Aggressive Runners Usual?

[EeyoreD]

Are Runners usually aggressive in terms of mating anything that might possibly be a duck and chasing and attacking anything that might want to mate said possible ducks?

I lost some drake early last year so when my runners matured I kept both drakes (so 2 drakes, 3 ducks). I also have numerous other birds - scovies, geese, turkeys, chickens.

But now that spring has rolled around the runners - the smallest of my drakes by more than half - are just the worst things. If they also went after me I'd say they were worse than my geese. They're just that .... (*&#(*&

Do you think it's just because I have that one surplus drake? If I cull the one do you think the other will calm down on trying to jump any available female of whatever species and stop pairing up and chasing everything and anything trying to mate around the yard? Or are they both just nasty and will never stop and I should try to find some males of a more.... calm strain?

I'm kind of surprised - for such small birds dang are they hellions. And suddenly!

 

[Finny]

I have heard drakes can become like this in the presence of females. I keep and all drake flock and they are pretty calm, although they do ram their necks up my arm aggressively sometimes. If they do this behavior to you, you just need to establish the proper relationship between you and the drakes by standing up if they jump on you and hold them to the ground until they relax and realize that you are dominant and not their mate.

Getting them more females will also help a lot.

 

[dennin7418]

You'll need to get more ducks or separate the males until the are settled.

I had to separate my Male Runner from my Blue Swede as the runner would do all he could to chase down the swede and chew on his neck. It was bad but not unexpected. I ended up separating the pen and kept the two apart. After a week or 2 whatever phase they were going through was over. I had 4 Drakes and 6 Females.

I got 7 more females last spring to help the situation so my fingers are crossed the problem will be less this spring...

BIG problem now is I have too many **** ducks....

 

[EeyoreD]

BIG problem now is I have too many **** ducks....

Um... isn't that a general problem for anyone keeping ducks/birds?

Some days I hate em but then I end up with exponentially more than I intended to keep. And I mostly raise meat ducks!

Why are they so charming and yet so frustrating?

(as opposed to geese which lack charm but make up for it in additional frustration)

 

[Finny]

Um... isn't that a general problem for anyone keeping ducks/birds?

Some days I hate em but then I end up with exponentially more than I intended to keep.  And I mostly raise meat ducks!

Why are they so charming and yet so frustrating?

(as opposed to geese which lack charm but make up for it in additional frustration)

Ducks are too cute to stay mad at! But boy are they frustrating.

 

[pinusresinosa]

Runners are *typically* more mild mannered in my experience, but ducks are very much individuals across all breeds. My one single holdover drake is a runner, because he doesn't force copulations and gets along with other drakes well enough where he doesn't try to drown them (I had issues with drakes last year and being murderers).

Frustrating indeed. But they're worth it I think.