chicken & ducks

[Aprilcat22]

I have had chickens & ducks since April this year. They do live together in the barn & also free range together. Love the chickhens, ducks are not as much fun but I do like them. My rooster named Rooster Gogburn is chasing the whole flock of ducks and when he catchs the duck he wants which is usually the same duck, he gets on top of the duck and pecks him. I have to chase him off. Tonite it kind of looked like he was trying to keep them from their pool & water. I know the ducks were in the pool earlier because of the water. I dont know if hes only doing this in front of me or not. Any sugguestions

 

[fl_deb]

Is it posibly a male duck?

 

[CMV]

Maybe RG needs to go into a time out for a couple days. I hate it when birds try to hoard resources. It makes it much more difficult. That is one of the few behaviors that I feel warrants a trip the broody buster/bully breaker cage that I have.

 

[mxer]

I've got the same problem with my Rooster (Smoke) and ducks. never thought about time out in solitary. Maybe that will change his bossy behavior.

 

[gryeyes]

My main rooster and my drake seem to have an equal footing and respect each other. Perhaps they worked out a truce over a period of time. They are often on the back porch together, or right next to each other at the run gate, or even free ranging in the front yard together with a bunch of pullets and the one hen duck. The ducks do not pull the chickens' feathers any more, unless the chicken is standing in a duck's way, and then it's just a tiny billing as a hint to move.

I was worried the drake might try to mount the chicken hens, but he seems happy with his "wife." However, there are also two little Sebright roosters who have come of age and they tag-team pullets to "get some." If they are close to the drake when they capture a pullet together, the drake will waddle over there to help hold the pullet down. I think he just gets into the sexual frenzy. It's got to be going on near him; he won't initiate any trouble with chicken hens on his own.

Anyway, when that happens, I grab and toss the Sebrights and and use my leg to push the drake away from the pullet. It's almost always the same one.... poor thing. She even tries to run towards me when she's being chased - I guess she's figured out I will protect her from the horny roos.