Odd call duck behavior! Help!

[keyt1969]

I have 4 call drakes that are a little over a year old. I didn't plan on having 4. Last summer I bought 3 and thought I had 3 females so I purchased a male. Well, now I have 4 drakes. Ugh.

Up until the last week, they have been very close with each other. They lived with the rest of my duck clan of various breeds with almost no problem. The only problem I had with them is not wanting to bathe. So last weekend I put them in with the chickens thinking that maybe it was because they didn't want to get in the ponds with the bigger ducks there. Sure enough they began using the kiddie pool!

They have always been close. They eat and sit in the sun or sleep in a bunch. They have never fought or wanted to be apart..until a few days ago. Now all of a sudden two of them are constantly chasing another one, pulling on his neck and twisting him around. Now he's acting scared of them and he'll hide behind the kiddie pool. At night when the other ducks are going into their coop, he'll stand at the fence that separates the ducks and the chickens and act like he wants to go in with them. Today when I went out there I didn't see Willie anywhere and I panicked. He had dug a whole WAY underneath the duck coop and it was almost impossible to get him out. I did, but he immediately ran to hide on the other side of the kiddie pool.

Anyone have any ideas why the sudden change? The 4 of them were always so close, always quacking loud if I take one away to give them a bath (before I put them on the chicken's side when they wouldn't get in the pool) and doing everything together. Now two of them are chasing one? I don't get it. The 4th just stands there and watches.

HELP!

 

[callduckqueen]

As they are young, I would say they have now grown up and are fighting it out for dominance. Males will hang out together while they are young, but when sexually mature, they fall out with each other and assert the "pecking" order, lol. I'm surethey'll calm down once mating season has passed.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

That poor little guy! If I was closer I'd offer to buy him from you. I have all hens! I had 8, but am down to six and need to find a drake or two.

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if they are feeling the effects of testosterone, the desire to breed, and the unavailability of females. The move to new surroundings may have triggered this behavior. I would seperate him along with the drake who is not molesting him into their own pen. With this behavior drakes can seriously injure or kill subordinates. Good luck in resolving this problem.

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
Better yet, if you were closer I'd offer to buy one of your hens! I have looked everywhere for one that is older than 6 months. Problem is everyone wants to hold onto the hens, or they're at prices I cannot afford on my disability! I didn't plan to have 4 drakes, but I'm very attached to all of them.

I might try separating them til fall or something. If I had the money I'd build a separate pen for them, but we've put a LOT of money into breeding pens and other stuff for other animals. Now I'd like to eat LOL