Female muscovy being a bully!

[kjackson1992]

Hey just a quick question, one of our muscovy girls is being a bully and ripping feathers out of our other girls from behind their head (its defintely not our drake, ive seen the girls fighting)

We've moved her into an isolated spot with nobody else for now, just wondered how long to keep her isolated to calm down or if there is anything else i can do? Thanks!

 

[kjackson1992]

OK! Thanks again for the help everyone. Just woke up and let her out of jail and found out one of my other girls had broken INTO jail to go and say hello lol. So hopefully things will be better from now

 

[Miss Lydia]

Visiting hours must not have been posted

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Hey just a quick question, one of our muscovy girls is being a bully and ripping feathers out of our other girls from behind their head (its defintely not our drake, ive seen the girls fighting)

We've moved her into an isolated spot with nobody else for now, just wondered how long to keep her isolated to calm down or if there is anything else i can do? Thanks!

Is she either broody or molting? Those seem to be the two biggest triggers that turn my pied hen from her sweet independent self into an evil little hen. She also has brief outbreaks of bad behavior outside of those times. Sometimes, she needs just a few hours in “jail”. Sometimes, usually in the case of broody behavior, it takes days. Both she and her sister had an absolutely horrible period early in the winter while molting that had me threatening to make them into ’Scovy Stew. At any rate, it always seems to pass. I hope your hen regains her sanity soon! Muscovies certainly have complex personalities.

 

[kjackson1992]

Alright, well she can stay in jail for tonight as well then. Not at work tomorrow so i can let her free and just keep an eye on everyone

 

[kjackson1992]

@Miss Lydia will be able to help you in the morning

I feel like i should just tag her as soon as i make a thread at this point with how much she's helped us in the past ahaha

 

[kjackson1992]

This article might help. It could be that she just wants more protein:

https://en.redfeatherfarm.org/1278-what-if-ducks-pluck-feathers.html

So just increase their protein? I'll scramble up some eggs

EDIT: Just to add, i did try once again adding some cat food into their regular feed and it did go down but i think i'd rather do some eggs or buy some mealworms perhaps

 

[Raenh]

Muscovies go semi broody even if they dont sit, at least mine seem too. You have a drake, she may be girl fighting the competition. Mine fight over me, sometimes... it depends on who's doing the picking though - I will always protect speedy first, then beedee <only because shes the youngest> - sugar only went after sodapop and I jailed her for a day or two - then she was fine again.

Though before they all started laying again, beedee was trying to pick fights with me... that was funny until she got skin, accidentally taught her how to fly backwards
She was fine, though - came right back at me until I picked her up.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Moody is big part of Muscovy females. Mine aren’t even breeding or laying but are bullying each other one way or the other. They scrabble an spat and this is the time of year it starts. Usually worse over summer months even if not sitting eggs because I take them but they still have those hormones and boy do they act out. Putting them in time out has helped here over night.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

So I boiled some eggs and put them down but they were not interested at all. Didn't touch them. Any other suggestions for increasing their protein?

Do you already feed mealworms?