Suddenly I have a mean duck

[DuckyDonna]

I have a small flock of Indian Runners. I had 7 but I'm down to 6 now, 4 girls and 2 boys. I hatched out 3 of them this spring from the eggs of the older ones. 2 little boys and 1 girl (actually there were more but that's another story). The 3 babies have been like peas in a pod until yesterday. Their father, one of the old ones, was being really hateful to the 2 little boys so I gave him away yesterday thinking that would solve the discord in the duck yard.

Now, 1 day later, one of my sweet baby boys is being horrible to his brother all of a sudden. He won't let him near any of the other 4 ducks and makes it a point to run across the yard to bite him. Is this some kind of a stage that he's going through to show dominance? The other boy isn't fighting back at all and is being forced to be isolated from all the ducks because of his once loving brother has turned into the devil.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I had a similar problem with my two runner drakes, I have five, three girls and two boys, one of my boys is limping after he suddenly was lame (has name is Limpy now) and the other one started to bite him suddenly. I saw it and made clear to Donald, the other drake that I am the boss here. I hosed him down three times before he accepted that I am a stronger drake and that Limpy is under my protection. Apart of some hissing between both no further disputes.
It might be a different story in spring, when the hormones will go nuts, but I am prepared to separate them.
You need to show your ducks who's the leader duck. Ducks can be trained to some extent.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Thanks, I will try the hosing. I've done scolding which does back him off a bit and I even tapped him on the head but I can't sit in the duck run all day long so I've isolated the mean duck in his own run all by himself. Do you think I should put one or two of the older duck girls in there to keep him company? He only seems to want to chase and bite his young brother.

I put mean duck in the pen with 3 of the older girls last night and it seemed to go ok. I didn't see any blood or feathers and had 2 eggs this morning so I'm thinking things went well in that pen. I put my remaining young girl and boy ducks in their own pen and they seemed fine.

I let them all out together this morning while I watched to see what mean duck would do. At first it was ok and then he started going after his brother just as hateful as can be. It seems as if he doesn't want to him near any of the other 4 girls and it's just pitiful to watch the poor little sweet boy segregated from the others. When I'm in there with them he just runs to me looking pitiful.

Also good boy duck doesn't fight back he just runs to get away and it's not like he's smaller because I'd say they about the same size. When the other male duck (thats gone now) would go after the 2 young boys they never fought back either. I am just amazed that in 1 day the personality of this duck has turned from being a sweet duck to a bully.

 

[chickens really]

You definitely need to keep the Drakes separated and only free range separated too.

 

[Texag87]

I am no expert but I would put the meanie in a dog crate for a couple days and then re introduce him. You might have to do this a couple times before he gets the idea .

 

[DuckyDonna]

I found another solution to my problem. I gave the duck away to another family that had no males. Broke my heart to do it but it has made things nicer in my duck kingdom.