Should I let my drakes fight?

[ivytalks]

Hey, everybody, I hope you're all well!

So this time I'm wondering if it's normal that my two drakes fight not constantly but yes more than they used to which was almost never.

They both are around 5 months old, my father brought them as a gift for my cousins but I am the one taking care of them and although I've never had ducks before I've been trying my best to give them a nice life, but unfortunately I don't have enough space to fit any females because I know they would need more than one or two to mate.

Anyway, for the past two weeks they've been acting aggressive towards each other and sometimes towards me as well. I've read that it's normal behavior and that they should resolve the dominance issue soon, but I've also read that they might be sexually frustrated and must provide some females for them.

So yeah, these are them. As you can see they haven't hurt each other badly but it still makes me very anxious to see them acting in a way they hadn't before.

 

[ruthhope]

Hey, everybody, I hope you're all well!

So this time I'm wondering if it's normal that my two drakes fight not constantly but yes more than they used to which was almost never.

They both are around 5 months old, my father brought them as a gift for my cousins but I am the one taking care of them and although I've never had ducks before I've been trying my best to give them a nice life, but unfortunately I don't have enough space to fit any females because I know they would need more than one or two to mate.

Anyway, for the past two weeks they've been acting aggressive towards each other and sometimes towards me as well. I've read that it's normal behavior and that they should resolve the dominance issue soon, but I've also read that they might be sexually frustrated and must provide some females for them.

So yeah, these are them. As you can see they haven't hurt each other badly but it still makes me very anxious to see them acting in a way they hadn't before.

Thanks for looking after these two, IvyTalks!

I have all drakes and yes they squabble. Mine are out free ranging during the day and the diferent groups stay out of eachother's way

Currently the most pugnacious are two young pekin drakes that chase off my other pekin and are harassing one of my muscovy that is molting heavily and so vulnerable. Those two are bad news within hte confines of the coop and so I keep the drakes separate at night. I have one nuscovy in a dog crate, the third pekin on a tray ontop of the dogcrate as he stays put there [with his own food and water] all night. The second nuscovy is on a tree stump to keep him above the meany pekins. I have had all but one muscovy in dogcrates before now but it gets very congested in the coop with three dogcrates [the two young pekins share]

Are you able to separate your two at night? See but no touch is best. That may be enough to settle them down during the day.

Basically, if the fighting doesn't cause bleeding or eye injuries, its normal pecking order behavior. Like you I don't like it -- hence my separating mine at night -- but actually I am treating my anxieties as my ducks aren't injuring each other.

If one does get injured, then it is important to separate the two. But separating them now at night will reduce your anxiety and, I think, may help to reduce future sparring

 

[BabyGotQuack]

Hey, everybody, I hope you're all well!

So this time I'm wondering if it's normal that my two drakes fight not constantly but yes more than they used to which was almost never.

They both are around 5 months old, my father brought them as a gift for my cousins but I am the one taking care of them and although I've never had ducks before I've been trying my best to give them a nice life, but unfortunately I don't have enough space to fit any females because I know they would need more than one or two to mate.

Anyway, for the past two weeks they've been acting aggressive towards each other and sometimes towards me as well. I've read that it's normal behavior and that they should resolve the dominance issue soon, but I've also read that they might be sexually frustrated and must provide some females for them.

So yeah, these are them. As you can see they haven't hurt each other badly but it still makes me very anxious to see them acting in a way they hadn't before.

The first time I saw drakes fight it freaked me out. I ran out there to break it up. They went right back at it. I was worried they were gonna kill each other!

Like @ruthhope said, as long as no one’s getting injured (and no one ever has here) I let them at it now. But like she suggested if you think they need separating, do it.

I don’t know that getting females would help, I’ve always had females and my drakes still fight. But if females are something you’re interested in adding you would need to get ATLEAST 8 for the proper male:female. If you don’t get enough females that could lead to over mating which would be way worse for any female vs drakes fighting.