Aggressive Pekin or First Attempts at Mating?

[tanaBanana]

I have 2 Blue Swedish (Tuffy and DA), 1 Khaki Cambell (I think! Named Nuck), 1 White and Fawn Indian Runner (Phantom), and 1 Pekin (Abu). All were born April 1+\- with Nuck being the exception. He (I think) was born about a week earlier. So they're all rough three months old. I love them all and they've all developed their own personalities, which is what might concern me regarding Abu.

Abu is the biggest and I've noticed she (I'm assuming gender on all at this point but have seen no drake feather and haven't noticed too much in quack other than it sounds different than my Swedish) has already been bullying the others a bit. It's been nothing major, but I've been watching to see if it gets worse. As it is now, when I call them, the others start to come, but if they're in my pond, she nudges them back away from the edge to keep them all in there at times. However, after giving them their midday treat today, once they went back to the pond, she? mounted DA andmy immediate thought was that she was trying to drown him. (It's possible that DA is a she buying just using what we've always ignorantly referred to them as.) I've been assuming she was female so that's why it didn't occur to me immediately that it could be mating. But regardless, they're only three months old-not even that actually! I know ducks mature fast but everything I've read says they're older than this when they start doing that kind of stuff. I yelled at her/him and after about maybe 30 seconds, it stopped. So, should I be concerned. I'm not going to tolerate a bully that's trying to drown my other ducks! I'll try to get some pictures today to post (I have millions but would like as updated one as possible in case there's something telling that I'm missing.)

Any help is appreciated. I've spent hours googling it already but can't find anything that gives me the definitive answer I'm hoping for. Thanks so much!

 

[GitaBooks]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens (and ducks too

)!

It really depends on how the drake/hen is doing the attack/breeding.

Ducks like to breed in the water. I've heard that sometimes, overly excited drakes have drowned hens they were trying to breed with (this was in muscovy ducks).

A male bird breeds by climbing onto her back and lowering his tail. He will grab onto her neck feathers to hold on.

I don't have ducks myself (I have chickens) but I hope to get some soon!


Best of luck to you!

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Yes it does often look like a drowning attempt when they breed, because the male holds onto the female's head/neck. Even if her head is underwater, she can hold her breath for a while. Cases of drowning while mating are extremely rare, so don't worry about it.

But you should know, sometimes ducks mount each other to assert dominance. So it does not necessarily mean that one was female and the other was male.

 

[Amykins]

Have you asked over in the Pekin thread? I know Pekes are bred to grow fast and large, maybe that means they mature sooner, too? I'm honestly not sure...wish I could help, sorry. :/ It DOES sound like mating behavior, though. The first one's always rough. Teenage, hormonally-fueled drakes. Not a good combo!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!

-Kathy

 

[tanaBanana]

Thank you to everyone! I've been comjng here for answers since I got my little duckies but this was the first time I wasn't able to find what I was looking for.

I agree it looked like mating behavior and if I knew for sure it was a drake Pekin and perhaps a bit older, I wouldn't have been concerned, but they're all so young. I got differing answers about the typical sexual maturity age of Pekins but nothing that young. And I'm sure "sexual maturity" means actually able to reproduce and not merely "sexually curious," as a prepubescent child might be so perhaps it is just a teenager with raging hormones. Lol! I'm going to go out to get done pictures to see if anyone can help me determine if it is, indeed, a drake. I know photos aren't conclusive without an obvious drake feather, but, if nothing else, I can be a proud ducky mom and share pictures of my babies!

 

[tanaBanana]

And please pardon my typos!

 

[casportpony]

You should be able to sex them by their quacks -

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Or maybe this one?

 

[tanaBanana]

Thank you for the videos. I couldn't hear sound on the first, but was able to on the second. My blue Swedish are the loudest and I ALWAYS hear them! They always have so much to tell me! I rarely hear the others so I'll have to try to keep Tuffy and DA quiet for s bit so I can try to figure out what Abu actually sounds like. I did try to listen when I was just out there but I think he/she is pouring about being reprimanded earlier and had nothing to say.

So, this is my little flock/brace/whatever coming to greet me!

And the main subject of this post, Abu:

[/IMG]

This is Phantom whom I've decided is an White and Fawn Indian Runner although I got her at the same time I got all of the others aside from Nuck but was told she was Pekin. She had some black on her face which made it look like she was wearing a mask, hence the name Phantom (as in of the Opera).

Tuffy and DA are the Blue Swedish. Tuffy has the larger tuft of feathers on his/her head. DA is very clumsy and has always been, hence the name DA (short for Dumba@#-said in an endearing, loving way).

And Nuck, my adopted baby. Nick, my nephew who lives next door, got him and after one duckling fatality, sent him to me to love. Nick never even named him (he hunts and was going to raise him to use as a live decoy-terrible thought, even though he never intended to hurt him). Once in my care, I put a stop to the decoy idea, and after a week or so of referring to him as "Nick's Duck," shortened it and gave him the name "Nuck."

So, those are my babies! Any telling evidence from the pictures? (Nuck's identity is also in question. My neighbor is saying he's a Rouen hen. He head just started turning green but re khaki Campbell's seem a bit different in color. I've posted question on another topic here, too.
Is there a specific Pekin forum or would I just look in the Pekin Club post or somewhere else? Thanks again!