help understanding duck behaviour

[motherduckling]

Hi I have two house ducks, who do go outside in a big pen but they come indoors a lot. but anyway beside the point, I have a kharki campbell , Pancake, (Drake) and a little Mallard, Aromatic, (Drake) he has a twisted tendon so only has use of one leg, (this is why they come inside a lot as he is a fragile little soul). but the mallard lets me stroke him and tickle his chins while he nibbles my fingers, but they will also both happily stand next to me all day staring at me (can be a bit weird), but as soon as I go to gently stroke the Campbell he will bite me and get aggressive and sometimes try to mate me . In the evening they love getting on their bed next to my bed, but the campbell will have to have a chin tickle before he goes to sleep. he rests his head in my hand and closes his eyes and lets me tickle his chin and stroke the side of his face. why does he do this sometimes and other times he wants to attact me and bite me. I have tried the showing him who is boss by holding him down until he goes soft and let him go, ( I DO NOT HURT HIM) but then he does like a little victory lap like he won lol I just want to understand why he lets me pet him before bed but not during the day !?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Who knows the mind of a drake. My Muscovy drake will be a soft mush one day and the next is all over me biting and he has been doing this 12 yrs. lol Hormones is most of the problem . When Opie starts biting me I get up pick him up and put him into the pool this is a great distraction, he will bathe then get out and preen and forget all about me. Until next time. This time of year he is pretty laid back because mating season is over. Your boys haven't anyone to take out the hormonal frustrations on but you. So your seeing their nice side and their hormonal side. When one starts biting that is when to stop petting scratching and if possible get up and walk away, if that causes one or both to come after you then you put them on their belly and make them lay there until they relax. Some members give their drakes time out in a pen by himself of in a dog crate.

IT sounds like your giving your boys a great life but they are sex driven so you have to expect they are going to look to you as a mate since they haven't any females to share the love with.

 

[motherduckling]

Thank you. makes a lot more sense.