MAN! He's getting MEAN again!

[FunnyBunnies12]

Oreo(Momma duck) must be cycling or something but Ming-Ming is really getting territorial and MEAN again, no one can get on or walk on our deck without him going after that person or animal and when he nips he won't let go. He even had the balls to grab hold or try to, but nipped her pretty good, my Great Danes nose!! My Great Dane tolerates everything, she jumped back and was shocked and even scared of a duck! LOL, a 120lb dog scared of a duck! My cats won't even come on the deck, or go out when he's by the slider. So, once again I'm going to have to move them. I might as well just either keep them inside, or keep them orginally where they always were under the trampoline. However, again as I keep mentioning my girl seems to be weaker in her good leg. Even my 12yr old son has noticed, ever since her egg laying she has gotten weaker on that leg, and I really can't tell for sure if that good foot has shrunk any and that is why. But if anything, they'll stay out during the day, and I'll just bring them in at night in a seperate caged in area next to the ducklings so at least when spring comes they will know and be familuar with the ducklings so that I can have them all together. PLUS....Ming-Ming is climbing on her and trying to mate with her every chance he gets, in/out of the water, outside, in the house, anywhere! I just hope he's shooting blanks, but even if she does end up laying I will take the eggs every day. Oh Joy, can't wait to see how mean 3 drakes are in the spring! Because the 2 boys will be fully mature then!

Also, is treated wood safe for shelter? My dh doesn't think so he's afraid of them pecking the wood and ingesting it and killing them. But I will be getting bales of hay to put around their tramp. But we'll do the full wooden shelter in the spring.

 

[rainplace]

You need more female ducks for your drake.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Oh I have plenty of them now, they just aren't of age now.

 

[katharinad]

I think you need to keep him away from her for a little bit. This will give her time to get stronger.

My drake decided to get evil on me a 2 weeks ago. He nipped my ankle a couple of time. I didn't really catch on to it, because he did it when I was turned away from him, and it wasn't hard either. I finally caught onto it it that he was doing the chase down, lowered head, nip the ankle thing. So I grabbed his neck when he tried again. Pressed him to the ground, holding his head stretched out to the ground with one hand, and pressing his back with the other hand. The girls were all around him watching and chatting away. I let go when he gave up. Man he was so humiliated and just walked off. He tried it again 3 days later and I was reaching with my hand towards him and he got the message. Hasn't tried it for over a week. Yesterday I handed out peas and he was all sweet with me.

 

[lilchick]

Pressure treated wood is safe. It is no longer treated with chemicals, just salt.... It would probably be too hard for them to pick any pieces off to eat.

I think you have a very spoiled and bratty duck there in Ming Ming! He is too big for his britches..
With my muscovies I keep the hens in a separate pen from the "bachelor boys" Less fighting and mating and squabbles.. Every once in awhile one of the hens will fly into the pen to "visit" the boys.
What a hussy

She then sets and raises a nice brood of ducklings.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

He tried it again 3 days later and I was reaching with my hand towards him and he got the message. Hasn't tried it for over a week. Yesterday I handed out peas and he was all sweet with me.

A way to a mans heart is through his stomach! Human or mammal. I've shoved him away, grabbed his bill, firmly said NO, and he only gets madder! I may have to try that submission hold. All babies are outside(60's) in a pen with a pool and loving it! This is our one and only Indian summer day we will have before snow we are forecasted to get on Thanksgiving. Working outside preping things in between rain/t-storms. The thing is, maybe it's because she can't see him but if he isn't around her she will make it known to the world she isn't happy with him out of her sight. But come spring, I will probably separate the drakes/hens so that I don't get fertile eggs. With him mating with her, what do you think her chances are at this time of year to actually lay fertile eggs? I guess it won't matter because I will be pulling them unless I notice she is sitting, then I'll candle for any development before I break them open.

You know, if you went to my OP about how beautiful the babies are getting, I am convinced of 2 things of why those babies were deformed and didn't make it at lock down, well deformed, and early in her cycle, and I just couldn't leave well enough alone and I think those 4 were probably the ones that got shifted and banged around during that time I lost power and brought them to my moms and during the development the became deformed. I don't know, but I'm amazed at how big, and how beautiful they are, how perfect! None that she sat on for the 25 days were deformed, but the ones I incubated and couldn't leave well enough alone

were deformed. I partially blame myself for it. I also am glad I decided to take them and not allow her to hatch the babies because just Ming-Mings behavior, he would have killed the ducklings.

I think you have a very spoiled and bratty duck there in Ming Ming! He is too big for his britches..
With my muscovies I keep the hens in a separate pen from the "bachelor boys" Less fighting and mating and squabbles.. Every once in awhile one of the hens will fly into the pen to "visit" the boys.
What a hussy She then sets and raises a nice brood of ducklings.

Oh so true, Ming-Ming is so spoiled! He can be a lover and a fighter with me and my boys.​

 

[katharinad]

Ducks don't understand what holding their bill means. It may work in the moment, but does not pose long term learning. There is no alpha duck connection to doing it, because this is not how they naturally do that. Mounting them, and declaring who is Alpha duck works. You may have to do it for a couple of days until he gets it, but it does work. It is very important to stretch out the neck and to press down the back with your hand like you are on top with your feet. Some people hold them for 5 minutes in place, I only do it until the bird gives up. I only had to do it once, which is a surprise to me. I guess he is smarter then I thought. I once smacked (more like a tap LOL) a female on the bill because she was snapping for food. Cured her right away and she never tried that again.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Yeah I have done the bill thing to, but he's a stubborn cuss for sure!! I also think he's jealous of the ducklings and letting her know YOU ARE MINE! I honestly thing it's more of a control/dominence behavior then of him actually wanting to mate with her, but then while he's on top why not! But yeah, I have to seperate them, she isn't willing like she was before. That is what I've been working on in between the rain, and I'm soaked right now.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

I forgot to mention he dominates/mates with her when I come around, or he hears the ducklings, or they go in a spot where they were, he won't give her warning. I feel bad for the girl. But as I said, I'm working on a set up where they can see each other, he just can't get to her.