Duck shakes with excitement....? (Vibrating ducks)

[MochaDuck]

When playing with my 2 ducks they sometimes start shaking. The shaking starts in their beak, then head, then neck and then moves down into their body.
During this time they try and nibble my fingers and get even more playful.
Then without warning they lunge forward nibbling up my arm, or over my shoulder, still shaking followed by a wagging of the tail and the shaking stops...for about 10 seconds...then it starts again.
If you stroke their head it can induce this shaking...sometimes it can go on for 30 minutes or more.

Does anyone elses ducks do this shakey neck duck beak thing?
Is it them playing? They seem very happy when doing it.

Cheers,

Woka

My duckling does this too. I think it's ether a playing, grooming, or curious thing. She especially gets excited when she tickles me.

 

[MizAmberLea]

Hmmm. I’ve got a five month old Saxony female that I nursed back to life after coons invaded their enclosure and gutted all 11 of her friends.
She’s blind in one eye, but that is all that is left of her wounds. She is nervous, rightfully so, but is successfully living with another Saxony female of the exact same age. (She had seizures when she was younger and therefore segregated from the flock when the masacre happened-her name is Grace).
Hope, the survivor, does the vibrating head thing often.
I’ve seen her do it when she gets out of the pond and starts to preen. I’ve seen her do it while swimming.
I’ve recently noticed her doing it when she is being a little jerk to our newly integrated 6 week old ducklings.
I think it can mean many things and represent many moods.
She has never done it when I’ve handled her. Not even when I had to nurse her and medicate her. Grace has never done it (that I’ve seen) and she is jerky to the ducklings as well.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

I have two drakes that tend to do the same thing, but I’ve also seen them doing that around our females whenever they’re in the water so maybe they’re just mistaking you for another duck.

 

[Ducklover77]

I know this is an old thread but I was looking this subject up because I was wondering why my muscovy Drake's vibrate their bodies. So I noticed mine do it when another Drake comes in the yard or comes to close to him. I think it may be a warning to back off from what I've witnessed I also noticed none of my girls do it. But thank you BYC I love that I found this from awhile back it helps me so much.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Muscovy drake does it to my gander.

 

[Nimure]

I realize this is an old thread, but figured I’d add my 2¢. I found this while googling the behavior. My young Rouen (possibly female, has quacked once or twice but not really sure either way yet) will vibrate it’s head and lunge at my chicks. I was curious if it was just defensive/aggressive or breeding related. My pekin will hiss and lunge at the chicks as well. I was hopeful they’d get along with the chicks. At least the chicks are growing and are faster than the ducks. Plus they can fly.

While not duck related, I have worked with falcons and I had several that would vibrate their entire bodies in excitement, usually around feeding time. If vibrating in ducks is excitement that could be good or bad, I wonder if the origins for the behavior are similar? Perhaps more birds vibrate as well? It’s a curious thing.

 

[Mandee297]

Old thread but was googling this. My two gals do this at times being held. They were snuggly little but now are four months and not as cuddly. But they will hang with me for a bit and not bite me.

 

[nolamimi504]

Do both your males and females do this? Both of my drakes do this, but I haven't seen my girls do it. I thought it was just another "boy thing"... My niece who is 4 months old (I remember her bday because it was 10 days before my ducks hday

) started to shake and lunged when she saw her bottle the other day. I told my sister that my ducks do that too when I have treats!! I don't think she liked me comparing her daughter to my ducks...

Bumping this thread up yet again… my female ducks do it as well as the drakes.

 

[nolamimi504]

View attachment 2520997
Old thread but was googling this. My two gals do this at times being held. They were snuggly little but now are four months and not as cuddly. But they will hang with me for a bit and not bite me. View attachment 2521001

I just love Cayugas… they’re so friendly. I’ve read they’re great at being domesticated. I have a male and he’s my big boy lol… he’s like the Don of the yard and has two side kicks. He just lost his mate, my Pekin, Goldie. Thankfully, the two boys keep him occupied that he’s not fallen into depression as of yet, we had her little funeral Saturday. The boys were able to see her in her wooden box before it was buried- her mate, Midnight (Cayuga) put his bill on hers, as did Chocolate (Khaki Campbell), who was always obsessed with her. We have 11 ducks total: my original 4 will be one in August; we have 5 (4-females & 1-male) who are 3 months and a male & female who are 8 weeks. Cayugas are the most friendly and don’t mind being held.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I don't mean to bump this up again, but Im very interested! Does anyone have a hen that does this? My suspected female duck does this when she gets extremely excited, and I doubt it could be mating behaviour as she's not mature yet-- and quacks, so I'm fairly certain she is a gril! Just curious!