My pet Romeo has gone mad! He's charging and biting my feet!! D: Help!

[Moochie]

Storey's book didn't say anything about this.. In a grow-out pen I have 4 ducks, 2 drakes and 2 hens. They're 4-5 months old. I'll be keeping Romeo, the 2 hens, and getting rid of my current drake with the laying flock and the other drake (Romeo's brother). Today I went in to change their pond water and Romeo was biting and chasing my feet... At first I thought he was playing a game with me, because he bit my jacket sleeve too and held on, so I gave him a hug and gave him a kiss on the head.

Every time I walk around or move my feet he feels the need to bite them, if he chases he chases with his head down and he runs fast.. I didn't know ducks were so fast. Lol. He's also biting my mom's feet and she thought it was because we weren't giving the ducks mealworms enough so she has a container of dried mealworms in their pen. I took some out and sprinkled them on the ground to keep the ducks distracted while I go over to the pond. Surely enough Romeo followed me and bit my shoes and socks again. I said "what are doing pal?" and poked him away. While I was using the hand pump Romeo and his duck buddies were busy playing in the water that was being pumped out and I got up to dump the pond (it's the black plastic kind you get from hardware stores). Romeo went into the almost empty pond and was trying to bite me. I emptied it out anyways and refilled the pond. They're all happy and good with the clean water, yay. I hopped over the fence and went through the pen door to move something and Romeo came running as fast as he could so I shut the door on his face....

He's usually a very good boy and the friendliest. In fact last week he and his brother were doing this weird thing to my arms, like trying to jump on them, they stretched their neck out and were trying to get on my arms, no biting though. I've had him and his siblings before they were in the incubator... Hand raised. I spend alot of time with them too. Why is Romeo being so bitey all of a sudden?

 

[gnmrk2000]

It sounds like Romeo has reached puberty!

What you describe is exactly what I have witnessed from my Pekin drake. He "charges" at any person or pet who poses a threat to him. I was never on the receiving end of his rants, but then again, he was not one of my hand raised ducks and I was only with him long enough to feed and water him. Romeo seems to just be "flexing his muscles" and showing you his dominance.

 

[Amb3r]

Jus' scare the livinglights outta him, a swift kick does wonders. If you can't show him who's the boss, get a Gander or a Swan!1 They'll sure put him in his place for you!!

 

[duckyfromoz]

a swift kick does wonders.

 

[Amb3r]

Next time the lil' guy will mount the OP, and it's going to be a-w-e-s-o-m-e!

And you, Good Ma'am, should definitely have a lot of babies!!



God bless America!

 

[Ally Rose]

Hes protecting his girlfriend! looks like you are going to get ducklings!!!

 

[Oregon Blues]

This happens frequently when ducks are raised as spoiled pets and not as ducks. Your drake doesn't understand his place in the social order and he is confused about his identity. You have the choice of re-training him or seeing him get more aggressive as he gets older.

It's not a good idea for the OP to get a gander or swan. All swans are tough and ganders who are raised as spoiled pets and have confused identity can hurt a person pretty seriously.

 

[Moochie]

No room for geese or swans, just got 4 turkeys no more birds please. Well, they were raised to be friendly, our laying flocks of ducks aren't as friendly because we either got them when they were already grown up or they didn't imprint on us. Some of the laying flock feeds from our hands and they get close when I have dog food. I wouldn't say Romeo and his group are spoiled pets, they're using the same grow-out pen other birds have used and they get equal treatment as the laying ducks do. Chickens on the other hand, lol they're spoiled.
This morning I put one foot in the pen and he ran up and bit my ankle. He's doing it to my mom too so I'm re-thinking on keeping him. As nice as he was, I can't have an aggressive animal around, especially when my mom is a little ill at the moment. I think I'll just re-home him.. There's a ranch that takes in poultry and finds new homes for them, they also sell their own stock and what not.
My mom refuses to feed/water them because she's afraid of Romeo.
Why is it only him acting like this? His brother ignores me, my other drake Louis ignores me, and a previous drake ignored me.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

because he was hand raised, fed from your hand, held, cuddled and kissed. he doesn't know better because he was made to believe you are one of the flock and he is a teen aged boy full of hormones who doesn't know how to properly control them. He has no respect for you or your mom because he doesn't know you are alpha.

he needs to be retrained as Oregon said. This doesn't involve kicking him as Amb3r suggested as it can severely injure him. If you really want to keep him i suggest chatting with Oregon about retraining methods, her advice is something you can follow knowing it wont possibly cause harm to them, and will most likely result in you keeping him and being happy again.

(inexperienced people or those very young often give off hand advice that isnt the best to follow)

 

[Moochie]

This happens frequently when ducks are raised as spoiled pets and not as ducks. Your drake doesn't understand his place in the social order and he is confused about his identity. You have the choice of re-training him or seeing him get more aggressive as he gets older.

It's not a good idea for the OP to get a gander or swan. All swans are tough and ganders who are raised as spoiled pets and have confused identity can hurt a person pretty seriously.

They were raised to be friendly. You assume that I would raise a goose like a spoiled pet? Give me your definition of spoiled.
My birds live outside, they get what we can afford, no fancy golden dishes or luxurious coops made from the finest wood in America. The grow-out pen has a plastic doghouse that has been used by other birds and even broodies with eggs (the bedding has been changed out though). Feed is regular laying feed, their plastic pond is small and doesn't look like a yard decoration, just a hole in the ground with the pond put in, no pretty green grass in their pen only dirt and rocks, they sometimes get mealworms and watermelon on hot days. Petsmart jacked up the price for dried mealworms so they're being rationed at the moment and whatever we have left I'm using to train the turkey poults.
They however get love and respect as any animal at my house should. The chickens are "spoiled" I guess, they get a whole bunch of treats every Sunday from a buddhist temple my mom goes to, recently I installed misters for them because the heat is blazing here and I've already lost 4 birds to the heat, one will even come when called, her name is Moochie and she's a production red who eats alot and mooches for food, they don't have all the nice things other chicken owners have but I consider them spoiled because they get alot of attention. Watching them is better than TV.
I won't force any animal into my lap. I would love for the laying flock hens to get closer to me but if they won't that's fine. They only get close when I have their favorite treats and it's an awarding feeling to have them eat right out of my hand or push my hand with their bills to get more treats out of me. The other girl ducks in the grow-out pen don't let me touch them but they do get closer than their moms from the laying flock do. I'd rather have friendly ducks than have ducks always run away from me and trip over things trying to get away from me, my laying flock used to do this but ever since I worked with them with treats they're at the point where I'm ignorable.