BelValleyDaisy
Songster
Hi all,
I'm hoping somebody can give me advice about our aggressive pet duck.
Vienna is a female white call duck, who is now just over 3 years old. She is being incredibly aggressive alongside our other female mallard call duck, who is the same age as Vienna, she is called Dinky. We also have two other ducks, Valley and Daisy, 4 year old rouen clair and runner duck, who are lovely to us.
We had Valley from a day old, and Daisy from 3 months old. Then we hatched Dinky and Vienna, and we did spoil them as ducklings, they were always getting cuddles and baths; When it came to moving them outside, Vienna became more distant from us and wouldn't have as many cuddles but by the age of 1 year old, Vienna wouldn't get near us, jumping even if we touch her, and Dinky would tolerate cuddles for short spaces of time. Valley and Daisy, don't mind being handled or stroked.
However, as Dinky and Vienna have got older they have become more and more of brats, and for almost a year now, they have started biting me and ripping at my skin. Sometimes they are ok, but are pretty unpredictable; Dinky will follow me around the garden quacking and asking for corn, and when I feed them they will both feed from my hands.. but when the food runs out (this is treats, they have plenty of normal food in their bowls), they will start to tear at my skin. However over the past few days they have gotten worse, attacking my hands/sleeves when I pour out their water bowl (which they usually love, because they love the mud puddles; I would not say this is a territory thing), or even when I lift up the mat for them to worm hunt, they will look at first but then when they notice it is my hands lifting it, they will rip at my hands, and today even made my hand bleed. I try to correct them, first moving away and ignoring it, or picking them up to make them stop, but sometimes they will still continue to attack my clothes whilst they are in my arms.
Another thing, they only attack me.. nobody else in my family. I am the one who scrapes up their poop in their house, and tops up their food and water most of the time. When it is my mum who lifts up the matting, they don't bite her, but they bite my hands only. We even tried doing it together, criss crossing our hands so they didn't know whose was whose whilst we lifted the matting, and yet still Dinky and Vienna pick out my hands and tear at the skin.
Another thing, Vienna will also then move on from my hands when i pull them away and rip out Dinkys' head feathers, but Dinky doesn't even seem to respond to her doing this.
I honestly don't know what to do; Does anyone know why they are doing this or have any tips on what to do?
We think perhaps give them another six months and then rehome them if it doesn't stop. This would be incredibly hard though, as they are our babies, we picked out their eggs from a friend and hatched them ourselves.
Thankyou
I'm hoping somebody can give me advice about our aggressive pet duck.
Vienna is a female white call duck, who is now just over 3 years old. She is being incredibly aggressive alongside our other female mallard call duck, who is the same age as Vienna, she is called Dinky. We also have two other ducks, Valley and Daisy, 4 year old rouen clair and runner duck, who are lovely to us.
We had Valley from a day old, and Daisy from 3 months old. Then we hatched Dinky and Vienna, and we did spoil them as ducklings, they were always getting cuddles and baths; When it came to moving them outside, Vienna became more distant from us and wouldn't have as many cuddles but by the age of 1 year old, Vienna wouldn't get near us, jumping even if we touch her, and Dinky would tolerate cuddles for short spaces of time. Valley and Daisy, don't mind being handled or stroked.
However, as Dinky and Vienna have got older they have become more and more of brats, and for almost a year now, they have started biting me and ripping at my skin. Sometimes they are ok, but are pretty unpredictable; Dinky will follow me around the garden quacking and asking for corn, and when I feed them they will both feed from my hands.. but when the food runs out (this is treats, they have plenty of normal food in their bowls), they will start to tear at my skin. However over the past few days they have gotten worse, attacking my hands/sleeves when I pour out their water bowl (which they usually love, because they love the mud puddles; I would not say this is a territory thing), or even when I lift up the mat for them to worm hunt, they will look at first but then when they notice it is my hands lifting it, they will rip at my hands, and today even made my hand bleed. I try to correct them, first moving away and ignoring it, or picking them up to make them stop, but sometimes they will still continue to attack my clothes whilst they are in my arms.
Another thing, they only attack me.. nobody else in my family. I am the one who scrapes up their poop in their house, and tops up their food and water most of the time. When it is my mum who lifts up the matting, they don't bite her, but they bite my hands only. We even tried doing it together, criss crossing our hands so they didn't know whose was whose whilst we lifted the matting, and yet still Dinky and Vienna pick out my hands and tear at the skin.
Another thing, Vienna will also then move on from my hands when i pull them away and rip out Dinkys' head feathers, but Dinky doesn't even seem to respond to her doing this.
I honestly don't know what to do; Does anyone know why they are doing this or have any tips on what to do?
We think perhaps give them another six months and then rehome them if it doesn't stop. This would be incredibly hard though, as they are our babies, we picked out their eggs from a friend and hatched them ourselves.
Thankyou
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yes, when they bite me, it really hurts so I usually shout 'ow', but they behave a bit like a pack, and it doesn't seem to phase them until i walk right away
or as soon as I put them back down will continue. I also try to move their heads away but as there is two of them, they behave a bit like a pack and continue to attack until i move right away. Honestly i am at a loss
but I think i might try your previous suggestion, rather than saying 'ow' maybe if i go 'shussshh' at them it maybe different.... maybe 
