Ducks biting

[felicity5]

I have two ducks who have recently started following and biting my toes im not sure why and now they are starting to bite fingers too and its quite aggressive. anyone have this problem and know how to make them stop?

 

[Kevin565]

How old are they?

 

[gryeyes]

When my ducks bit me I would gently grab their bills and hold them closed (yes, they struggled, but I was prepared to hold on), saying "No!"

I didn't mind the curiosity billing which is more like nibbling, because I know they don't have hands to pick anything up to investigate it - all they have are their bills.

Toes are VERY odd things to ducks - of course they're curious!

 

[felicity5]

They are two males and are about 4 months old.

I understand curiosity but its when they started to get "rough" and aggressive . Not sure if its they're way of playing?

 

[gryeyes]

Uh oh. I bet you are their "hen" and they have a crush on you. It's even more important to do the "No!" thing with them. My first drake loved me lots too. I broke him of it by actually picking him up to hold his bill. Tuen I would carry him around for a while before letting him get back on the ground. If he forgot -ha!- and nipped me again, I would hold him down and even sit over him, holding his wings tight with my knees.

That worked after 2 or 3 occasions.

 

[sourland]

Uh oh. I bet you are their "hen" and they have a crush on you. It's even more important to do the "No!" thing with them.

I agree with gryeyes they are young males about to enter sexual maturity and they regard you as their 'girl'. Use her methods and try to adjust their attitudes. Such behavior tends to escalate.

 

[Frank Phinster]

I would hold him down and even sit over him, holding his wings tight with my knees.
That worked after 2 or 3 occasions.

I mean no offense, but isn't that treatment a little rough for a medium sized bird?

I had to Runners that were imprinted on me, a drake and a duck. When they were grown up, they used to attack my feet. I just let it happen and moved my feet a little when they bit my ankles. The behavour wore off after a few weeks.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, I didn't actually sit ON him, just squatted over him and held him there. And my ducks are Cayugas, fairly large ducks. Louie was my only drake at the time and he would nip and hold on, trying to control ME. I changed that dynamic.

 

[felicity5]

I will try those methods, they're leaving sore red marks all over my feet! Haha

 

[Frank Phinster]

Then I won't say anything against that treatment.

My ducks simply stopped at some point, maybe they figured out that they wouldn't reach anything with that behavour.