Muscovy fighting getting worse - at my wit's end!

[StinkyAcres]

Once my four female Muscovy ducks matured they have not stopped fighting. Well, they'll stop for a couple weeks, but then they are back at it again, and now it doesn't matter if they are laying or guarding eggs or not. I posted about my Muscovies bullying each other a year ago (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-stop-muscovy-ducks-from-bullying-each-other.1642077/), but it has since gotten more intense (as evidenced by the photos). I am very close to culling at least the two meanest. Of course I don't want to - they are pets. But keeping four ducks in separate pens is not an option, and if no one else has any ideas on how to stop this I might just have to get rid of them.

They are fed NatureWise All Flock pellets, have a 3' x 5.5' coop (only three are living in it now), a 3' pool, and water and supplement bowls in a large pasture with lots of grass and fruit trees.

 

[Jenbirdee]

@Miss Lydia (she has Muscovy)

 

[AshVau22]

Do you have a Drake?

 

[Miss Lydia]

@StinkyAcres I know exactly what your going through. I only have 3 females left from my flock of Muscovy and for many years one the youngest who is now 13 had to live in the coop with the other ducks and goose she was so mean to her Aunt Joy. Last year all on her own she decided she wanted to be with her mama and aunt so I put her with them. They can't be with the other ducks I have because my Runner drake is obsessed with them, (they are too old to put up with a 2 yr old drake]Any way the fighting has calmed but the bullying happens still by that I mean Dolly will scare Joy away from treats [scaring is just getting close ]so I have to hand-feed her separate. Joy will quickly move if Dolly gets close to her like intimidation. She know Joy is scared of her. Why they do this I don't know. About the only suggestion I can rec is separating the 2 that fight It doesn't sound like you want to do that so Rehoming or culling. Is it the 2 meanest fighting each other or fighting the more laid back 2? If you decide to rehome that could end the fighting because they will most likely team up since they would be in a new place with the possibility of other waterfowl.
Maybe someone else has figured out a solution to this I hope so.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Do you have a Drake?

No...because I heard they are even meaner.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Is it the 2 meanest fighting each other or fighting the more laid back 2?

Both. But then sometimes it's the more laid back two that fight the mean ones! It changes all the time and they have all fought each other, but there are two so far that have drawn blood (one of which is the injured one in the photos! ).

 

[StinkyAcres]

The meanest one is actually the best layer and brooder. I was hoping to keep her to incubate eggs, but......

 

[AshVau22]

No...because I heard they are even meaner.

I've never owned Muscovy. I know people who do and I've never heard anything say their drakes are aggressive. I do have other duck breeds. Only time I had a problem was when I lost the Drake and had 6 ducks absolute chaos. It turned into a blood bath and feather pulling. I got another Drake and he brought peace once more. So not sure if Muscovy are the same but my girls needed someone to keep the order because they obviously couldn't manage that themselves.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Both. But then sometimes it's the more laid back two that fight the mean ones! It changes all the time and they have all fought each other, but there are two so far that have drawn blood (one of which is the injured one in the photos! ).

My Muscovy bully would draw blood too. Tonight she wanted to cause trouble and I almost picked her up and put her in the other coop but she finally went and laid down. Muscovy have a temperament different than other domestics they do like to fight. I could never have the drakes together always had to have them separated. We put up stalls up in our coop with hinged tops to keep them in. You might consider something like that? Out during the day if they have enough room they can usually stay away from the bully. Crates work for separating also.
One drake can be a good thing it's when you have more than one trouble happens if there are females present.

 

[StinkyAcres]

My Muscovy bully would draw blood too. Tonight she wanted to cause trouble and I almost picked her up and put her in the other coop but she finally went and laid down. Muscovy have a temperament different than other domestics they do like to fight. I could never have the drakes together always had to have them separated. We put up stalls up in our coop with hinged tops to keep them in. You might consider something like that? Out during the day if they have enough room they can usually stay away from the bully. Crates work for separating also.

Thanks. I have tried separating them in the coop, but it's no use. They get up in the morning wanting to chase, drown, and hurt each other. They have a ton of room to roam outside.

I have one I separated months ago and I put her in with the chickens. She leaves the chickens alone for the most part and is much more peaceful being the only duck. As soon as I placed another duck in her pen they fought.