Duck's sudden aggression towards drake

[KikiDeAnime]

I was going to post this earlier but I decided that taking care of our drake was far more important and my questions could wait.

Earlier today when I went out to throw some peas out to the flock, I noticed that Duchess was attacking Colonel. I quickly separated them without getting injured myself and just thought that maybe they were fighting over some food or a bug. I came back inside before going back out to check their water containers and saw that Duchess was at it again but this time she managed to pull a feather off Colonel's left wing.

It's dark now, they're inside, and she still wants to go at him. I'm currently holding Colonel on my lap as I type this up. I had to separate them again as she went for his face this time.

What's causing this sudden aggression towards him??

 

[johntfs]

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck - and not a drake.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

I'm thinking a Drake..

Duchess is NOT a drake. She quacks!
Only Colonel is a drake.

 

[Raenh]

How old are your ducks? @KikiDeAnime I don't remember, sorry...

And are you sure that colonel is the male and duchess female? The only reason I ask is because fancy and speedy got like that right before omg I need to rape everything in sight happened hormones. Fancy was very mean to speedy for a month or so, wouldn't let her eat or drink anything without his say so. It got to the point, that I had to stand guard for awhile just so she could eat in peace because even though I gave them the exact same thing in the same color bowls, he'd ditch his just so he could chow down on hers then IF he was satisfied it was the same, he'd let her eat...

It is probably just hormones or maybe a little bit of jealousy on her part if you've been giving him attention. I get that with my girls sometimes. When we lived at my mom's - sugar was still a baby and they didn't accept her into the coop, so she stayed with me until she got big enough to defend herself... one night it was storming out so I left my tent and all of us snuck inside, speedy went to sleep with me like she always did in the crook of my arm - sugar jumped her and started attacking because that was her spot apparently, but even when I moved speedy, she still tried to bite at her. Territorial, definitely.

Beedee does the same if I pick up one of the other girls now, only she knows better then to pick at them cause shes the youngest, she bites me instead when I do pick her up, kinda like fancy did if I ignored him when I came home. She calms down after a few bad pinches, and goes back to giving me baby kisses... crazy girls.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Duchess is still trying to go at Colonel while they're outside and inside. They're currently outside but I had to put Colonel in their old fenced yard to prevent Duchess from hurting him. I feel really bad to separate them but I don't want to end up with a dead drake if I allow her near him.
Colonel looks miserable being by himself. I've been going out to give him some treats every couple hours to cheer him up but he just wants to be near Duchess.

 

[chickens really]

Are you positive they are not two Drakes..
Get any eggs ever?

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Are you positive they are not two Drakes..
Get any eggs ever?

Duchess quacks like a duck and Colonel makes the raspy noise that drakes make. Duchess won't start laying until spring.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If she is quacking loud she is defiantly a duck lol

 

[KikiDeAnime]

If she is quacking loud she is defiantly a duck lol

She definitely is. My parents hate hearing her quack every day. They think it's annoying but I love hearing it.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

My hubby gets annoyed by the quacks...but we have a lot of ducks...hopefully she’ll come around..they are cuties.