Aggressive Male Runner Duck

[Doveberry]

We have 4 runners, 2 male and 2 female that are a little over a year old. The females hatched four babies in late july. The babies are getting bg, however now there is a male from the original 4 that is getting MEAN and Aggressive chasing the ducklings non stop and pecking their heads and backs, trying to keep them from the food. I don't want to have to remove this male, any suggestions????

 

[Amiga]

You may need to declare a time out for someone before the littles get hurt. It is a pain in the neck, but losing a baby to an aggressive adult can be devastating for us, deadly for them.

I would give the babies an area where the aggressive male cannot go to. Use some fencing that they can get through and he cannot, if possible.

 

[Doveberry]

That would isolate the ducklings away from the pond and I don't want to do that if possible. If we separate them for a few weeks, what is to say the male doesn't just go after them again when reintroduced together? Have you had success doing this?

 

[Amiga]

There are times a drake's behavior places us in a corner we don't like. I speak from experience, as our flock dynamic has been less than ideal for months. Slowly we are getting it to where I want it to be. But ducks can be unreasonable and insensitive to each others' well being.

Something that the ducklings need in this case is physical size. Yes, he may go after them when they are introduced again, but if they are his size, there is less risk to their lives.

I am basing my suggestions on what I have read here on the Duck Forum, and introducing new adult ducks to the flock, and the hormone-driven misbehaviors of our drake.

 

[duckins]

Separate right away he will harm/kill the babies. Last October we bought 4 ducklings as friends for our 3 pekin drakes who were 7 mons old. Bitsy my head drake acted a bit jealous and way to curious for my comfort when I took little ladies out of brooder and put them in yard pen on warmer days. At two wks of age I decided to hold black swed baby named Itsy up high enough for Mr. Curiosity to see in a flash he flew up and bit her middle toenail off it healed fine she now has a little stub of a toenail. In a way I'm thankful of the minor incident b/c it taught me a lesson babies and drakes not a good combo. When girls moved out side we separated drakes from ducks with chick wire within their secure pen and all was fine they were able to be very close and I knew they were safe and eating plenty they actually all snuggled by each other on each side of the fence every night. During foraging/swim time I let everyone out together and monitored all activity. Drakes would occasionally chase girls away but all worked out great. Itsy is now 11 mons old and takes nothing off of Bitsy she actually taunts him now. They will be fine as Amiga said all the babies need is size then the flock will work the rest out. you will still have to intervene on occasion.