Duck expert needed!

[dalsa]

Hello,
I have 3 pekin/aylesbury duck. I assume all 3 of them are female as they are VERY LOUD. Sometimes they would randomly start quacking so loud, a sound similar to a crow, its sounds like Ah-ah-ah-ah, their face also tenses up with the hair on their head standing straight up. They also move their head in sometimes when they do so. It goes on for quite a while. They also bob their head up and down sometimes when doing so but not always. They have access to food, water, paddling area, and coop. I dont understand why they do this behaviour. Please enlighten me on why they do this so i can see what is it they are trying to communicate because its not normal for ducks to do this. They are around 2 months old as well. Thank you.

 

[416bigbore]

Can you please post a video of this behavior?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Mine do it too. Head bobbing is a way of saying, "hello", and "want to practice mating?". However, I have one female who makes the crow sound you are describing often and she seems to do it to chase others away. I think it is a pecking order thing and she is saying, "I said not to get so close to me, got it!"

 

[KaleIAm]

Mine do everything you are describing, and have been for nearly 6 years. They head bob at each other when they want to mate with each other. They head bob at me when they are happy to see me or when they are trying to charm me into giving them something.

My ducks also randomly quack very loudly. We laugh at them and call them shout quackers. Our neighbors about a mile away can hear them! Sometimes the hair like feathers on the top of their heads stick up. I've noticed this happens mostly when they alarm quack and they are alerting me and other flock members to possible danger. I think it is similar to when a dog's hackles get raised.

 

[dalsa]

Mine do it too. Head bobbing is a way of saying, "hello", and "want to practice mating?". However, I have one female who makes the crow sound you are describing often and she seems to do it to chase others away. I think it is a pecking order thing and she is saying, "I said not to get so close to me, got it!"

that's very interesting! it could be but sometimes all three of them look at me and start doing it simultaneously as if they're scared of me.

 

[dalsa]

Mine do everything you are describing, and have been for nearly 6 years. They head bob at each other when they want to mate with each other. They head bob at me when they are happy to see me or when they are trying to charm me into giving them something.

My ducks also randomly quack very loudly. We laugh at them and call them shout quackers. Our neighbors about a mile away can hear them! Sometimes the hair like feathers on the top of their heads stick up. I've noticed this happens mostly when they alarm quack and they are alerting me and other flock members to possible danger. I think it is similar to when a dog's hackles get raised.

do they also do it everyday and several times a day? they're only 2 months old so I don't think they are looking for a mate. its quite funny when they do it but I live in a built up town so am concerned if neighbours will be annoyed.

 

[KaleIAm]

do they also do it everyday and several times a day? they're only 2 months old so I don't think they are looking for a mate. its quite funny when they do it but I live in a built up town so am concerned if neighbours will be annoyed.

Yes, they do it everyday. I don't remember what age they were when they started mating behavior. But when they were younger they mated many many times a day, even though I have only females. Now that they are older they still do, just less and less energetically, but still a few times daily.

They also head bob at me multiple times daily. They shout quack to call me to their aviary so many times daily. The raised feathers on their head thing is more variable depending on how many scary things they see.