why are my ducks fighting with each other?

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

My one girl was super irritable while molting this year. Pulling feathers out of the other girls, grabbing the drakes and dragging them around, and just being overall miserable. She’s improved now that she’s all finished.
also, mating behaviour is not always about procreation - sometimes it’s a dominance thing.

One of mine is going through this phase right now. If I hadn’t gone through it last year with the same duck I’d be alarmed. My grumpiest molter is the girl who is usually the sweetest of the three. She just turns into an especially hateful little hen when molting or broody. Luckily, the other two hold their own and forgive her immediately when she’s recovered her sanity!

Edited to add that a lot of the behaviors OP mentioned are those which my girl is currently exhibiting.

Last year, she grumped at my Rouen hen one too many times while she was trying to eat her nighttime mealworm snack. No one gets between Daphne and her “mealies”. Daphne snapped, grabbed my cranky white Muscovy, slammed her face into the dirt, and mounted her. My third duck, the “hatch mate” of my white ‘Scovy then came over and got on top of the other two, angry trilling at the top of her lungs. It was quite the scene! Molting is quite the difficult time, apparently!

 

[Quacking ducks]

Maybe I misunderstood the OP but my understanding is the females doing the grabbing and fighting? Not sure where the OP is located but here everyone has wound down for winter and no mating is going on at all.
Could just be pecking order rearrangement, could be irritability for one reason or another; if the drakes are still trying to mate but the hens don’t want any of it they’ll fight back. Mine do anyways.
@Quacking ducks i see your girl is wearing booties in those pics. Were they separated for any length of time due to an injury or other reason? That sometimes upsets the hierarchy too.

It's both male and female doing the grabbing but it seems like Banana (female) is starting it most of the time. I also notice that Quackers (drake) is picking on Banana's guy Ducky, I'm not sure if that's why she is mad. She is really sweet when I pick her up. I'm located in the midwest united states.
The other 2 females that are fighting are Quackers girls so I think they might be fighting over him.
Yes Banana has bumblefoot so she has been separated during the day but I have been leaving the door from the house to the pen open when It's nice out with a baby gate a cross the door way. They are together at meal time and at night.

 

[Trisseh]

It's both male and female doing the grabbing but it seems like Banana (female) is starting it most of the time. I also notice that Quackers (drake) is picking on Banana's guy Ducky, I'm not sure if that's why she is mad. She is really sweet when I pick her up. I'm located in the midwest united states.
The other 2 females that are fighting are Quackers girls so I think they might be fighting over him.
Yes Banana has bumblefoot so she has been separated during the day but I have been leaving the door from the house to the pen open when It's nice out with a baby gate a cross the door way. They are together at meal time and at night.

Sounds like some grumpiness combined with the changing season and possible molting, add to that being somewhat separated and not feeling good with the foot, and she’s probably just a grump and setting everyone else off. If they’re not doing damage to each other let them work it out. And the girls definitely do pick their favorites. My grumpy lady is completely in love with the blue runner drake I have, but if the fawn and white guy just wants to come hang out, she beats the snot out of him. Other girls come around the blue drake, she beats them up too. That boy is HERS. (she’s not pulling out feathers, drawing blood or actually causing bodily harm, but their pride sure hurts when she’s done.)

 

[DuckDuck n Goose]

Sound like breeding. I have no idea why the females are fighting though.

Hey, apparently I have two males (curled tail feathers) And the past month they started fighting...grabbing neck, head...and anything but mostly the oil gland area (on the but) and trying to “mount each other” ???? I’m not sure what to do cuz i thought the curled tail was boys but why is the one tryin to mount the other??? It just seems to be getting so violent so I would love some advice!