How to stop inappropriate behavior in broody drake?

[Pebble_Bunny]

Im having some issues with my 2 year old drake Buddy. He's very human bonded as I hatched him and was there every second when he was little bc he is my first duck. I used to play fight with him when he was little, he would gently nibble my hand while happy quacking and i could scratch his belly and would say "Are you a good Buddy, Good Bud-Bud?" and it was so cute but when he got to a year old he became broody and aggressive all the cute nibbles became bites that would leave me bruised or bleeding i mostly tried to ignore this behavior and treat him the same (avoid when broody) but now hes 2 years and yes he's slightly better but everything i try to interact with him it seems ok he happly quacks a little rough but i can deal then he gets hyper and starts I believe trying to mate me?? Ill be cleaning the chicken coups and one is low down to the ground so he runs to me and starts bitting my hands wiggling his little butt, he only fans out his wings when he is on my mattress or the couch which he jumps up on them himself its not something hes really meant to do but i never mind to much i just take him off. Ive tried many things, pining him down, teaching him no, holding his beak shut (not over the noise) and pushing him away none work he is relentless and will keep trying to the point where he is panting and tired. I love him so much so ive just been ignoring it and giving him scratchs on the chest anyway but I all ways leave when he starts to wiggle his butt all weirdly bc i dont want to send the wrong signals, i enjoy giving him attention so its hard not to even more so bc he follows me everywhere when im outside and pecks at my legs which can hurt sometimes. I never thought this play fighting was bad i just thought it was innocent but now i feel like a disgusting idiot bc its probably my fault he acts this way. (I did take a video but i have no idea how to post it here)

 

[nuthatched]

Wear thick pants and tall boots.
What do you mean by broody? Do you mean hormonal/ randy?
Birds desperately need other birds to bond to, especially of the same species.
So yes, he sees you as another duck for him to bully.
Get some duck hens for him, if possible, and start phasing him outside.
If that's not possible, give him negative reinforcement for negative actions. Peck him with your hand (like this ) on the head and neck HARD every time he bites, another duck would not tolerate his behavior so neither will you.

 

[Pebble_Bunny]

Wear thick pants and tall boots.
What do you mean by broody? Do you mean hormonal/ randy?
Birds desperately need other birds to bond to, especially of the same species.
So yes, he sees you as another duck for him to bully.
Get some duck hens for him, if possible, and start phasing him outside.
If that's not possible, give him negative reinforcement for negative actions. Peck him with your hand (like this ) on the head and neck HARD every time he bites, another duck would not tolerate his behavior so neither will you.

Im not sure but he starts pecking at my hand happy quacking if i join in and scratch his belly or anything he starts getting rough (still happy quacking) and then he bites my hands, straightens his body and starts wiggling his tail downwards if he is on something heigh he fans out his feathers like he thinks hes pinning me down while STILL happy quacking so either its mating or hes very happy about picking on me but he is top duck so maybe your right i have all ways babied him and he knows he will get his own way. I cant get females bc i have 7 drakes and many chickens so i just dont even have the room for that many girls, my other drakes dont have this problem other then mango but he isnt aggressive just hyper it never hurts and he buggers of pretty easily. I have had Buddy and Duckington together their whole life but i did hatch him so i wouldnt be shocked if he thought i was a duck. He goes outside through the day and only come inside at night around 11pm-7am, they come into my bedroom at night. I normally pull gently at his belly feathers sometimes but maybe i am being way to gentle if this is him bulling me then ill try be rough i just never wanted to upset him bc hes all ways been my baby but it isnt shocking he bullies me, he does tell his brother off for just trying to drink from the water bowl. He even tried to fight the pekins which are twice his size which is why i had to seprate them, he all ways puts everyone in their place and if someome freatens him or his brother he will forever hate them (even humans) its caused a few problems so i just have him and his brother and 1 other duck together which they only like this duck bc he is friendly and has no one else, the others are in seprate cages but they all go to the cage walls and peck at eachother its cute to watch as they all happy quack and run up and down the cages together but idk this is probably them trying to fight dumb ducks they cant even touch eachother through the wire. Its so confusing bc they all ways happy quack while fighting me or eachother it feels impossible to know if its aggression or not, the only time they dont is when they are scared like if the chickens attack them they get scared and hiss instead.

 

[ruthhope]

I have rescued drakes that I can't rehome. Currently just 1, Daffy, was rescued as a new hatch. He was my first rescue although my son has ducks, some of which were raised from "day old" ducklings from Tractor Supply. It took 8 weeks before I found ducklings of the same age/size . I tried immediately after I rescued him, but the nearest I found on-line were 4 hours drive away. I wasn't driving 8 hours round trip with a depressed duckling in a box on the passenger seat

By the time I got 3 more, mine was obviously a drake. Two of the new comers were drakes and the female was rehomed to my son's flock.

Four years later, Daffy still thinks he should live in the house with me and tries to sneak in at every opportunity. I hate the spring as he starts biting my legs and hands when he can reach them. I went through the transition from duckling nibbles to bites over the first year. I tried using a pool noodle to fend him off. That didn't work as he knew it didn't hurt even if I whacked him with it. In fact I think the pool noodle made him worse as he reacted to it as if I was giving him the come on by returning his biting advances. I tried picking him up and dumping him in the wading pool--punishment that works for all the other boys. Daffy was fine with that as he is a real water baby. If I have the hose in my hand, I will use it on him. He will then back off but not for long!

I have found the best protection is a stout stick. I have one that is 1 inch diameter, with a zip tie strap that I put through a hole at one end. I have never hit Daffy! And never would. I just put it firm in front of him and he recognizes I mean business. I think i waved it pendulum style in front of him at first but now I just place the bottom end on the ground between him and me and tell him to go away with British swear words I only use with that drake!!! When I am in the coop, I sometimes have to wave it in front of him beind me for a time to get him to stop trying to come up behind to bite me.

I look forward to July-August when he will settle down.

 

[nuthatched]

etting rough (still happy quacking) and then he bites my hands, straightens his body and starts wiggling his tail downwards if he is on something heigh he fans out his feathers like he thinks hes pinning me down while STILL happy quacking so either its mating

Yeah, that's mating behavior.
STOP scratching/touching his belly, it's 'arousing' him, those are very smexy things to do if you're a duck.
Start treating him like an duck would treat an unwelcome mating.
Knock him over, peck him, push him away.
He sees you as his personal mate, and you're not.
Unfortunately, after 2 years of this behavior and reinforcement, it's not likely to change unless you take retraining seriously. When it gets warm, start training him to sleep outside at night, not in your 'nest',, which solidifies some of the sexual possessiveness he's got going with you.

 

[Pebble_Bunny]

Yeah, that's mating behavior.
STOP scratching/touching his belly, it's 'arousing' him, those are very smexy things to do if you're a duck.
Start treating him like an duck would treat an unwelcome mating.
Knock him over, peck him, push him away.
He sees you as his personal mate, and you're not.
Unfortunately, after 2 years of this behavior and reinforcement, it's not likely to change unless you take retraining seriously. When it gets warm, start training him to sleep outside at night, not in your 'nest',, which solidifies some of the sexual possessiveness he's got going with you.

Ah... I thought only parrots found touching in those areas sexual? Ill avoid touching his chest then, is touching his head ok? I cant kick him out of my room I only have coups outside for my chicken nothing else plus all my ducks are in my room not just him and I do enjoy having him in my room he sleeps as close to my bed as he can, so does his brother and they both happy quack together all night its so cute, I'll just make sure he cant jump out of his cage anymore bc I think thats when the problem starts as then hes in my part of the room. I feel so guilty I never meant to arous him, poor boy. I tried the pecking thing and he did infact back off he gave me some gentle pecks then wondered off I think he was saying sorry I'll back off so I'll keep trying that just hoping it wasnt a fluke and will keep working i just hope this doesnt ruin our bond and he can be my baby boy again rather then my "mate"

 

[Pebble_Bunny]

Ah... I thought only parrots found touching in those areas sexual? Ill avoid touching his chest then, is touching his head ok? I cant kick him out of my room I only have coups outside for my chicken nothing else plus all my ducks are in my room not just him and I do enjoy having him in my room he sleeps as close to my bed as he can, so does his brother and they both happy quack together all night its so cute, I'll just make sure he cant jump out of his cage anymore bc I think thats when the problem starts as then hes in my part of the room. I feel so guilty I never meant to arous him, poor boy. I tried the pecking thing and he did infact back off he gave me some gentle pecks then wondered off I think he was saying sorry I'll back off so I'll keep trying that just hoping it wasnt a fluke and will keep working i just hope this doesnt ruin our bond and he can be my baby boy again rather then my "mate"

I tried the pecking thing again when he was being rough and he just got even more rough and started climbing on my feet and wiggling his tail i kept pushing him off and "pecking" at him pretty rough but not rough enough to hurt him and he wouldnt give up but after awhile he did and walked away but it didnt take him long to come back but he was just gently pecking at my legs so I didnt tell him off. Ill keep trying but i dont enjoy pecking at him i feel so bad

 

[tlcmurphy]

You keep 7 drakes in your room at night??!

 

[Pebble_Bunny]

You keep 7 drakes in your room at night??!

Yeahh it used to just be Buddy and Duckington but then i got 2 more then 2 more... then 1 more and ended up with 7 they are in groups of 2 bc fighting except duckington, Buddy and Florida man who are in a group of 3. They have these weird cage walls that you can connect together, i have a pretty decent sized room and all i need in my part of the room is a bed as i spend my time downstairs or outside so the whole room except where my bed is, is theirs. They chat all night its the most cutest thing ever i even put some baby hanging toys on the walls and they love to nibble at them, they are all just big babys and it seems they love being in my room at night they even wait by the door when it gets to the usual time i take them in, the second i open it they walk in happy quacking then run off and jump up the stairs only the runner ducks can jump up the stairs though, my pekins Crumble and Mayo and whatever Buddy is cant bc they are chubby. I get its not the most efficient or clean thing ever but they love it and so do i plus i do clean it every day the best i can! Sorry for saying so much i cant help myself

 

[tlcmurphy]

I understand they are pets, as are my chickens, but they need to be outside, ducks are not indoor animals.