Duck behaviour

[Toasteroven125]

I have two 3ish month old Muscovy ducks. 1 female and 1 male. And 2 year old pekin females. I got the pekins recently and they have integrated together and everyone’s been fine.

This morning I was outside with them after I let them out and they all seemed to be fighting the young male Muscovy, including the one he was raised with. But then I see him kinda biting at her feathers and pulling them.. then they all continued to drink and whatever. I can imagine it wasn’t like fighting fighting but I haven’t seen that before. The female Muscovy was jumping on him.

Is this normal?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Completely, yes. They are asserting themselves and just reminding each other who's boss. Perhaps the young drake did something the girls didn't approve of, and they were putting him back in his place, lol.

 

[ruthhope]

ducks do the asserting dominance. we have some ducks that 'dont play that game' they are not interested in dominance and immediately 'give up' when other ducks start that. My son has a small crested female pekin who just ignores domination behavior as she knows she is the boss: she has sat in her pen, struggled to walk round the garden and sat in her pool with a muscovy female standing on her back, holding her head high and denying that anyone could think there is as muscovy on her back -- all without pecking or fighting back. I love his two non-agressive pekins!

 

[Canadian Wind]

My son has a small crested female pekin who just ignores domination behavior as she knows she is the boss: she has sat in her pen, struggled to walk roudn the garden and sat in her pool with a muscovy stnading on her back, holdign her head high and denying that anyone could think thre is as muscovy on her back -- all without pecking or fighting back. I love his two non-agressive pekins!

I pictured it!

Maybe you need to make a little saddle for her!

 

[ruthhope]

I pictured it!

Maybe you need to make a little saddle for her!

She is the only one of our pekins who has a strong personality: the others are very sweet and soft but quite mellow compared to Mop Head. She is loud -- the very loudest little duck imagineable. she will wake everyone up at 3am, shouting loudly for no other reason than she can. i have dashed out to the garden thinking there must be an intruder only to find her sitting normally in her nest box shouting, with the other ducks in their boxes keeping their heads down as if to say 'its nothing to do with us'!!!

@Canadian Wind, Mop Head at 3am on a sleep over at my house: