Drake question

[awkwardkale]

Hi there! It’s been a while since I’ve posted on here. All my ducks are doing well and two of my hens have started laying!

Fred, my Drake, has been good to the hens so far. He’s started to mate with them but he hasn’t been aggressive toward them.

Sometime last week he’s started chasing me relentlessly, though. He tries to grab my feet and he has bitten them and my hands a few times. I’ve tried spraying him with the hose and tossing him in the pool but he seems unphased. I cant turn my back on him for a second or else he’ll be all over me. Even when I face him, he still tries to go for me. When I leave their area he tries to stick his head under the gate in a last ditch effort to grab my feet

it’s getting difficult to take care of them because I’m constantly pushing him back. I think it’s probably hormonal since they’re about six months now so that’s probably why I see the change in his behavior. He used to be chill but now he’s a little crazy

What can I do?

Also, this is probably a silly question but is mating season in the spring for ducks? I’d assume so, but I want to be prepared because I definitely don’t want him to injure the hens in the future! Do I have to separate Fred from the girls during the mating season? I only have one duck house. They like being together (they stay in a group for the whole day) and Fred definitely looks out for the hens, so it’s not an issue right now, but I just want to be prepared for Drake antics. At the moment I have three hens.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Muscovy drake is a handful in peak hormone season early spring until usually now. He has mellowed quite a bit in the last few weeks, But they can sure be pains when they just don't get the message they aren't to bite. Have you ever picked Fred up and carried him around like a baby when he comes at you? Just be careful he doesn't nip you in the face
I usually use the broom to keep my drake away . I just sweep his butt away from me. He will attack the broom too, But I can toss him into the pool, and usually that snaps him out of it for a while. Never act afraid or run from Fred. I have even bent over with my arms out and acted like I was going to get Opie and he usually will turn around and waddle off. Not always but we just have to use different tactics to see what works best.

 

[awkwardkale]

My Muscovy drake is a handful in peak hormone season early spring until usually now. He has mellowed quite a bit in the last few weeks, But they can sure be pains when they just don't get the message they aren't to bite. Have you ever picked Fred up and carried him around like a baby when he comes at you? Just be careful he doesn't nip you in the face
I usually use the broom to keep my drake away . I just sweep his butt away from me. He will attack the broom too, But I can toss him into the pool, and usually that snaps him out of it for a while. Never act afraid or run from Fred. I have even bent over with my arms out and acted like I was going to get Opie and he usually will turn around and waddle off. Not always but we just have to use different tactics to see what works best.

Fred will let me pick him up and he usually won’t struggle when I do that. I’ll try that! And the broom too.

I haven’t run away from him, I’ll walk away but not to get away from him but to just complete tasks like cleaning the coop (but then he chases me). Ive tried acting like I’m gonna grab him before, but he runs away and then immediately runs back at me haha . I don’t think he’s being protective of the other hens, I think he might think I’m a big hen to dominate. Every time I go out there he immediately makes a beeline to me

Thank you for the advice! I’ll try those things. I do love Fred so I really want to keep him.

Will I absolutely need to separate him from the hens during mating season, or does it depend on his temperament? I have a dog crate and a garden area that’s fenced off but it’s right next to the duck area so he’d be able to see the hens. The garden beds are raised so I think I could put him back there without him squashing my moms plants. Just thinking ahead since I want to have a plan.

 

[Miss Lydia]

He may not be abusive you'll just have to watch him and them they have to grab hold of feathers when mating so if the girls lose some feathers that is normal it's when they grab and yank them out until their little heads and necks are raw that they need to have a time away from the drake. It's best to set them up close by the girls so he won't be lonely and maybe you can give him some outside time with them with supervision if he gets to hormonal then separate him from them. But you'll have till next spring to worry about that. Just enjoy them.

 

[awkwardkale]

He may not be abusive you'll just have to watch him and them they have to grab hold of feathers when mating so if the girls lose some feathers that is normal it's when they grab and yank them out until their little heads and necks are raw that they need to have a time away from the drake. It's best to set them up close by the girls so he won't be lonely and maybe you can give him some outside time with them with supervision if he gets to hormonal then separate him from them. But you'll have till next spring to worry about that. Just enjoy them.

Ok! Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to respond! I will enjoy them, they’re a lot of fun to take care of and I’m short excited that I’ve started getting eggs from them!

 

[ruthhope]

Sorry for the laughing emoji on your post, @awkwardkale. It's a "been there done that" sort of laugh. My son's drake behaves exactly like you describe, with my husband and my son. The drake is at real risk of being stood on or tripped over for his attacks on their feet. I don't think either of them handle it well because they get annoyed. My son carries a stick to fend off the drake, which I think should be action of last resort. Son's drake doesn't attack my feet, but I have always picked him up and petted him when I have looked after my son's ducks.

My own flock is all drake -- rescues and rehomes. I currently have 4, although my maximum capacity is 6 adult drakes, and I had six last year until the end of December. I have one muscovy drake that was a real problem in 2022. He literally started flying at me with his feet first and attacking me. I was quite fearful that he would have to go as I was initially frightened of him. [I had had him for 6 months before he started attacking me, and he was maybe 3-4 months old when he came to me]. Long story short, I started picking him up when he flew at me. He is a big boy ~15lbs and strong. But as long as I picked him up with my arm around his wings and low across his belly, I could hold him against my body. I stood him on a table in my back yard, still held against my body, and talked to him and petted him with my free hand, until he calmed down. Once he calmed down I let him go. That was daily for some time and he gradually stopped the attacks. I should say he immediately stopped flying at me feet first, after the first pick up, but it took more time before he stopped coming up behind me and biting my feet. That boy does not like being held or petted [and he doesn't like water]. I think he was seriously disturbed by events before he was rescued and came to me. This year, with his hormonal surge, he sometimes came up and tried to bite my feet. I either picked him up and carried him with his back against my body and his wings pinned to his side, until his feet stopped flapping up and down, while getting on with my business in the back garden. Or, if I was in a hurry, I picked him up and dumped him in the wading pool, which he hates. He's back to being a good boy now [decreasing hormones I suppose].

Your drake is like my son's drake, not my formerly psychotic muscovy drake! He should be easily managed by picking him up, talking to him, and petting him until he calms down. He would probably repond to being dunked in his wading pool, but I would use the picking up and petting treatment first and just dunk him if on occasion you don't have time for petting and waiting patiently for him to calm down.

 

[awkwardkale]

Sorry for the laughing emoji on your post, @awkwardkale. It's a "been there done that" sort of laugh. My son's drake behaves exactly like you describe, with my husband and my son. The drake is at real risk of being stood on or tripped over for his attacks on their feet. I don't think either of them handle it well because they get annoyed. My son carries a stick to fend off the drake, which I think should be action of last resort. Son's drake doesn't attack my feet, but I have always picked him up and petted him when I have looked after my son's ducks.

My own flock is all drake -- rescues and rehomes. I currently have 4, although my maximum capacity is 6 adult drakes, and I had six last year until the end of December. I have one muscovy drake that was a real problem in 2022. He literally started flying at me with his feet first and attacking me. I was quite fearful that he would have to go as I was initially frightened of him. [I had had him for 6 months before he started attacking me, and he was maybe 3-4 months old when he came to me]. Long story short, I started picking him up when he flew at me. He is a big boy ~15lbs and strong. But as long as I picked him up with my arm around his wings and low across his belly, I could hold him against my body. I stood him on a table in my back yard, still held against my body, and talked to him and petted him with my free hand, until he calmed down. Once he calmed down I let him go. That was daily for some time and he gradually stopped the attacks. I should say he immediately stopped flying at me feet first, after the first pick up, but it took more time before he stopped coming up behind me and biting my feet. That boy does not like being held or petted [and he doesn't like water]. I think he was seriously disturbed by events before he was rescued and came to me. This year, with his hormonal surge, he sometimes came up and tried to bite my feet. I either picked him up and carried him with his back against my body and his wings pinned to his side, until his feet stopped flapping up and down, while getting on with my business in the back garden. Or, if I was in a hurry, I picked him up and dumped him in the wading pool, which he hates. He's back to being a good boy now [decreasing hormones I suppose].

Your drake is like my son's drake, not my formerly psychotic muscovy drake! He should be easily managed by picking him up, talking to him, and petting him until he calms down. He would probably repond to being dunked in his wading pool, but I would use the picking up and petting treatment first and just dunk him if on occasion you don't have time for petting and waiting patiently for him to calm down.

It’s ok! It’s funny my whole family is amused by it because he only acts this way towards me and my mom. He doesn’t care much for my dad but he tries to get around him to get to me!

Thank you for sharing all of this, im glad I’m not alone. I’ll try picking him up! He doesn’t really struggle much when I do pick him up. He kicks his feet but then he just kinda goes limp I’ll also do my best not to get frustrated with him. So far I haven’t, just anxious since hes been preventing me from staying out there for extended periods of time to clean the coop and check up on the hens. I’ve been constantly fending him off haha

 

[ruthhope]

I picked up my son's drake today and had a long chat while petting his chest. I like to keep him friendly. He was fine but went off and told the girls (who were playing in the wading pool) to stay away from me!! My own previously psychotic drake has been the poster boy for good behavior today. No trying to bite me. He followed me to the shed and I wondered if he were going to cone inside and try and bite me as he has in the past. But he didn't and when I came put he had gone back to the patio to see his best buddy.

 

[Canadian Wind]

And wear rubber boots when you do the chores.

 

[awkwardkale]

Thank you! I’ve started doing that as of today. I used to wear flip flops haha. Fred seems to be confused at the moment, I don’t think he knows where my feet went

He still follows me everywhere but he hasn’t bitten me today. He kind of just quacks and turns his head to stare at me. We’ll see if the change in footwear continues to ward him off.