Bad manners

[NCISDUCKS]

One of my male ducks is bullying everyone else. I know there is a pecking order among them but he is really getting relentless. He's breaking wing feathers of the other ducks. I have him separate but it doesn't seem to work. As I've separated him before for a week and he was ok for a couple of days but he is back to being a bully. How can I fix this? Is it just something I'm going to have to manage?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Your best bet would be to cull him from the flock. What's your duck to drake ratio?

 

[NCISDUCKS]

I've got three females and two males

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Then you either need more females or less males. Ducks should have at least 3-4 females to one male

 

[NCISDUCKS]

Thank you I am getting more. I just don't want anyone getting hurt in the meantime and was wondering if I should keep him separate from the others until then.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You really should. Maybe try a pair and a trio idea just so he isn't lonely, but be ready to move the female back to the bigger group if he doesn't behave

 

[MugsyM]

You might want to read the post I just did before I saw this. You might be able to cull him or re-home him but, to me, he's just my bad boy but I don't want to try to eat him for Sunday dinner. If I were to try to re-home him, they would know why I am doing it and I don't want them gave him for Sunday dinner. His name is Bo Bo not Ala Orange. And the other side of the coin is I don't want any of my girls hurt.

 

[NCISDUCKS]

I did go and read your post he isn't really to rough while breeding. It kind of comes out of no where he'll chase down whoever he can catch and lay into them. It's like when him and my other boy were first fighting over the females. Only now he's doing it to everybody.

 

[NCISDUCKS]

You really should. Maybe try a pair and a trio idea just so he isn't lonely, but be ready to move the female back to the bigger group if he doesn't behave

I have a fence separating them and they can still be right next to each other he just can't chase anyone down

 

[MugsyM]

I did go and read your post he isn't really to rough while breeding. It kind of comes out of no where he'll chase down whoever he can catch and lay into them. It's like when him and my other boy were first fighting over the females. Only now he's doing it to everybody.

That is what I call Bo Bo's bulldozing. He just plows into them and I swear would chase them a country mile if he had to. The only way he stops is if they get in the driveway. I think the gravel hurts his feet because he is so much heavier. When he does that he usually just pushes them then walks away. I am sure that's his pecking order ritual. This duck raising is hard but I think I may be making it harder by trying to make sense out of their behavior. Altering it doesn't seem to help and talking to them is a lot like talking to a rock but when I talk to them they will just stand and look at me like they are hearing and understanding every single word.