She really wants to mate....with me?!

[Pet Duck Boy]

Yeah, I'm guessing Sunny is at the point where she's thinkin dirty thoughts now. Or at least wants to have babies. She's 7 months old, almost 8. So I guess this is normal? For the past 2 days, everytime I head out to feed her she quacks at me none stop. She'll run up to me, smooth out all her feathers until she looks skinny. And she stretches her neck out all the way. I'm positive this is mating behavior for a hen. She seems like she really trusts me, and only me. But this behavior is kind of getting annoying. Getting another duck isn't possible, don't ask why...it just isn't. Are they like dogs? Where they go through ummm say, "heat"? Or will she do this year round? It doesn't sound right telling my friends that my pet duck wants to have babies with me....


*edited to remove personal info*

 

[1lpoock]

Yes that is definetly mating behavior if she is laying herself out flat....if it gets annoying to you, I would just grab her up when she does it and hold her a little, get her mind of other things.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

She froze up comepletly in the water just a few minutes ago, I though something was wrong. But I guess freezing up in the water is mating behavior too? She's done this before. But not so many times in just one day.

 

[Wifezilla]

Your poor girl is hormonally deranged

 

[nettie]

lol, at least your duck has a girl name and is called a she.

My duck Victor, who we thought was a boy, turned out to be a girl.... and he does the same things. Every morning he insists i open up the doors to the second level of his pen and pet him. he flattens the back out and quacks a little. i pet him down his back and he rests his head in my elbow. I know it's due to hormones, but he also likes being pet. I'd say just take advantage of their "liking" for you. It means your in charge! lol. It helps keep my ducks in line.

When training a duck, esp female ones like my newest duck Ollie who thinks she's the top duck around here, we make her sit down and then we'll pinch the feathers on her head a little. We don't do it hard enough to hurt her. She usually complies. I figure it's like a bigger female or male tellng her who's boss. She's much nicer afterwards and not so punky.

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

just wondering will males do the same flattening move? or is it strictly for females?

 

[Duck_feeder]

Quote:
Based on my observations, it's most likely only a female thing. Females don't do it until they are of laying age. They stop whenever they aren't laying (taking a break, molting, broody, etc.). And ours usually don't do it in the evening - when the do it in the evening the eggs usually are laid late morning or early afternoon instead of early morning. They NEVER do it in the morning before they laid their egg.

 

[1lpoock]

Males will actually try to mount you...and some bigger breeds get aggressive to you during breeding season if they are a lone duck.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Nobody ever said birds were smart.

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

my female walks over to me and then if i give her a scratch between her wings right at the base of her neck she gets all still and flat. but if i do it to the other questionable male/female it wont. maybe it would be a male???