Runner drakes are sudden imbeciles

[Callender Girl]

After losing one drake and two runner hens over the winter, my two remaining drakes -- with five hens -- have suddenly decided after four years to attack each other. Layne has grown up with Sheldon, who is a year older. Maybe Skylar -- the drake who passed away -- was the peacekeeper.

Initially, I had three drakes who grew up together, and while there was an occasional scuffle, it was short-lived. Layne -- who was sexed by the breeder as a hen -- has never had a problem with the older Sheldon until recently. Now, it's non stop.

I almost wonder if it's because one of Layne's girls -- he was purchased with two other ducklings that really were girls -- seems to prefer Sheldon these days.

All I know is that even when fencing separates them, these two won't leave each other alone. At this moment, they are sticking their bills through the opening in the woven wire fence. Both will soon be bald if the feather pulling doesn't stop. BOYS!!!!

 

[Callender Girl]

The fighting has escalated to the point that Layne managed to escape the fencing to continue the battle. Luckily, Golly -- a Buff goose -- alerted me to the violence. I don't know if she was offended or just wanted to get into the fray.

Layne is now safely locked into the duckling brooder house after I sprayed Vetricyn on his bleeding neck.

 

[indianaducks]

Naughty drakes!

 

[addctd2plnts]

It's breeding season. We see the same sort of behavior in human males at the local bar LMBO Thankfully with ducks, they will go back to their careless, amiable selves in July LOL

 

[Yardmom]

When ever birds are added or removed the order of rank must be reestablished. Drakes would do this at the start of the breeding season.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Every breeding season for the past almost 11 yrs my Muscovy drake and my Embden gander had each other to take their frustrations out on. First it was my gander going after my drake starting in Jan then my drake would get hormonal starting in March that’s when the fighting would start and I’d have to separate them. I lost my 14 yr old gander in Feb so now my Muscovy drake wants to take out his frustrations on me this has never happened before . I have to put him down on his belly multiple times a day and he’ll come right back so I started getting the hose after him. He does not like being sprayed and it stops his aggression fast. This has been a rough start to this breeding season losing my gander and having my drake wanting to fight with me. I hope he goes back to his sweet self In a few months

 

[Callender Girl]

I understand the whole breeding season thing. I just wonder why it took FOUR YEARS for them to decide to assault each other. Maybe I should just be grateful for the previous seasons.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Who knows what goes on in those pea brains! Could be too that losing the ducks in their flock has started another time of settling who is dominant.

 

[Callender Girl]

That's what I've been thinking. Although I lost a drake, Skylar, who was the same age as Sheldon, one of the hens, Quinn, was the duck "queen." She, much more than the three boys I got with her (neither the breeder nor I had any duck-sexing skills back then) was the flock leader.

I just hope it ends soon. Very, very soon.

 

[ruthhope]

Every breeding season for the past almost 11 yrs my Muscovy drake and my Embden gander had each other to take their frustrations out on. First it was my gander going after my drake starting in Jan then my drake would get hormonal starting in March that’s when the fighting would start and I’d have to separate them. I lost my 14 yr old gander in Feb so now my Muscovy drake wants to take out his frustrations on me this has never happened before . I have to put him down on his belly multiple times a day and he’ll come right back so I started getting the hose after him. He does not like being sprayed and it stops his aggression fast. This has been a rough start to this breeding season losing my gander and having my drake wanting to fight with me. I hope he goes back to his sweet self In a few months

@MissLydia You know I have squabbling drakes. One began the year being very violent with me but I gave him intense "therapy". I couldn't hold him to the ground as it was too uncomfortable for me bending over him, so I held him on a concrete table. I didn't always hold him pushed down. Sometimes, I just held him tight against me. And I talked to him gently throughout. After 2 weeks, of virtually daily "therapy" sessions, he calmed down. He does need reminding every now and then, but I find that he responds better now to time out in a dog crate. Just 10 minutes. His drake pals hang around outside the crate -- and they hang around my feet when I have him on the table. Time out is much easier than holding your drake down multiple times a day.

I haven't yet resorted to hosing him down to cool him off-- although I do shower all my drakes as they are a stinky lot that rarely go in their pool unless I have started them off with a shower [adolescent males!!!!] Even my son's drake that has come to me as he was being unkind to a muscovy female, adopted my drakes' poor standard of hygiene although he was in my son's pool on and off all day with the females. My pool is exactly like my son's, and when the females are over at my place, they are in it all day. It's definitely an adolescent male thing not bathing.