Naughty boys!

[Juno]

Hi everyone, I have two white campbell drakes just around a year old. We were sold them as females and they settled in with our 3 hens. ( I've had hens for 15 years) We soon worked out they were boys as they grew, but decided to keep and love them anyway. All was good until late April, when one, Soup, started getting aggressive with me. Then the other Bruce, really hurt one of her hens by pinning her down and biting her cimb. We split the run in half and the chooks are fine. I can't let the boys out without them biting me. If I give them treats they are ok, then back at it. I use a broom to keep space between us which works. They fight all the time, I have had to treat Bruce for an injured nostril. I don't know if I should rehome them because I can't let them out every day due to their aggression. They were so sweet before, I want to still love them but it's hard and I feel bad they have less space now. Just today they have starred trying to grab the hens by the neck through the fence I've put in their run. Any advice gratefully recieved, thanks

 

[Jaeden Mckinley]

I understand the love and affection you have for your bird's, but if it gets to the point where they attack you and your hens, they either go in the fridge or a new home. It's better for you and your hens

 

[sourland]

If they get to the hens they may very well injure/kill them by breeding them.

 

[fatty and friends]

I understand the love and affection you have for your bird's, but if it gets to the point where they attack you and your hens, they either go in the fridge or a new home. It's better for you and your hens

there’s plenty of options that don’t involve killing an animal just because you don’t want to deal with them.

 

[Juno]

If they get to the hens they may very well injure/kill them by breeding them.

They can't get to them because of the fence I've put diwn the middle of the run, but I think I may need to put smaller mesh on top. I let them out into the garden in turn as well which is working ok so far.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

How old were they when you got them? Did they imprint on you?

 

[Juno]

No, they were 8 weeks old

How old were they when you got them? Did they imprint on you?

.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

No, they were 8 weeks old

.

It sounds like genetic aggression issues then which I have never heard of a case where it got better. Also with each mating season it will only get worse for both you, the girls and towards eachother. You can try rehoming or finding a sanctuary however, if you are completely up front about the aggression especially towards humans I do not know if you will be able to find someone to take them.

 

[MottsHomestead]

there’s plenty of options that don’t involve killing an animal just because you don’t want to deal with them.

While this is true… to some degree, there are far too many good, kind, drakes, looking for homes to have to deal with a bad one. Especially ones which have been known to hurt humans, hens, and eachother.

 

[Jaeden Mckinley]

there’s plenty of options that don’t involve killing an animal just because you don’t want to deal with them

I wasn't trying to sound harsh, sometimes things can go that far. The same thing happened to a friend, the ducks killed a few of his hens, and started to attack him and his family, he got rid of them/rehomed them and they did the same exact thing at the next home. Sometimes things go that far in the animal kingdom, the world is not made up of sunshine and roses.