Aggressive female runner

[MolliMonster99]

Hi all!
I have a flock of 5 runner ducks, 2 Cayuga ducks, 2 ISA brown hens, a golden dutch bantam hen and 2 polish bantam hens. This post is about one of my female runners, Hannibal. I hatched Hannibal and her 4 runner duck siblings back in 2021. There were originally 6 but one passed back in February.

Hannibal is typically quiet and calm, but the past week and a bit there has been a huge change in her personality. Last Saturday we let everyone out of the run to forage and out of nowhere she started to attack one of the ISA brown hens. At first I thought the chicken, Merryweather, had started it as she used to bully my Cayuga girls. Since then we have caught her numerous times grabbing Merryweathers chest feathers and face feathers while quacking madly. We have always split them up when this has happened and so far there have been no injuries. Tonight we caught her attacking her sister Hazel, again out of nowhere.

She is completely fine with myself and my partner, she leaves the bantams alone and so far she hasn't gone for her 2 brothers, her other sister or the Cayuga girls. We are planning on making another coop to separate the ducks and chickens at night but I am really concerned about where this sudden aggression has come from.

The runners and ISA browns have lived together for 3 years, the Cayugas moved in 2 years ago and the bantams have been with them for 6 months. There have been no issues with mating, they have plenty of food and water as well as space.

I'm concerned I may need to take her to the vet in case there is something causing this change, but she's eating fine, drinking fine, bathing fine, etc. this is all completely new and it's breaking my heart. Does anyone know what could be causing this or what I can do?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

She sounds broody.

 

[MolliMonster99]

She sounds broody.

So weirdly, only one of my runners lays eggs and it isn't her. One of my other runners has a heart murmur and water belly which are both being treated by the vet. She takes medication for it daily. However, today my runner laid her egg outside the coop... Maybe she is broody? Whenever her sisters have been broody they've sat on their nest and told me and my partner off for collecting the eggs. We always collect them daily. My Cayuga girls seemed to have stopped laying for now, as well as my bantam hens. It all just seems really odd.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

So weirdly, only one of my runners lays eggs and it isn't her. One of my other runners has a heart murmur and water belly which are both being treated by the vet. She takes medication for it daily. However, today my runner laid her egg outside the coop... Maybe she is broody? Whenever her sisters have been broody they've sat on their nest and told me and my partner off for collecting the eggs. We always collect them daily. My Cayuga girls seemed to have stopped laying for now, as well as my bantam hens. It all just seems really odd.

I have had several ducks go broody this time of year and they all start with being aggressive with the others before sitting. Thats the first sign I always notice is them loudly quacking anytime another bird gets close like they are screaming at them to stay away.

 

[MolliMonster99]

I have had several ducks go broody this time of year and they all start with being aggressive with the others before sitting. Thats the first sign I always notice is them loudly quacking anytime another bird gets close like they are screaming at them to stay away.

She always gets up in their faces out of nowhere. What should I do to calm her down?

 

[Miss Lydia]

One of my Muscovy females is like this . She'll go after the chickens and she can be snotty to the ducks too. This is when she is broody. She's never injured anyone though. When my rooster was alive she would chase him round and round the big popular tree in their fenced-in area she never could catch him though. It was quite comical though.

 

[MolliMonster99]

One of my Muscovy females is like this . She'll go after the chickens and she can be snotty to the ducks too. This is when she is broody. She's never injured anyone though. When my rooster was alive she would chase him round and round the big popular tree in their fenced-in area she never could catch him though. It was quite comical though.

Hopefully she will snap out of it soon. I was so worried for the rest of the flock but also for her, I've never had this happen before. I've had broody ducks but not like this.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hopefully she will snap out of it soon. I was so worried for the rest of the flock but also for her, I've never had this happen before. I've had broody ducks but not like this.

I was watching my Muscovy and a Runner female going at it this morning of course the Runner cried uncle. No injuries! But this is the Muscovy who has attitude. She’s really a hoot, if she would just stand up to my young Runner drake who runs her down every time he sees her ( so he’s in separated area with his four ladies.)Things will settle once cold weather happens they will be focused on eating and staying warm.

 

[Moments]

Hi all!
I have a flock of 5 runner ducks, 2 Cayuga ducks, 2 ISA brown hens, a golden dutch bantam hen and 2 polish bantam hens. This post is about one of my female runners, Hannibal. I hatched Hannibal and her 4 runner duck siblings back in 2021. There were originally 6 but one passed back in February.

Hannibal is typically quiet and calm, but the past week and a bit there has been a huge change in her personality. Last Saturday we let everyone out of the run to forage and out of nowhere she started to attack one of the ISA brown hens. At first I thought the chicken, Merryweather, had started it as she used to bully my Cayuga girls. Since then we have caught her numerous times grabbing Merryweathers chest feathers and face feathers while quacking madly. We have always split them up when this has happened and so far there have been no injuries. Tonight we caught her attacking her sister Hazel, again out of nowhere.

She is completely fine with myself and my partner, she leaves the bantams alone and so far she hasn't gone for her 2 brothers, her other sister or the Cayuga girls. We are planning on making another coop to separate the ducks and chickens at night but I am really concerned about where this sudden aggression has come from.

The runners and ISA browns have lived together for 3 years, the Cayugas moved in 2 years ago and the bantams have been with them for 6 months. There have been no issues with mating, they have plenty of food and water as well as space.

I'm concerned I may need to take her to the vet in case there is something causing this change, but she's eating fine, drinking fine, bathing fine, etc. this is all completely new and it's breaking my heart. Does anyone know what could be causing this or what I can do?

I have a silver runner who's usually quite personable and chipper but she went broody over another ducks eggs and got slightly moody (moody broody lol). Then when that was over (she wasn't consistent enough to hatch eggs but definitely spent alot of time on the nest, she started molting. The molt attitude is way worse. She's moody with everyone. Doesn't wanna be held like she would usually be fine with and her tone is not her normal chipper runner tone. She also chases and bullies some of the other ducks currently. Is your runner by chance molting?

 

[SilveryMoon888]

Hi all!
I have a flock of 5 runner ducks, 2 Cayuga ducks, 2 ISA brown hens, a golden dutch bantam hen and 2 polish bantam hens. This post is about one of my female runners, Hannibal. I hatched Hannibal and her 4 runner duck siblings back in 2021. There were originally 6 but one passed back in February.

Hannibal is typically quiet and calm, but the past week and a bit there has been a huge change in her personality. Last Saturday we let everyone out of the run to forage and out of nowhere she started to attack one of the ISA brown hens. At first I thought the chicken, Merryweather, had started it as she used to bully my Cayuga girls. Since then we have caught her numerous times grabbing Merryweathers chest feathers and face feathers while quacking madly. We have always split them up when this has happened and so far there have been no injuries. Tonight we caught her attacking her sister Hazel, again out of nowhere.

She is completely fine with myself and my partner, she leaves the bantams alone and so far she hasn't gone for her 2 brothers, her other sister or the Cayuga girls. We are planning on making another coop to separate the ducks and chickens at night but I am really concerned about where this sudden aggression has come from.

The runners and ISA browns have lived together for 3 years, the Cayugas moved in 2 years ago and the bantams have been with them for 6 months. There have been no issues with mating, they have plenty of food and water as well as space.

I'm concerned I may need to take her to the vet in case there is something causing this change, but she's eating fine, drinking fine, bathing fine, etc. this is all completely new and it's breaking my heart. Does anyone know what could be causing this or what I can do?

Yes, separating the ducks is a good idea. I have recently found a problem with ducks wanting to hump my hens, and they are now temporarily separated in the large pen. Soon we will make them their own shelter and pen. Apparently it is dangerous for drakes to hump hens!