Duck behavior

[MarthaGwen280]

Hi, we've been looking after a call duck on and off for a friend since she was hatched. So when we've previously given her a bath, she acted normal, shaking her tail, flapping wings to dry herself etc. But we gave her one a couple hours ago and she's been doing a weird run where she puts her neck to the floor and sticks her bum up in the air, she'll either do a run or she'll just walk around like it but we've never seen her do this before, and couldn't find any info online (she is also actually a male but it's force of habit to refer to her as her, that's what the vet told us she was but she has mating feathers and shows male dominance/mating behaviour and traits ‍). Thanks for any info in advance.

 

[quackiemama]

Pics please. How old?

 

[chickenlittle21]

I don't know, my cockerel chicken has been doing that too except he just stays still and does it. How old is your duck?

 

[MarthaGwen280]

I think she's about 6 months, I haven't been able to get much, she seems to stop when I'm trying to take a video or picture but I managed to get this...

 

[PirateGirl]

Lowering the head and running is also a male dominance behavior.

 

[chickenlittle21]

I think she's about 6 months, I haven't been able to get much, she seems to stop when I'm trying to take a video or picture but I managed to get this...

My cockerel is 5 months

 

[MarthaGwen280]

My cockerel is 5 months

How strange! Maybe an age thing

 

[MarthaGwen280]

Lowering the head and running is also a male dominance behavior.

That's what I thought, just found it strange that we've never seen it and she just randomly starts after her bath lol thank you!

 

[johntfs]

That's what I thought, just found it strange that we've never seen it and she just randomly starts after her bath lol thank you!

Ducks tend to prefer to mate in water, as I recall, so maybe the bath just gets his hormones chugging or something?

 

[PirateGirl]

I agree with this, bath time certainly can get ducks riled up.