Ducks Fighting; very distressing

[loofa]

Hi all,
I have 5 duck hens, all of them are about 5 years old. Something has gotten into them and they are suddenly fighting all the time. It's been going on for several weeks. There have been a couple other times when it's like they all just suddenly go crazy aggressive, but this time it's going on and on. I don't know what triggers it - normally they get along well.

I've searched the forum and found other people with similar problems, but I haven't seen any real answers. Just thought I'd try again. There isn't a single duck who is the problem. Multiple ducks will gang up on one, grabbing hold of her neck and just like, dragging each other around, with everyone being very agitated and quacky, but who is ganging up on who is variable. It's like they are all just ready to get into a fight at any moment. It's very distressing, especially when my weakest (old leg injury) duck is on the receiving end, but I've even seen her be the aggressor.

I should add, in case it's relevant in any way, that their drake passed away last June and they all stopped laying and have not started again. They also stopped eating their oyster shells. This is a whole other question I am trying to solve about them, but the fighting is so intense right now it kind of takes over my focus.

 

[Yardmom]

What is the size of the space and what is in the space? Have any of the ducks been separated recently?
This is an odd time of year for ducks to fight, but it likely has something to do with the current bonds and realigning them. Ducks are odd in that their favorite companions can change with the seasons. I'm not sure how not having a drake might affect the bonds.

 

[loofa]

They free range on about half an acre in the daytime but are in a fairly small coop at night. We are actually building them a better coop right now that will be done within a week. I've got a new theory - we have just realized that rats have gotten into their coop. I'm wondering if night stress from the presence of rats could be making them crazy even throughout the day?

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

I have 5 duck hens, all of them are about 5 years old. Something has gotten into them and they are suddenly fighting all the time. It's been going on for several weeks.

Multiple ducks will gang up on one, grabbing hold of her neck and just like, dragging each other around, with everyone being very agitated and quacky, but who is ganging up on who is variable. It's like they are all just ready to get into a fight at any moment.

Hmmmm...

• Are your ducks from the same breed?

• What about their colours...?

• Are they originally from different places?

• Have they grown up together?

I should add, in case it's relevant in any way, that their drake passed away last June and they all stopped laying and have not started again. They also stopped eating their oyster shells.

• What breed(s) are your ducks?

• What has your drake died from?
And has he died suddenly, or has he been weak for some time before dying?

• Have your girls stopped laying as soon as your drake passed away, or have they kept going for some time after his death?

I've got a new theory - we have just realized that rats have gotten into their coop. I'm wondering if night stress from the presence of rats could be making them crazy even throughout the day?

I, myself, have currently a rat problem : I have indeed found a big, Norway rat in one of my ducks' pens... and it is the very first time it has happened, given I live in the countryside, and I thus should not find these rats here...

Nevertheless, NONE of my ducks' behaviour has changed : they are not more agressive, nor do they sound or look particularly scared...

So : I really don't think your rats are the problem here.

► But still, you could be right by thinking it could be due to predators...!

• Do you live in an area where predators could access to your ducks' shelter?

Any owl? Hawk? Raccoon? Bobcat? Fox...?
...Whatever other animal you could think of...?

• Or is there, perharps, a NEW construction in your area?

I ask you this seriously, because a lot of people (including me, honestly) do complain about worrying changes in animals' behaviour - among other things - once cell phone towers or wind turbines are activated in their area...

 

[Miss Lydia]

If your having rats getting in your coop and you keep feed down take it up and put it in a secure bin the rats are after food most likely.
I'd say if my coop had rats my birds would be upset not sure how that would determine how they act during the day. But My girls go through cycles of fighting each other usually fall and spring. But no one has gotten hurt and I just let them work it out.

 

[loofa]

If your having rats getting in your coop and you keep feed down take it up and put it in a secure bin the rats are after food most likely.
I'd say if my coop had rats my birds would be upset not sure how that would determine how they act during the day. But My girls go through cycles of fighting each other usually fall and spring. But no one has gotten hurt and I just let them work it out.

this is reassuring - I have not seen any injuries, but it looks so dramatic the way sometimes two will grab ahold of another's neck and just hang on, with everyone quacking upsettingly. But it is true, so far it hasn't seemed to cause any real damage.
We put the food in a covered bin at night, but the ducks are messy and the rats are even grabbing their food in the daytime. I'm now looking into not having free feeding, but instead feeding the ducks a couple of times a day - do you have input on this?

 

[loofa]

Hi.





Hmmmm...

• Are your ducks from the same breed?

• What about their colours...?

• Are they originally from different places?

• Have they grown up together?



• What breed(s) are your ducks?

• What has your drake died from?
And has he died suddenly, or has he been weak for some time before dying?

• Have your girls stopped laying as soon as your drake passed away, or have they kept going for some time after his death?



I, myself, have currently a rat problem : I have indeed found a big, Norway rat in one of my ducks' pens... and it is the very first time it has happened, given I live in the countryside, and I thus should not find these rats here...

Nevertheless, NONE of my ducks' behaviour has changed : they are not more agressive, nor do they sound or look particularly scared...

So : I really don't think your rats are the problem here.

► But still, you could be right by thinking it could be due to predators...!

• Do you live in an area where predators could access to your ducks' shelter?

Any owl? Hawk? Raccoon? Bobcat? Fox...?
...Whatever other animal you could think of...?

• Or is there, perharps, a NEW construction in your area?

I ask you this seriously, because a lot of people (including me, honestly) do complain about worrying changes in animals' behaviour - among other things - once cell phone towers or wind turbines are activated in their area...

They are varied breeds (1 khaki hen, 2 Swedish blue hens, 1 magpie hen and one saxony), they have been together for several years, they stopped laying pretty much right after my drake died, he died of an injury - it was a long process as I tried very hard to save him. I honestly should have had him euthanized sooner, but I had trouble giving up on him as I loved him very much. Their yard is not 100% predator proof as airstrike is possible, but so far all attempts over the last five years from hawks and eagles have failed as it's not an easy swoop due to trees. No new construction other than the coop we are building, but the behavior predates beginning the new coop. As for cell towers and such, I am not sure.

 

[Miss Lydia]

this is reassuring - I have not seen any injuries, but it looks so dramatic the way sometimes two will grab ahold of another's neck and just hang on, with everyone quacking upsettingly. But it is true, so far it hasn't seemed to cause any real damage.
We put the food in a covered bin at night, but the ducks are messy and the rats are even grabbing their food in the daytime. I'm now looking into not having free feeding, but instead feeding the ducks a couple of times a day - do you have input on this?

We had a rat problem about 3 yrs ago and they would be bold enough to come out during the day. A friend told me about cornmeal and baking soda. You have to make sure all feed is put away so you might want to go the route of just feeding a couple times a day till you don't see them any longer I mixed the jiffy corneal and baking soda half and half mixed it real good then I bought the cheap plastic food containers with lids cut a hole into the lid large enough for a rat and mice to get into eat I sat them out of the way of my birds but in areas where I had seen them on the shelf under the wood shed ect. It says it won't harm out birds or pets it will kill vermin because they can't pass gas. I didn't want my birds or dogs eating it anyway. It only took about a few weeks till I didn't see any more rats. We know they will
Always be around since they are a part of nature but they weren't coming around during the day. I know they are eating this mixture because I see poop in the container. Be worth a try I worried about putting out poison and a poisoned rat or mouse come hobbling out sick and one of my dogs or birds eating on it.

 

[SixBabies]

Hi all,
I have 5 duck hens, all of them are about 5 years old. Something has gotten into them and they are suddenly fighting all the time. It's been going on for several weeks. There have been a couple other times when it's like they all just suddenly go crazy aggressive, but this time it's going on and on. I don't know what triggers it - normally they get along well.

I've searched the forum and found other people with similar problems, but I haven't seen any real answers. Just thought I'd try again. There isn't a single duck who is the problem. Multiple ducks will gang up on one, grabbing hold of her neck and just like, dragging each other around, with everyone being very agitated and quacky, but who is ganging up on who is variable. It's like they are all just ready to get into a fight at any moment. It's very distressing, especially when my weakest (old leg injury) duck is on the receiving end, but I've even seen her be the aggressor.

I should add, in case it's relevant in any way, that their drake passed away last June and they all stopped laying and have not started again. They also stopped eating their oyster shells. This is a whole other question I am trying to solve about them, but the fighting is so intense right now it kind of takes over my focus.

I’m new to ducks but especially if their behavior has recently changed after the absence of the drake maybe they are trying to establish some sort of new pecking order in attempts to fix the flock.

It sounds like they will be unsuccessful if this is the case, because they haven’t had only each other and no drake for a while, and keep ganging up in cycles and it hasn’t stopped and there is one already injured.

I might try adding a new drake if I were in your position, but that’s just an intuition, I have no experience with this so grain of salt.

It could also be some new environmental trigger, or a combination of things and the passing of the drake and the rats and less than ideal aerial predator protection might have just pushed them over the edge.

Maybe they have some sort of nutrient excess? You said they stopped eating their oysters, maybe they were getting too much of something? Or maybe the last batch had something like parasites in them? That could also explain them not laying and acting more erratic.

They could also be grieving. Losing a flock member seems like it would be extra hard on them.

Hope you keep us updated with what you end up figuring out and I hope more bring some insight into this. <3

 

[StinkyAcres]

I don't have a ton of experience with ducks, but I too think the absence of their drake has caused this fighting.