Need advice about a duck

[Darcimamaduck]

Hi. I am needing some advice about a duck. Let me start from beginning. I had 2 female ducks for several years. One of them got sick and passed away last July. So I got an 8 wk old duck to replace her. My female Rouen welcomed him nicely. They were buddies. In October something got into my outside duck pen and killed my 5 yr old female. The male who was 5 mo at the time was injured but alive. He had bites on his head and neck and back. We kept him in the garage while he healed. He was very traumatized. When he was feeling better I put him back in the yard during the day. He then would spend all his time sitting on our back step looking in the door. But when my dogs would go outside he would follow them around as if looking for a friend. So in November I got 2 new baby ducks. I slowly introduced them to my male duck. Put them in a pen together when the babies were 9 wks old. Male duck seems to like them. But now he has become aggressive toward me and my dogs. He turns to me and tries to bite me when he used to run from me. And when I put my dogs out in the yard he runs quickly at them and bites them. Attacks them. He also still sits on the back step even though he now has duck friends. He will not wander the yard like he did before the attack. Is it possible that he sustained brain damage when he was attacked? What should I do with him? I am afraid he is going to turn on my new ducks and hurt them. I also fear that he is hindering my new ducks from learning to be ducks because they want to be near him so they also sit at the back door all day. Help!! I don't know what to do with him. Any advice??

 

[needlessjunk]

@Miss Lydia I know you have more experience with drakes becoming too friendly.

I don't think that he has brain damage or anything like that. It sounds like he has now become very protective of his girls and doesn't want anyone or anything around them. You need to put him in his place for his safety and yours. If he is attacking the dogs that really needs to help because dogs will only take so much before they will snap back and more than likely unknowingly hurt him. When he starts to bite and attack can you pick him up?

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Darcimamaduck I would defiantly separate your drake from your dogs just as needlessjunk said dogs will only take so much . Your drake is hormonal and needs to know you are not going to be part of his harem. When you go outside carry the broom with you and when he starts towards you place the broom part, you holding the long pole on the ground between you don't let him get close enough to attack if he doesn't stop just sweep him away, you can do this with out hurting him but your letting him know you are off limits. you can also work on this when he goes after your dogs I used this with my geese to train them not to go after the dogs. I also just use a long bamboo pole too. The most important thing now is to put something substantial between you and him so the broom part would be good to start with. We can't do anything about the trauma he went through other than care for them and let them feel safe but we have to let our drakes know we are off limits to them. I have had quite a few drake over the 11.5 yrs I have had Muscovy's and only my imprinted drake did i have trouble with, he just couldn't understand why he couldn't treat me the way he treated his females. I worked with him and he is almost 5yrs old now and a wonderful part of our flock.

Welcome to BYC

 

[Darcimamaduck]

@needlessjunk yes I can pick him up. But lately he is biting more. And he bites hard. Not just a nibble like some of my other ducks have done.
@Miss Lydia that makes sense about him protecting the new ducks. But before my other female died, he would wander around the yard with her and he would run from me. Now he won't go to the back of the yard at all and he pretty much sits on our back step all day, even when the new ducks are out there with him. When we open the back door he will come in the house. Any idea what could be causing this strange behavior? If I decide I don't want to keep him because of his aggressiveness, do you have any suggestions on where I should look to take him. He's a beautiful duck, I just don't really want an aggressive one. My other ducks have all been very friendly. The only other drake I've had was severely handicapped and I hand raised him from birth, so he was a sweet boy. And he couldn't walk well so he didn't get aggressive. Thanks for your help!

 

[needlessjunk]

@needlessjunk yes I can pick him up. But lately he is biting more. And he bites hard. Not just a nibble like some of my other ducks have done.
@Miss Lydia that makes sense about him protecting the new ducks. But before my other female died, he would wander around the yard with her and he would run from me. Now he won't go to the back of the yard at all and he pretty much sits on our back step all day, even when the new ducks are out there with him. When we open the back door he will come in the house. Any idea what could be causing this strange behavior? If I decide I don't want to keep him because of his aggressiveness, do you have any suggestions on where I should look to take him. He's a beautiful duck, I just don't really want an aggressive one. My other ducks have all been very friendly. The only other drake I've had was severely handicapped and I hand raised him from birth, so he was a sweet boy. And he couldn't walk well so he didn't get aggressive. Thanks for your help!

My personal belief is that if you have a nasty duck and you tried everything to make it better and it didn't work I would not pass him off to someone else. He would become dinner. I don't think aggressive drakes should continue to breed and pass on nasty behavior no matter how pretty they are. No one wants someone else's problems so you really need to work with him.

 

[duckturkeylover]

@Darcimamaduck one of my drakes use to be aggressive as well and I read that you have to put him in his place. Because there is a pecking order he is trying to boss everyone around, you and your dogs. When he starts to attack you, grab him and hold him flat to the ground and straddle him stretching his head straight out but don't actually sit on him. It's like mounting him, hold him still for about 5 minutes, he will try to squirm but don't give in. After 5 minutes you can let him up. This will show him you are the boss, not him. Continue to do this until he stops being aggressive, only took a few times for mine and I don't have anymore issues with him at all. How this helps so you don't have to get rid of him.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@needlessjunk yes I can pick him up. But lately he is biting more. And he bites hard. Not just a nibble like some of my other ducks have done.
@Miss Lydia that makes sense about him protecting the new ducks. But before my other female died, he would wander around the yard with her and he would run from me. Now he won't go to the back of the yard at all and he pretty much sits on our back step all day, even when the new ducks are out there with him. When we open the back door he will come in the house. Any idea what could be causing this strange behavior? If I decide I don't want to keep him because of his aggressiveness, do you have any suggestions on where I should look to take him. He's a beautiful duck, I just don't really want an aggressive one. My other ducks have all been very friendly. The only other drake I've had was severely handicapped and I hand raised him from birth, so he was a sweet boy. And he couldn't walk well so he didn't get aggressive. Thanks for your help!

@Darcimamaduck And please don't go dump him off at a park somewhere . if you absolutely don't want to work to try and get him through this then look to see if there is a water fowl rescue in your area. Block the steps so he can't get on them. If you had him in your house at any time well he feels it is part of his property too. My drake who was in the house for a time comes in to visit, this is the same one who was acting like your drake is now. Incorporate what @duckturkeylover has added into your training it all fits together using the broom to keep him away and if he insists anyway then get him on the ground like she has suggested. Look at your drake as a out of control child who needs discipline to help him become a well behaved child. It can be done with time and patience.