.

 

[Amiga]

Okay I will try to keep her away from the kids. But is there any actions or solutions to this problem? If its hormonal will she grow out of it? If its not I may not be able to keep her, but don't know what I'd do with her if I have to give her away. She seems to get "annoyed" with the kids, and thats when she attacks. My males are sweet, its only her that I'm having a problem with. I'd separate her from the males but they are all very imprinted on each other, and do not like to be separated. Its just getting to the point that even I am getting scared of her. Putting my hand anywhere near her, her head starts vibrating and she opens her beak ready to bite me, while my males just sit and watch. I need to know if someone else has had this problem and has been able to resolve it. This is my first time raising ducks, and I'm kind of at a lose for what to do with her.

It is probably hormonal. I would still divide their night shelter with temporary poultry fence and have her on one side and the males on the other, and they can see each other, even lie down next to each other. I am concerned she may be experiencing some mating pressure from them, and be getting very anxious even if you don't notice the mating behavior. That could be the case if they are jumping on her all night. Do you have a recent photograph of her that shows the back of her neck?

 

[mive16211]

I dont but i can take a photo and post it.

 

[mive16211]

I got a couple photos of her neck. Let me know any other suggestions. Thank you!

 

[mive16211]

Hi-
So I have 3 ducks 1 female, and 2 males, that were born around May 4th, 2016. I've been having a problem with my female for about a month now with hormonal issues, and we're working through that. But recently I have noticed that whenever there is a puddle or an open body of water, one of my males starts communicating to my female that he wants to mate, and she more times than not will get flat willingly and let him mate with her. My other male seems to care less to mate until the other two start mating then he wants to get involved. Now saying that up until today, it hasn't been a full-on mating, it's been more "practicing" like instinct is taking over but they aren't really sure what to do. Today however I was cleaning the area they live in, and there was a puddle and my male started communicating to my female to mate, and she accepted, and this time when I went to separate them I saw his penis. Now I'm telling you this because I have yet to see her lay any eggs, but if and when she does I don't have the right equipment to have ducklings. I try my best to make sure there is no open water for them and separate them when they do start to mate because again I can't have ducklings right now . So my question is, should I be worried about her laying eggs that are fertilized, or is she too young for that? If I should be worried, what do you suggest I do, to try my best not to have ducklings on my hands till I have the right equipment? Sorry if this was all a little too much detail, I just wanted to add what I know and saw so that I could get the best answer possible to my problem. So, if you have an answer for me, that you think could help, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!