What MEAN ducks?!?!?

[nettie]

Ming Mei and Victor are runners, about 8 months old now. We introduced them to baby ducks before, back in january when we got Sammy and Peter. They always ran away from the baby ducks when we presented them to them. When they started taking baths together, the big ducks were always super scared of the babies and swam away from them. When they were allowed to walk around the house together, Victor would chase little sammy, but Peter would step in as her body guard and chase Victor away. The big ducks were never mean or even tried to bite the babies...

Then Peter and sammy went to go live at allaboutdemchicks place with her ducks since they were not suited to indoor life....

We decided to get two more runners, Vinny and Ollie, who are imprinted and suited to living inside. They are now about 7 months old. We decided they were big enough to start taking baths with the big ducks to get everyone acquainted. But we noticed a big difference....

The big ducks not only try to bite the babies, they chase them down and lunge after them. We used our method of disiplining them like we did when we taught ming mei not to bite victor.
(ming mei is a couple weeks older than victor). But no matter what we try, them don't listen and keep chasing them. I diapered them and let them run around my studio, and again victor chases them, ming mei bites them... I noticed victor bites Vinny's neck...

Any ideas what this behavior is? Why they do it? The babies are a little bit smaller than the older two, and they are almost fully feathered. I wondered about dominance but i am worried about someone getting hurt... Victor bites pretty hard making Vinny yelp in pain. Why would they not pick on the babies last time with peter and sammy, but this time they are extra mean to vinny and ollie?

Funny thing is, the big ducks know they are not supposed to bite and they quickly learn what, "Shoo! Scram!" meant... (When i am shooing them away from the babies) When they are not supervised, they live in different pens. The big two have the big pen, and the little two are in their own brooders still. I'd like to move them to the big pen soon, but i am worried about this fighting...

Supposedly they are all girls... the little one Ollie is the only questionable one.

 

[allaboutdemchicks]

This is my guess.....

They would have done the same to Sammy and Peter had it not been for Peter stepping in and taking up for her self and for little Sammy. Now, wheither all Pekins would do that I'm not sure, but her little punky attitude keep Vic and Ming in check.

I wonder if it is a territorial issue, How are they doing outside together, when it's not on "their" turf?

Ol' MEAN-TAILS!!!




Note: your message box was full after you left last week. I found Kara's luggage packed with a few clothes, 3 pair of sunglasses, a pair of dumb bells, and her t.v. remote. She really was going to stay with YOU AND DAVID!!! So much for telling her she'd have to sleep with the ducks.

 

[Mikhail]

They might get used to each other after awhile and become friends. That's what happened with two of my ducks. 1 hated the other for awhile 9because he was on her turf) but now they're best friends and inseparable. took at least a couple weeks before she stopped chasing him, but she never actually hurt him, just wanted him to get as far away from her as possible.

 

[nettie]

Claudia, that is too funny about Kara! We were hoping she wasn't too mad when she realized we left without her. lol. The dumbells and the tv remote is hysterical!

As for my punky ducks... We brought everyone to the park a cfew days ago. There was no chasing or biting, but the babies were super confused. Victor and ming haven't been there in awhile so they were a bit confused too. I brought the big ducks there today to get them back into the swing.

We tried an experiment with vicotr and vinny in a small container together, to see how they'd react. Vicotr bite hi a few times, but then they just sat next to each other for about fifteen minitues. As soon as Vinnie stood up Victor began biting her again... oh who knows...

I really want to get everyone together in the big pen soon since Vinny and Ollie are quickly out growing their brooders.

I'm guessing its a turf thing. I'm just worried about the little ones getting hurt...

 

[LoveMyBirds]

Quote:
Yes, it's showing who's dominate over the area..

After a few weeks they are all pals..

My Rouen ducks were about 3 months older than the Cayuga ducks that I got last year..

When I took them to the pond for the first time, the rouen did that to let them know who's boss...

But the little ducks just ran away and avoided them for awhile..

Now they are best of buds... Except of course the 3 drakes fight over the hens..

 

[Wifezilla]

This is the same issue I am having. If I turn my back on the teenagers for a few seconds when they are out of the pen, Jack runs over to bite JJ & Bungie.

Nettie..psst..I think you meant 7 weeks not 7 months.

 

[Ducklove334]

it's a dominace thing, older ducks are not geared to tolerate babies they did not raise, drakes do not tolerate babies at all.


it'll be that way for several weeks,until the younger ducks are more of "adults" in the eyes of the other ducks. they may never truely adjust to them, but the picking won't be nearly as bad.

 

[Wifezilla]

So at what age do I integrate the teenagers with the big kids? JJ is 6 weeks now. Bungie is 5.

 

[barnwife]

My guess would be sexually mature NON nest mates....which in duck world means competition for mates.

Ducks figue these things out on their own in the wild/farm setting. Indoors where there is less "territory" and whatnot, I have no eartly idea what wouold happen. This might just be a "spring fling" type of thing, since hormones are WAY higher no than any other time of year.


Good luck with this, please keep us posted!

 

[KnightslilAngel]

From what you are explaining Ducks show dominance by Throwing their heads over the other ones. Its normal and as long as they arent pulling the others feathers out it should be ok