Mean Duck

[chess0125]

How do I reform a mean drake? He is one year old and used to be sweet and gentle and now he's mean mean mean! I don't know what happened but now he chases down and bites any human who enters the duck/chicken coop, he drew blood on my leg the other day. And he won't let the chickens come outside of the coop, anytime they enter the run he chases them inside. His very life depends on your suggestions because I am fed up! I won't have a bird attacking my children, or me for that matter. Any ideas or should we turn him into roast duck and hope his son (assuming he has a son lol, his three ducklings are two weeks old in my garage) has a better attitude?

 

[Amiga]

Please fill us in on what has happened in his life in the last six months. Sometimes there are circumstances that we don't realize are contributing to bad behavior. Not always, but sometimes.

 

[chess0125]

He and his mate spent the winter in the duck house, someone would go in every day to make sure the water wasn't frozen over and make sure the food dish had food inside. Momma started laying in February and we collected the first 30 or so eggs, then let her set a bunch, which she did successfully. When she started to set is when he got mean, I guess protecting her. Four ducklings hatched, one died and the other three were collected and brought inside for us to raise. Last week we built a new coop and moved the ducks and pullets inside, New to everybody coop. Momma started laying again the day after the move. He's been getting treats once a week for nine plus months, spaghetti and lettuce and apricots are his favorite. Um...I can't think of anything else?

 

[Orca5094]

Sounds like just normal drake behavior during breeding season. They do get especially bad when the females are laying or sitting on eggs. He's just being protective and trying to keep everything and everyone away from his girl. My drake has gotten pretty bad too, but not as bad as yours. My females are not sitting on their eggs, though. Is there a way to pen him and his mate away from other animals and people? Even just adding an additional chicken wire fence around their area while allowing the other birds to have the rest of the yard? That would give them some privacy and keep everyone away so he doesn't have to attack everyone to get some space. That will also keep your other animals and kids safe.

 

[PetMom5]

I don't know if I am doing this right...I've never started a thread or replied to one but I need HELP!!! I am having a very similar problem to the person with the mean duck attacking people. I have two ducks I bought as 2 week old ducklings in December this past year. So now they are about...almost 6 months old. I know my welsh harlequin is a male based upon his coloring and I believe my pekin duck is a male as well, although I have not sexed him. My problem is that every time my husband or I go outside the pekin starts attacking us. He will chase us from across the yard and peck at our feet or the back of our legs and leave marks on us. I have even bled a little from one of his bites. And yesterday at my son's birthday party he bit my daughter on the side of her face and kepy chasing her across the yard trying to get her! It is really only the pekin who seems to be the problem. I feel they have everything they need or could want so I just don't understand why they are treating us like this. I have never had ducks or farm type animals and don't really understand or know what to do. I love these ducks but I love my children more! And their safety is important. As the only person said in their post...His very life depends some sort of help....well so does this duck's! Someone please help!!

 

[chess0125]

Are your ducks free range? Maybe pen them up so they can only get to you when you go in the pen? I can't imagine my ducks being free range. They're so bossy! He's mellowed out a lot this last week but he is still on edge and territorial when we're in his space. Maybe if your ducks space was his own and not combined with yours he'd chill?

 

[Amiga]

It is mating season. Their hormones can make them quite aggressive. You may need to confine them to a comfortably sized pen for a while. Consider asking @Miss Lydia for advice.

 

[PetMom5]

We have a fenced in back yard that they pretty much have to roam around in. I never really thought of them being that territorial, but that could be a possibility. They do have a decent sized crate/coop my husband and I built for them to keep their food and water and for them to sleep in at night. You think the best thing for me to do is fence off a particular part of the yard for them and then let them out when the family wants to interact? Do you think that will improve his behavior? I will try anything. Are there any other efforts I need at make or any other advice you could offer? Thank you.

 

[chess0125]

That's what I would do. I can't say it'll improve his behavior because in my experience ducks are very territorial but at least you'll get yo decide when he's around the kids and he'll feel like he's in their area not they're in his. Ducks (at least any of the dozen I've raised) aren't as friendly as chickens and barely tolerate human interaction. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, maybe that's normal. But yes. Get them their own space, leave them for two or three weeks so they accept the new change, and then let them out supervised only. Then when he attacks at least you can take steps to prevent it, such as holding closed his beak for a half a minute or so every time he bites or just having the victim hold and cuddle him for a few minutes after every bite. He'll get the hint that biting isn't worth it. Also teach the kids not to run from him but towards him when he gets chargy. They're alpha, not him.

 

[Kleonaptra]

Yep I'm in agreement with penning. Mine go to bed in a shed, have a pen and free range. We now have a smaller isolation pen inside the main pen for various reasons, and one of those is Duck Jail for overly agressive drakes. They cant help themselves when they are full of testosterone so I have to protect the submissive flock members.