Duck's sexual behavior is odd

[gilbert2]

I think I might have read about the following phenomenon here awhile back, but I have just seen it with my own eyes.
In the absence of a drake my hens have begun to exhibit male sexual behavior! First there is the little mating dance, where they bob their heads up and down, while holding their beaks perfectly horizontal. Then, my Fawn and White Runner hen will walk around behind the Blue Swede. The runner then grabs the swede's neck in her beak, and climbs up on the swede's back! Arrgh! This "mounting" is just so weird. After a little while, the runner just climbs off the victim's back, and they go about their business.
It appears that the behavior is hard-wired into the brains, enough for it to happen in the absence of any drake. Not only that, none of the ducks have ever seen another duck mate, since I raised them all from 2-day old ducklings.
Has anyone else ever seen anything like this?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My muscovy hens went without a drake for two years after mine died. One younger female took on the role of male and would mate the hens on a regular basis. So it isn't odd. Poultry in general seem to know they need a mate to reproduce. It's unnatural to not have a male in the group.

I added a drake this spring and the hen that had played the male role was the first to greet him and stuck by his side. My hens are happier with a male and there's less spats between them.

 

[sourland]

Necessity is the mother of invention. The desire to reproduce is a strong force.

 

[chickens really]

Ducks are sexual....I have Drakes and Hens....My Hens do the same....Normal Duck behaviour.....

 

[CarleeAnn]

I have to female ducks, my Cayuga is the one who does the males role. It’s funny because sometimes she’ll do it backwards! (Grab the tail and dunk it).