They keep fighting

[KaleIAm]

Is there a possibility that our females are frustrated that he isn't mating with them? Before all this fighting started, they kept trying to get him to mate with them but with him molting, he isn't interested.

That's a good theory. In my opinion ducks are emotionally complicated animals. Do they head bob at him, or make other mating request behaviors like laying/sitting down with their backs flat soon before the fighting begins?

I don't have a drake, but my females mate each other everyday. They always make very specific body language requests moments before.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

That's a good theory. In my opinion ducks are emotionally complicated animals. Do they head bob at him, or make other mating request behaviors like laying/sitting down with their backs flat soon before the fighting begins?

I don't have a drake, but my females mate each other everyday. They always make very specific body language requests moments before.

Not right before a fight starts but they were doing that days before the first fight

 

[KaleIAm]

Not right before a fight starts but they were doing that days before the first fight

Well, it's less obvious than if it were right before, but I swear ducks can hold grudges for weeks.

For example, years ago my ducks were getting along great. Then I accidentally dropped a mealworm on Thimbleberry's back. Nettle pecked it off and Thimbleberry was highly offended and pecked Nettle repeatedly and chased her away. Thimbleberry then continued to peck at and chase away Nettle for several weeks!!

Other suggestions are, maybe they are grumpy because it is hot?

Whatever the cause, I hope they move on from it soon.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

No, only certain times because they free range with the chickens.
Nowhere near water.
Ages stated at top of first post.

Sorry I don't know why I didn't see the ages at the top If I had to guess though they're fighting over food. How big is the area they have to free range? My ducks have 30 acres to free range and still go over to their food dishes several times during the day. Even with them foraging all day with access to their feed, they will also through a bit more feed at night. I have found over the years that keeping the appropriate weight on ducks can actually be hard without that 24/7 access to their feed. They're like trying to feed sprouting teenagers with high metabolisms. Don't get me wrong, my ducks are always out there chasing bugs and I have never found that providing feed prevented them from being great foragers, but they still like to come back to the barn all hours of the day to eat their feed.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Sorry I don't know why I didn't see the ages at the top If I had to guess though they're fighting over food. How big is the area they have to free range? My ducks have 30 acres to free range and still go over to their food dishes several times during the day. Even with them foraging all day with access to their feed, they will also through a bit more feed at night. I have found over the years that keeping the appropriate weight on ducks can actually be hard without that 24/7 access to their feed. They're like trying to feed sprouting teenagers with high metabolisms. Don't get me wrong, my ducks are always out there chasing bugs and I have never found that providing feed prevented them from being great foragers, but they still like to come back to the barn all hours of the day to eat their feed.

Ours have done well up until recently. They've always just spent most of free range time sleeping underneath our apple trees. And they're not really too much into eating feed for some reason.
I use to keep feed 24/7 but the feeder was always untouched during free range time. I use to put a ruler in to measure the feed so I'd know how much they ate but it was barely touched.
Also I will have to ask my dad because I'm not sure how big our backyard is.

 

[Miss Lydia]

All domestic ducks especially young ones need feed out at least all daylight hours. Unless in a brooder. This is what I think, not saying others haven't had great healthy ducks without feeding them even when foraging. But Young ducks still growing or getting ready to lay need alot of nourishment.
We went through a pretty hot spell a week ago and it is the first time I ever saw my Runner girls pushing and shoving each other and neck wrestling. They are 5 yrs old. It didn't last long but I was pretty surprised. I saw it 2X it may have happened more,