Angry runner duck?

[Goslingprincess]

I have four runner ducks (2 male 2 female) but recently one of the male ducks started biting me hard so i stroked his back (he doesnt like it when hes touched) to tell him off and he started chasing me and trying to bite me, his neck started vibrating too and his tail also wags so i figured maybe hes just playing around and not angry? Because every time i go outside now he starts chasing me and trying to bite me and hes also tried climbing on my lap at the same time, is he angry or just playing?

 

[Sara Ranch]

I am not an expert - but it sounds like he's trying to show dominance.

How old is he? My ducks have gone through some (to me) pretty distinctive phases in their lives.

Never had the biting or chasing though. My duckies talk. I listen. I try to understand what they are saying and to provide. That's a biggie. They want to be paid attention to as well as be independent. Think teenagers. Again, I don't know how old your guy is.

Where does he try to bite you? Maybe the hard bit is saying he's angry with your OR he's hungry, like starving to death. Ducks can be dramatic, ya know.

Tail wagging - mine do that when they are happy. But all of their lives, we have this on going thing about "shake your bootie!" So for us, it's a fun, right back at you momma thing.

Neck vibrating - anger.

Chasing - showing dominance. Territorial. This is MY space - back off. Are the other ducks around when he does it? Maybe it's protecting HIS space and HIS friends.

In your lap - my duckies have never done that. But I have had a few (adopted) chickens do that. For them, it was a show of dominance. They wanted me to know they were in charge and they could do whatever they liked.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I agree with Sara Ranch that he is trying to be the dominant animal in the flock. I went through some of this with one of my males but he didn't bite. When he acted up he got a long timeout being held on my lap and petted. There are other posts on here which suggest pinning them in a mating position (which is what they do to each other). I think you need to work with him or it will get worse. Good luck!

 

[Goslingprincess]

I am not an expert - but it sounds like he's trying to show dominance.

How old is he? My ducks have gone through some (to me) pretty distinctive phases in their lives.

Never had the biting or chasing though. My duckies talk. I listen. I try to understand what they are saying and to provide. That's a biggie. They want to be paid attention to as well as be independent. Think teenagers. Again, I don't know how old your guy is.

Where does he try to bite you? Maybe the hard bit is saying he's angry with your OR he's hungry, like starving to death. Ducks can be dramatic, ya know.

Tail wagging - mine do that when they are happy. But all of their lives, we have this on going thing about "shake your bootie!" So for us, it's a fun, right back at you momma thing.

Neck vibrating - anger.

Chasing - showing dominance. Territorial. This is MY space - back off. Are the other ducks around when he does it? Maybe it's protecting HIS space and HIS friends.

In your lap - my duckies have never done that. But I have had a few (adopted) chickens do that. For them, it was a show of dominance. They wanted me to know they were in charge and they could do whatever they liked.

Hey, thanks for the response theyre all around 4 months old, he does it around the other ducks too but its like hes just playing because ill poke him lightly and run and he chases me and pecks my boots then runs away lol

 

[Sara Ranch]

Do you really want to encourage that behavior?

When I play with the duckies, it's something like splashing water at each other from the pool (them in the pool, me outside the pool), or like peek a boo (they are behind something and I peek around and say "I see you!").

I did play "Blueberry Bowling" and that was a lot of fun! I rolled blueberries along the sidewalk and the duckies chased them to eat them.

I sit down and talk with them.

Sometimes we have breakfast or lunch together. (Meaning, we sit near each other and eat. Well, I sit and eat. They stand and eat. I don't share my food, but I do make something special for them.)

 

[RunGuy77]

Our white drake, tends to try and chase you after you walk past him. Its a head down sprint until you turn around and look at him. At that point he tries to act like nothing has happened and wanders off lol. I know this a dominance thing but he has never got close enough to peck and it a hilarious to watch him back off.
My lady sometimes puts her head to the ground and starts, what I can only describe as chuckling whilst walking sideways. I have no idea what she is doing, but my guts telling me is something like a "back off I am taken" message. Anyone else seen this?

 

[Ducktown]

He's the right age.. He is now maturing and I have one that is exactly the same age. I have hatched the drake from an egg so he's very attached to me.

He doesn't chase me, but he chases my two dogs. It's a head down super-fast charge towards the dog. But here's the thing, if my dogs see him, they run away (playfully I guess) and the drake chases them a while longer. If they are faced in other direction, and they don't see him as he charges, he stops, makes a few steps in both direction and then start eating greens around him.

about the lap thing... He did the biting maneuver and crawled into my lap, but I noticed that may have been a strange kind of mating. He thought I'm a ready hen or something. He never did that again.

I doubt it's aggression, it may be a game for him. I suspect my drake is playing with the dogs. All the ducks are cautious near the dogs, but are not afraid of them. Much less than humans, and they are not really afraid of humans, they just keep some distance. If dog runs by as they are resting, they hardly even notice.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Lol - my drakes will bow to me (in unison) when I walk by. I love it!!!

My girls will too, sometimes. At the very least, I get a nod from them and a smile.