are all drakes doomed to be mean??!!

[Kmoreau]

My Pekin drake was a rescue, we got him at 2 weeks old. He was the sweetest thing. He loved to be snuggled and held. My dogs and him would play everyday. They loved to chase each other around the yard. I knew they were getting along because there was never anything violent and my duck could crawl all over my dogs and even ride on their back.

After he moved outside when he was feathered I felt bad he was all alone, so I got him a female duck. She was two months younger then him and they took to each other perfectly. Once we moved to our new house, they had a much bigger yard and were moved much farther from us, and seperated from my dogs. I see them everyday but not the same amount of interaction.

He is now almost 2. He was over mating my female, and I knew that he needed a another girl.

So he now has 2 females, he gets along with both and is never pushy with them.

However, my sweet drake, developed a much different personality. He still comes when I call him, but if I turn around he tries to chase me away and attack my ankles. If I try to touch him, he nips my hand. He isn't aggressive so to speak, just very nippy with me, my husband, and my dog.

He was def spoiled until he was about 5 months old, and was then treated more like a "duck" . I am pretty sure I ruined him.

 

[Marwan]

My Pekin drake was a rescue, we got him at 2 weeks old. He was the sweetest thing. He loved to be snuggled and held. My dogs and him would play everyday. They loved to chase each other around the yard. I knew they were getting along because there was never anything violent and my duck could crawl all over my dogs and even ride on their back.
After he moved outside when he was feathered I felt bad he was all alone, so I got him a female duck. She was two months younger then him and they took to each other perfectly. Once we moved to our new house, they had a much bigger yard and were moved much farther from us, and seperated from my dogs. I see them everyday but not the same amount of interaction.
He is now almost 2. He was over mating my female, and I knew that he needed a another girl.
So he now has 2 females, he gets along with both and is never pushy with them.
However, my sweet drake, developed a much different personality. He still comes when I call him, but if I turn around he tries to chase me away and attack my ankles. If I try to touch him, he nips my hand. He isn't aggressive so to speak, just very nippy with me, my husband, and my dog.
He was def spoiled until he was about 5 months old, and was then treated more like a "duck" . I am pretty sure I ruined him.

The only thing i could say that may have 'ruined' him was the introduction of the females. When drakes have thier females they become naturally protective and territorial. My two drakes have it but all i do it hold there beak and say no and after a few times they stop and dont do it again. He has the potential to become sweet but interaction with him is the key. Animal behaviour dictates that when an animal is reared by a person and they bond to that person or people they show very little agression or what thier animalistic natural behviour. This however is reversed when the animal is then mixed with more of its kind and becomes less 'human' and more like how they would be in the wild. I learnt this not only with my ducks but with my pet lion. Ive had him from a cub and he is as much a kitten as he ever was but when i met with people who had raised lions and then due to the fact that they thought they were lonely got them females found that it was almost impossible to mingle with them most of the time due to thier proctective animal insitincts. I dont intend on ever getting a lioness for my boy and would only do so if i was to initiate a breeding program and in that case id use a new male. So perhaps just spend more time with him. If her gets nippy tell him no or just pick him up. Walk around with him in your arms whilst you do other things and hell eventually learn to respect and see you as no threat to his lady freinds. because its a duck you have the advantage of being able to pic it up and tell it no unlike a 700-800 pound lion with teeth that could do serious damage haha.

Im working on my PhD in Molecular biology, Genetics and Animal behaviour so i hope i can be of some help

 

[doggielove]

Quote:
Sounds like the problem many people have with their dogs when they raise them with no boundaries. Helpful to know that it happens with other animals as well.

 

[Lovgabbie]

Virtually no drakes are mean. It's a very rare drake that attacks people and, by anecdotal evidence, the attacking drakes are all drakes who have been raised as spoiled pets.

If they are not raised as ducks, their identity is confused. They don't know whether they are people or people are ducks or what, but they think you are all in the same flock and they won't respect you if you don't demand to be their social superior.

I have 7 drakes and, while they are very (very!) sexually active, they are extremely polite to me and they do not fight with one another.  That is what is typical drake behavior.

Can drakes live alone with other drakes and get along?

 

[Marwan]

If its 2 drakes with no females they will be perfect together. Occasional fight over dominance but nothing significant. My boys have been together all thier lives and are highly protective over one another.