My drakes are acting like knuckleheads...😑lol. Please help 😔

[Rouen Mom]

My boys usually get along pretty well, but as of today I've noticed them tail biting, chasing eachother, and in general just having very bad manners (they know better, and I know that they're aware that type of behavior is against the rules, because they always turn and give me a really guilty look afterwards).

What should I do? I can't figure out what may have caused this behavioral shift. I don't want my babies to get hurt

 

[Miss Lydia]

How old are they? Hormones most likely. Do you have just drakes or a mix what is your ratio?

 

[ruthhope]

Drakes squabble with other drakes. Mine are all drakes and their squabbling persists from spring through to September. I only intervene on the rare occasions I fear that blood will be shed.

I do ensure they are not put in the coop too early in the evening -- that is where most squabbling occurs -- and those most likely to be victims or the one most likely to be the bully is partitioned off from the others overnight. This year I have had my pekin sleeping in a dog crate. He is a bossy duck that instigates fights with one of the muscovy, but at only half the size of the muscovy he is in danger when a fight breaks out.

 

[Rouen Mom]

Drakes squabble with other drakes. Mine are all drakes and their squabbling persists from spring through to September. I only intervene on the rare occasions I fear that blood will be shed.

I do ensure they are not put in the coop too early in the evening -- that is where most squabbling occurs -- and those most likely to be victims or the one most likely to be the bully is partitioned off from the others overnight. This year I have had my pekin sleeping in a dog crate. He is a bossy duck that instigates fights with one of the muscovy, but at only half the size of the muscovy he is in danger when a fight breaks out.

I wonder if bossiness is a common behavior trait in Pekins..my Pekin drake is the instigator in my flock as well

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wonder if bossiness is a common behavior trait in Pekins..my Pekin drake is the instigator in my flock as well

It all depends on the drake.

 

[member 544621]

There is no advice that would work, beyond giving up one of the drakes or separating them.

Animals all have their own ways of communicating with each other.
My rooster tries to side shuffle the tom turkey every single day. And the turkey struts in front of the rooster every single day. They have no idea what the other is trying to convey.

As for the 'hang dog look'
That is the look of a dog that is fearful and submissive. The dog is trying to convey it does not want to be confrontational. Dogs don't know how to be sorry or how to be guilty. They respond to us in a manner that gets them what THEY want. Not what we want.

 

[Rouen Mom]

This is the look I meant

 

[casportpony]

Closed for staff review.

 

[casportpony]

I just finished reading the whole thread and have cleaned it up.

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[BrennerHomestead]

There is no advice that would work, beyond giving up one of the drakes or separating them.

Animals all have their own ways of communicating with each other.
My rooster tries to side shuffle the tom turkey every single day. And the turkey struts in front of the rooster every single day. They have no idea what the other is trying to convey.

As for the 'hang dog look'
That is the look of a dog that is fearful and submissive. The dog is trying to convey it does not want to be confrontational. Dogs don't know how to be sorry or how to be guilty. They respond to us in a manner that gets them what THEY want. Not what we want.

You must be a cat person Lol. I have three month old pups that know what they are doing wrong. Yet I have a two year old cat that gets removed from the table daily.

I breed poultry and waterfowl. I have never had issues with Drakes being aggressively. Unless Cayugas or Pekins. Both breeds I have witnessed aggression towards hens and drakes. I've seen runner drakes and even hens chase around other drakes. Most docile I would say khakis and Welsh. Muscovys are pretty docile. Calls are noisy but chase down other ducks but I think that's just lol duck syndrome. I honestly believe chickens are bigger bullies than ducks.