Female duck - Odd begaviour

[LittleDuckies]

I have 8 ducks, 2 drakes and 6 females, my original female (the one who hatched out the others except one) started nibbling on the drakes bums. I've noticed they try to mate with her but I step in when I see it, especially if it's in the pool. Not sure why my female is doing this? She is also silently quacking, opening her mouth to quack but it's silent? New to owning ducks thank you in advance!

 

[davez]

Trying to stop them from mating is like trying to stop teenagers. It is going to happen the moment you are not looking.
Not sure about butt poking - never saw that behavior in my flock.
Open mouth with no sound has meant 2 very different things in my experience with my ducks. Hot. Or terrified. (And some times, "get away from me" when she is broody) Is it very hot out where you are?

 

[LittleDuckies]

Not very hot where we are! Only 75 degrees right now, so i don't think that's the case. As for stopping them from mating, I'm ok with them mating! I just tend to stop them whenever I can while in the pool, to prevent accidental drowning. I'm not sure why she would be terrified, my drakes are honestly pretty gentle guys and are rather gentle when mating. I've seen her tell the others to go away with the silent quack when she was incubating her last clutch, but she isn't broody right now, nor is she laying very much.

Trying to stop them from mating is like trying to stop teenagers. It is going to happen the moment you are not looking.
Not sure about butt poking - never saw that behavior in my flock.
Open mouth with no sound has meant 2 very different things in my experience with my ducks. Hot. Or terrified. (And some times, "get away from me" when she is broody) Is it very hot out where you are?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Not very hot where we are! Only 75 degrees right now, so i don't think that's the case. As for stopping them from mating, I'm ok with them mating! I just tend to stop them whenever I can while in the pool, to prevent accidental drowning. I'm not sure why she would be terrified, my drakes are honestly pretty gentle guys and are rather gentle when mating. I've seen her tell the others to go away with the silent quack when she was incubating her last clutch, but she isn't broody right now, nor is she laying very much.

Allow them to mate in the pool that is how ducks are actually meant to mate in the water. It is easier for both the male and female this way.

 

[LittleDuckies]

Allow them to mate in the pool that is how ducks are actually meant to mate in the water. It is easier for both the male and female this way.

Oh! I was totally unaware of this. I was stopping them because in the past my drake would drown the girls when he mated in the pool so it made me uneasy. Thank you though

 

[Miss Lydia]

More than one drake on 1 female can drown her.

 

[LittleDuckies]

More than one drake on 1 female can drown her.

Yes I know! My 2 drakes have never ganged up on the girls, as my 6 females keeps the 2 males busy. But when I had just one drake and 5 girls, my drake drowned my girl so he still makes me uneasy even though he's usually gentle.

 

[PattieTheDuck]

I have 8 ducks, 2 drakes and 6 females, my original female (the one who hatched out the others except one) started nibbling on the drakes bums. I've noticed they try to mate with her but I step in when I see it, especially if it's in the pool. Not sure why my female is doing this? She is also silently quacking, opening her mouth to quack but it's silent? New to owning ducks thank you in advance!

My hen also does that and tries to get on top of my drake for some reason. I have no idea why

 

[LittleDuckies]

So odd! I have never seen her doing this before, it baffles me!

My hen also does that and tries to get on top of my drake for some reason. I have no idea why

 

[PattieTheDuck]

So odd! I have never seen her doing this before, it baffles me!

Yeah lol