Female v Female Agression Ducks

[MrsWayne]

A Pekin hen started attacking a Buff hen just in the last day or so.

I let my ducks out to the run this morning and almost immediately my hen Henriette attacked the Buff (no name yet). It was that neck wrap behavior with biting the nape. She didn't seem to be trying to mount. I watched for a while because it was so unusual. They have been together for weeks now and this has not happened, that I know of.

Henriette kept it up, chasing the Buff into the pool. The Drake was in there and tried to keep Henriette out. I put a stop to it shortly after. The Buff ran to the corner of the run and stood there.

I noticed the back of the Buff's neck has been picked pretty clean of feathers, but I don't see any raw skin yet. I turned the Pekins out to free range to give the Buff some rest and to figure out what to do.

I did a search on duck agression and fighting behavior but after four pages I have not seen it addressed. It may be under a different search term.

I don't have enough experience to know if this is pecking order behavior or something worse.

Now I'm late for work and the cat just barfed at my feet! Luckily she missed.

 

[PirateGirl]

I’m sorry I don’t have a great answer other than we can’t make them be friends. If there’s any way you can offer them time apart or time in a larger area or modify your set up to include more hiding spots it might help. The goal being to allow them their own space. Also two food dishes two water sources two pools will help because ducks will squabble over resources.

 

[chickens really]

Your positive the Pekin is a Hen?

 

[MrsWayne]

Your positive the Pekin is a Hen?

Oh yes. I've had the Pekins over a year now and both are egg layers and quackers.

The Buff and Drake just joined us this year, spent 3 weeks in "quarantine" and now about four weeks with the Pekins as a flock.

 

[MrsWayne]

I just got home and went to let the Pekins back in the run. Immediately Henriette dropped her head and started chasing the Buff and tearing at her feathers, wherever she could grab a mouthful. Again, I had to separate them and left the Pekins out to free range.

Not sure how to handle this now. I guess I could get the dog kennel out and put the Buff there for the night. I'll have to mull this over.

 

[MrsWayne]

I’m sorry I don’t have a great answer other than we can’t make them be friends. If there’s any way you can offer them time apart or time in a larger area or modify your set up to include more hiding spots it might help. The goal being to allow them their own space. Also two food dishes two water sources two pools will help because ducks will squabble over resources.

There are two food dishes and two pools. The run is pretty big, about 8x32. Just the four ducks. Hiding places .... could use a couple I suppose.

 

[chickens really]

Are you keeping them separated and only putting them together once in awhile? That’s not going to work. They need to be together all the time so no dominant behaviour happens anymore.

 

[MrsWayne]

Are you keeping them separated and only putting them together once in awhile? That’s not going to work. They need to be together all the time so no dominant behaviour happens anymore.

They have been together non-stop for almost 4 weeks now. I only separated them today because of this new behavior.

 

[MrsWayne]

This

 

[aart]

Maybe separate the bully?
That can work with chickens sometimes.