muscovy attack...

[DVTO2]

So I've had these two muscovys, a drake and a hen for about 8 months. I have been feeding and watering them daily and never had a problem. Suddenly, today, the drake got very aggressive and poked me withhis bill. I gave him a slight push with my boot and he got even more aggressive. I gave him a harder kick and he escalated further. I'm going to have to go in with armor next time. Now, the duck had just laid her first of a second batch of eggs. The first batch did not hatch. But I did not have this problem with the drake with hte first batch of eggs.

Any suggestions?

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Sounds like the drake sees you as an intruder, next time it happens walk towards him and make him either turn away or back up, that way your showing him you are the leader not him. My muscovy drakes have never attacked me, but my gander will try it, and I use this method on him and it works. Could also mean he is protecting the female although my drakes have never been interested in the eggs or ducklings my girls have had.

 

[dianaross77]

My not quite 5 week old has been getting progressively more and more rough with me. Yesterday he grabbed hold of the skin on my finger and shook his head back and forth. I put my hand on his back and the other on his neck and pushed him into the floor (gently, he's still a baby). I held him til he stopped struggling. That fixed his wagon. He gave me a lot of space after that. I want my ducks to like me but I'll be darn if that little tyrant is going to attack me! He's still cute though.

 

[DVTO2]

Has anyone else had problems with aggressive muscovys?

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

I don't have Muscovy ducks, but I have a Pekin who is the same way, but ONLY during breeding season when his hormones get the best of him. The rest of the time he is as sweet as pie.

I would do what the above poster suggested, and be the dominant one. If walking towards him doesn't work, then I would try doing to him what they do to the girls when they mate. I push mine down to the ground and gently hold his neck down. This worked wonderful for me.

 

[DVTO2]

I have to say that this is a big tough fella, probably 15 lbs or more, and the best I can do at this point is walk in with a board between me and him. Standing my ground gets an attack and I'm not sure I could a hold of him very easily.

 

[animalpro24]

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What's to be afraid of? ( I guess that is coming from a 12 year old girl who hasn't been afraid of any animals) But still don't be afraid. You have to get in his face as much as he's getting in yours, see how he likes it! Don't hurt him of course but if he's chasing you, chase him. He's just a big bird that's all!

He's probably aggressive cause it's breeding season and he is in charge of his lady and no one is going to take her. If the female hatches a clutch you might want to separate them while she's laying on eggs and the ducklings are still young.

 

[Irukanji]

I've only ever had the second biggest drake try and do anything to me, basically I was throwing some food out for them and he was trying to grab my hand before I opened it, and then he'd keep looking at the hand and not eat. What can I say, animals just need to be put in line. He only did it once, then I guess he wised up to the fact that I was the one providing him food everyday

 

[FarmrGirl]

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DVTO2... don't let that drake get the upper hand with you. He's 15 lbs and he has claws but you're still bigger and tougher. Wear long sleeves and gloves when you have to deal with him but don't leave the area without making sure he understands that you're in charge. Every bird is different so you'll probably have to try a few things to get your point across.

My Muscovy are super sweet and have never been agressive to me, they like to be petted. But when my 15lbs drake was bullying all the girls for a week, I put his happy little ass in a wire kennel for the night to sleep (I put the kennel right next to the wire of the girls house so they could still talk and see each other tho). I only had to do that twice and he stopped bullying altogether. If he pinches on the juvenile's butts all I have to say is his name and "be nice". And he makes his sweet face and huffs at me to get petted.

I have a Cayuga drake who was very aggressive and would grab my skin when I was putting out the feed and he left some huge blood blisters. I dealt with him the only way he understands: just like another drake, I grabbed his breast feathers right up near his neck and pulled him down to the ground, when he got loose and came at me again I grabbed his tail feathers and held on (I saw my other drake do this with him and it worked). I needed to reestablish my dominance a few more times but now he's just as sweet as pie to me.

When my geese were in their first year and testing me, that gander stuck his neck out and tried to pinch me so I grabbed his neck and made him look me in the eye. We have a much better relationship now.

I have a rooster who's trying to find his place out in the barnyard with so many personalities and he's jumped and flapped at me a couple of times. I tried stalking him, that wasn't very effective. I eventually just grabbed him up by his feet and let him hang like that for a few minutes before letting him go. I've had to do it twice but he knows I'm the head rooster now

Of course, all of this sounds very rough but I'm as gentle as I can be and still get my point across. I have an unfair size advantage. But if they want to challenge me I'll set 'em straight about who's in charge. Usually they'll give me a wide berth for a week or two but once they realize that I'm just the food lady and I come bearing treats they forget all about our little tiff and we can be friends again

But if you let those animals think they're in charge, they will be.

 

[DVTO2]

Alright, I think I will try the pin him down approach, though I can tell you, I will be fully armored when I go in.