Is this mating behavior?!

[suzy4027]

Our Drake has been doing this weird trembling head/neck thing. He looks like a toddler that's throwing a tantrum and gets so mad that they grit their teeth and shake. It first started when we were feeding treats. He'd do the shivering thing and sorta lunge for the treat. It's not all the time though? He also does it when our ducks fight through the fence with the neighbors ducks. He isn't the aggressor anymore but he gets irritated with all the smack talk that happens from both sides. Lol. I would've chalked it up to the start of mating behavior, but here's the confusing part... He's been doing it since before any hormones should've kicked in?! He's faster than our duck when it comes to treats so he doesn't need to compete. He also does it to whoever's got the treats. He's never offered to bite but as I hear myself thinking it through, sounds like he's just being a dill weed!

I assume I need to start thumping him on the nose when he starts to do it. (Here comes the classic next line...) He's never bitten anyone and has always seems funny when he does it. Ummm, ok, so I clearly need to stop it before he DOES bite, big duh moment, but I still wonder, is it a mating behavior? Or just a bratty Drake that will be a complete pain if allowed to continue.

 

[jennifleur]

I have often wondered about the head vibrating thing they do. All of my ducks do it. I think it means they are very excited. Could be a good excited, like digging and feeding them worms from the worm pile. It could be bad, I'm going to teach this young punk who's alpha duck! Not sure.

 

[JLynnsDuckies]

Both my male and female Pekin do the vibrating head thing and I've wondered the same thing. I guess it seems to me to be a dominance thing. They will do it just before going after my 6 week old ganders, and they mean business! They also do it to my hubby every now and then. Especially my female. She will vibrate her head and then run at him and throw her neck out and run it up his arm. I should mention they are hand feed and normally very friendly to people. They are about 15 weeks old now. Boogers.

 

[suzy4027]

I guess I was searching the forums with the wrong word. Lol. Just search "vibrate" & several threads come up. The consensus is a dominance thing. So there ya go! Apparently this is our drake's world and he lets us live in it!

 

[jennifleur]

LOL! Vibrate, is a word I seem to unconsciously avoid now when searching the internet. I have a whole mental list of do not type words, ones that have turned up results I was not expecting.

 

[suzy4027]

RIGHT?!!! I couldn't figure out a way to go there without going there! Lol. Felt wrong to even put it in my response! I'm a 46yr old child about some things.

 

[MrsJones05]

I've been searching for the same answer this morning. I told my hubby to watch for when they start shivering, cuz they're getting ready to rush you. For some reason they do it to him more than me. Maybe trying to keep him away from me! LOL

I remember the ducks doing the same thing when I was a child too.