Biting duck- PUHLEEZ help my toes!!!

[mickeymousears]

Why do they bite and how to make it stop??
He was hand raised, I can pick him up no problem and he only goes after me- doesn't even raise an eyebrow to anyone else. I've tried ignoring/chasing/carrying/using a broom/holding him down/flipping him over/kicking him away/running away (this has been going on for a long time)....at this point I just have to carry him or lock him in a pen- my feet can't take anymore bites!!
...and then, if I sit down he's very sweet, puts his head in my lap, sits beside me.....
I call him my abusive lover.

 

[Going Quackers]

Well think of it this way, ducks don't have hands so they use their beaks to investigate so it's quite normal, ignoring or say no and push away is good.

Chickens do it as well, when i installed my daughters silkies feeders one of her's was pecking away at foot/leg lol

 

[mickeymousears]

Well...I've always had parrots and their investigative pecking doesn't hurt or leave bruises...neither do my chickens.

He is chasing after me, or rushing me when I open the door and IT HURTS!!!! I'm surprised he hasn't peeled flesh from bone when he gets me good. It's definitely an aggressive act, not curiosity.

 

[Skipspin]

We have a drake that sometimes acts this way. I think it's just "boy" behavior. He seems to be worse when anyone is near his girls' eggs/nest and when they are laying. He scared my 4 year old, but we learned that if you just chase him back he runs. He really loves my daughter (they are her ducks and she's with them the most) but will act the same way towards any of us. It's amazing how scary a cute little duck can look when it's runny towards you!

 

[DeckDuck]

I have a hand raised drake and he is the same way. Apparently he is very sweet and pleasant to be around when I'm not there, but for me he is totally nuts for the better part of the year. I wish I could tell you that there's something you can do to get him to stop, but in all likelihood your drake is pinching because he loves you very much (if you know what I mean), and there's little to be done about that! I have observed my female ducks tell my drake to get lost when he pinches them too much, and he listens. When I try to do the same thing he only becomes more determined. I just keep him penned when I'm not wearing rubber boots and baggy pants. I do still get a few pinches a day, though, and sometimes the pain is incredible. It's difficult to explain to people why I'm always covered in drake love bites. "Well, you see, I have this duck who obsessively tries to mate with me."

ETA:

Actually, you could try getting your drake lots of exercise each day by carrying him away from home and letting him run back. It is possible for them to be too tired to pinch (much) but it requires a lot of time on the owner's part.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Being hand raised... your drake is just a little confused about being a duck.. He sees you as a potential mate- (even though you were his " mother" ) There isnt a lot you can do to stop the behaviour completely as he is just acting from instinct. But ensuring you wear closed shoes when around him- will at least stop some of the pain. You may find that the biting is more seasonal and as hormone levels drop he wont be attacking so much. Sometimes providing a female duck will also help - but not always.

 

[cornbread4jen]

We have lots of chickens and ducks - my son loves to hatch eggs. We had 1 batch where only one duck made it (Daffy) Our drake stays on the back porch, sleeps with the dog, and does not associate with any of the chickens or ducks in the yard! He tears up all of the human feet!! He definitely is wanting to come in the house (attempts every time we open the back door), so we can’t tell if he loves us, mad at us, or I feel like he does it more when the food bowl empties… so maybe he is hungry????

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

Wear shoes.

 

[Horse Life]

My drake does the same thing: whenever I'm around him I have to guard my feet bc every chance he gets, he bites. And they won't stop unless you establish a boundary

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

My drake does the same thing: whenever I'm around him I have to guard my feet bc every chance he gets, he bites. And they won't stop unless you establish a boundary

Go out with your poultry cone and make an example out of him?