Why Has My Drake Become So Aggressive?

[jennasips]

I have been having a hard time with my one year old male Pekin duck for the past few months. He used to be a sweetheart but recently has been super aggressive towards me and has been trying to bite and mate with me. It has gotten so bad I can’t even have him out with me because all he wants to do is bite me. His bites hurt too. I have bruises all over my hand and he even made me bleed. He goes for my shoes, ankles, legs, hands, basically everything. I’m not sure what to do I have tried various things to assert my dominance like shoving him away and using items to block myself when he goes to attack me.

It honestly breaks my heart because we used to just chill together all the time and he was such a good boy He’s an only duck as of now but I’m currently raising a 4 week old Silver Appleyard. I’m not sure what the gender of the duckling is yet but if it is female I’m afraid I will have to get rid of my aggressive Drake. I really don’t want to get rid of him but I can’t do this everyday. Does anyone have any tips to stop this behavior? He has a stuffed animal duck to get his aggression out on but prefers to attack me. Will the behavior eventually stop or am I stuck with an aggressive Drake now?

 

[sourland]

Hormone levels are high, he's sexually frustrated, drakes are extremely sex driven. Late summer/early fall he may become more mellow, but the same situation will occur next spring.

 

[SeaSea47]

I have been having a hard time with my one year old male Pekin duck for the past few months. He used to be a sweetheart but recently has been super aggressive towards me and has been trying to bite and mate with me. It has gotten so bad I can’t even have him out with me because all he wants to do is bite me. His bites hurt too. I have bruises all over my hand and he even made me bleed. He goes for my shoes, ankles, legs, hands, basically everything. I’m not sure what to do I have tried various things to assert my dominance like shoving him away and using items to block myself when he goes to attack me.

It honestly breaks my heart because we used to just chill together all the time and he was such a good boy He’s an only duck as of now but I’m currently raising a 4 week old Silver Appleyard. I’m not sure what the gender of the duckling is yet but if it is female I’m afraid I will have to get rid of my aggressive Drake. I really don’t want to get rid of him but I can’t do this everyday. Does anyone have any tips to stop this behavior? He has a stuffed animal duck to get his aggression out on but prefers to attack me. Will the behavior eventually stop or am I stuck with an aggressive Drake now?

I don't have any good advice for you, but I hate to hear that! I have a little over one-year-old drake who has been living solo since January — my other two drakes were bullying him — and he's just as sweet as he can be. He's actually become even sweeter since I separated him from the flock. My plan is to eventually put him back with the girls and put the other two boys in a separate pen. I think it all depends on the individual duck.

 

[Brooke_R]

I have been having a hard time with my one year old male Pekin duck for the past few months. He used to be a sweetheart but recently has been super aggressive towards me and has been trying to bite and mate with me. It has gotten so bad I can’t even have him out with me because all he wants to do is bite me. His bites hurt too. I have bruises all over my hand and he even made me bleed. He goes for my shoes, ankles, legs, hands, basically everything. I’m not sure what to do I have tried various things to assert my dominance like shoving him away and using items to block myself when he goes to attack me.

It honestly breaks my heart because we used to just chill together all the time and he was such a good boy He’s an only duck as of now but I’m currently raising a 4 week old Silver Appleyard. I’m not sure what the gender of the duckling is yet but if it is female I’m afraid I will have to get rid of my aggressive Drake. I really don’t want to get rid of him but I can’t do this everyday. Does anyone have any tips to stop this behavior? He has a stuffed animal duck to get his aggression out on but prefers to attack me. Will the behavior eventually stop or am I stuck with an aggressive Drake now?

If you get more girls his age that would probably help

 

[ruthhope]

I have been having a hard time with my one year old male Pekin duck for the past few months. He used to be a sweetheart but recently has been super aggressive towards me and has been trying to bite and mate with me. It has gotten so bad I can’t even have him out with me because all he wants to do is bite me. His bites hurt too. I have bruises all over my hand and he even made me bleed. He goes for my shoes, ankles, legs, hands, basically everything. I’m not sure what to do I have tried various things to assert my dominance like shoving him away and using items to block myself when he goes to attack me.

It honestly breaks my heart because we used to just chill together all the time and he was such a good boy He’s an only duck as of now but I’m currently raising a 4 week old Silver Appleyard. I’m not sure what the gender of the duckling is yet but if it is female I’m afraid I will have to get rid of my aggressive Drake. I really don’t want to get rid of him but I can’t do this everyday. Does anyone have any tips to stop this behavior? He has a stuffed animal duck to get his aggression out on but prefers to attack me. Will the behavior eventually stop or am I stuck with an aggressive Drake now?

@jennasips I have an all drake flock and can confirm what others have written, that drake hormones kick in during the spring and that can make drakes aggressive.

Of my 4 drakes, only one is aggressive with me, but they all squabble amongst themselves. I now have the two pekin drakes sleeping in dog crates inside their coop to stop them being bullied by the two muscovy drakes. All 4 are fine outside free-ranging during the day.

I was very worried about O Pato, the muscovy that started attacking me at the end of December/beginning of January. He came at me flapping wings, with his feet and then trying to bite me, too, in the way your drake is biting you.

I followed the advice I read on this forum about holding the neck and pressing down on the drakes back, holding him on the ground until he sighed. It was a struggle, and I didn't like doing it. After doing that three times, I decided to adopt my own approach. I have a round concrete picnic table in my back yard and when O Pato next attacked me, I picked him up and put him on the picnic table. I then held him against me with one arm and held his neck behind his head so he couldn't turn and bite me. I didn't press him down, I just held him firmly enough to stop him struggling. AND I talked to him gently throughout. It may have been 5 minutes until he calmed down -- it felt like half an hour. When I put him down, he didn't attack me but did a sort of ritual of flapping his wings and dipping down his chest to the ground, very much like muscovies do in water when they are bathing.

Within half an hour O Pato was up on my side gate. I was very worried as there is a toddler in the house across the road and the last thing I needed is an angry drake on the lam. I went out to him, and approaching the gate he was up at near my height as the gate is up a step from the walkway. I admit I was frightened as I approached him. I slowly raised my arms and held them out to him and he let me get right up to the gate. I put my arms round him in a hug and he rested his head on my shoulder. the hug went on for a long time. As he was calm, I decided to try and turn him round and get him to go back into my backyard. He did and he was sweet all day. Next day [and for nearly 2 weeks most days] he attacked me as soon as he was let out of the coop. Each time I picked him up, put him on the table, and held him and talked to him. Quite frankly I was getting really worried. He's a rescue and there is no way I could re home him. No one wants muscovy drakes and certainly not an aggressive drake. He twice more got up on the side gate [I could see him through the kitchen window] and I twice more went to him and hugged him. Then after day 12 of attacking me, he stopped. He also stopped getting onto the side gate and having hugs. [He has done it once more about a month ago, out of the blue.] He isn't a duck that likes petting, but he is always at my patio doors looking inside for me. He and the other drakes get excited when I talk to them from the house and when I go outside to hang out with them.

All was good for more than two months, but over the last 3 weeks, O Pato has started coming out of the coop in the morning and going straight to bite me feet. I now have a dog crate in my back yard for time out. I pick him up and put him in there, then go back and get my other three drakes out. After tidying up the coop for a few minutes, I let O Pato out of the dog crate and he behaves absolutely perfectly: no more trying to bite my feet. Just a few minutes in the dog crate is enough to remind him that biting is not allowed.

You might be able to use/adapt some of these approaches to your drake. Also, don't lose heart -- drake hormones start to fade by August.

The photo is of the second time O Pato got onto the gate back in January. The first time, I was too frightened to even think of getting my phone out and taking a selfie!

 

[Jlw0903]

@jennasips I have an all drake flock and can confirm what others have written, that drake hormones kick in during the spring and that can make drakes aggressive.

Of my 4 drakes, only one is aggressive with me, but they all squabble amongst themselves. I now have the two pekin drakes sleeping in dog crates inside their coop to stop them being bullied by the two muscovy drakes. All 4 are fine outside free-ranging during the day.

I was very worried about O Pato, the muscovy that started attacking me at the end of December/beginning of January. He came at me flapping wings, with his feet and then trying to bite me, too, in the way your drake is biting you.

I followed the advice I read on this forum about holding the neck and pressing down on the drakes back, holding him on the ground until he sighed. It was a struggle, and I didn't like doing it. After doing that three times, I decided to adopt my own approach. I have a round concrete picnic table in my back yard and when O Pato next attacked me, I picked him up and put him on the picnic table. I then held him against me with one arm and held his neck behind his head so he couldn't turn and bite me. I didn't press him down, I just held him firmly enough to stop him struggling. AND I talked to him gently throughout. It may have been 5 minutes until he calmed down -- it felt like half an hour. When I put him down, he didn't attack me but did a sort of ritual of flapping his wings and dipping down his chest to the ground, very much like muscovies do in water when they are bathing.

Within half an hour O Pato was up on my side gate. I was very worried as there is a toddler in the house across the road and the last thing I needed is an angry drake on the lam. I went out to him, and approaching the gate he was up at near my height as the gate is up a step from the walkway. I admit I was frightened as I approached him. I slowly raised my arms and held them out to him and he let me get right up to the gate. I put my arms round him in a hug and he rested his head on my shoulder. the hug went on for a long time. As he was calm, I decided to try and turn him round and get him to go back into my backyard. He did and he was sweet all day. Next day [and for nearly 2 weeks most days] he attacked me as soon as he was let out of the coop. Each time I picked him up, put him on the table, and held him and talked to him. Quite frankly I was getting really worried. He's a rescue and there is no way I could re home him. No one wants muscovy drakes and certainly not an aggressive drake. He twice more got up on the side gate [I could see him through the kitchen window] and I twice more went to him and hugged him. Then after day 12 of attacking me, he stopped. He also stopped getting onto the side gate and having hugs. [He has done it once more about a month ago, out of the blue.] He isn't a duck that likes petting, but he is always at my patio doors looking inside for me. He and the other drakes get excited when I talk to them from the house and when I go outside to hang out with them.

All was good for more than two months, but over the last 3 weeks, O Pato has started coming out of the coop in the morning and going straight to bite me feet. I now have a dog crate in my back yard for time out. I pick him up and put him in there, then go back and get my other three drakes out. After tidying up the coop for a few minutes, I let O Pato out of the dog crate and he behaves absolutely perfectly: no more trying to bite my feet. Just a few minutes in the dog crate is enough to remind him that biting is not allowed.

You might be able to use/adapt some of these approaches to your drake. Also, don't lose heart -- drake hormones start to fade by August.

The photo is of the second time O Pato got onto the gate back in January. The first time, I was too frightened to even think of getting my phone out and taking a selfie!

My drake is super aggressive I also tried the holding down which did not work and I was worried of hurting him I might try your method.

 

[Jlw0903]

@jennasips I have an all drake flock and can confirm what others have written, that drake hormones kick in during the spring and that can make drakes aggressive.

Of my 4 drakes, only one is aggressive with me, but they all squabble amongst themselves. I now have the two pekin drakes sleeping in dog crates inside their coop to stop them being bullied by the two muscovy drakes. All 4 are fine outside free-ranging during the day.

I was very worried about O Pato, the muscovy that started attacking me at the end of December/beginning of January. He came at me flapping wings, with his feet and then trying to bite me, too, in the way your drake is biting you.

I followed the advice I read on this forum about holding the neck and pressing down on the drakes back, holding him on the ground until he sighed. It was a struggle, and I didn't like doing it. After doing that three times, I decided to adopt my own approach. I have a round concrete picnic table in my back yard and when O Pato next attacked me, I picked him up and put him on the picnic table. I then held him against me with one arm and held his neck behind his head so he couldn't turn and bite me. I didn't press him down, I just held him firmly enough to stop him struggling. AND I talked to him gently throughout. It may have been 5 minutes until he calmed down -- it felt like half an hour. When I put him down, he didn't attack me but did a sort of ritual of flapping his wings and dipping down his chest to the ground, very much like muscovies do in water when they are bathing.

Within half an hour O Pato was up on my side gate. I was very worried as there is a toddler in the house across the road and the last thing I needed is an angry drake on the lam. I went out to him, and approaching the gate he was up at near my height as the gate is up a step from the walkway. I admit I was frightened as I approached him. I slowly raised my arms and held them out to him and he let me get right up to the gate. I put my arms round him in a hug and he rested his head on my shoulder. the hug went on for a long time. As he was calm, I decided to try and turn him round and get him to go back into my backyard. He did and he was sweet all day. Next day [and for nearly 2 weeks most days] he attacked me as soon as he was let out of the coop. Each time I picked him up, put him on the table, and held him and talked to him. Quite frankly I was getting really worried. He's a rescue and there is no way I could re home him. No one wants muscovy drakes and certainly not an aggressive drake. He twice more got up on the side gate [I could see him through the kitchen window] and I twice more went to him and hugged him. Then after day 12 of attacking me, he stopped. He also stopped getting onto the side gate and having hugs. [He has done it once more about a month ago, out of the blue.] He isn't a duck that likes petting, but he is always at my patio doors looking inside for me. He and the other drakes get excited when I talk to them from the house and when I go outside to hang out with them.

All was good for more than two months, but over the last 3 weeks, O Pato has started coming out of the coop in the morning and going straight to bite me feet. I now have a dog crate in my back yard for time out. I pick him up and put him in there, then go back and get my other three drakes out. After tidying up the coop for a few minutes, I let O Pato out of the dog crate and he behaves absolutely perfectly: no more trying to bite my feet. Just a few minutes in the dog crate is enough to remind him that biting is not allowed.

You might be able to use/adapt some of these approaches to your drake. Also, don't lose heart -- drake hormones start to fade by August.

The photo is of the second time O Pato got onto the gate back in January. The first time, I was too frightened to even think of getting my phone out and taking a selfie!

I actually just tried this (Tole is a Cayuga so a little smaller) so I set him on my lap and did what you did. He fought me pretty hard and I'm honestly a little worried he might get hurt in the struggle but I found that if I can catch his head and lightly cover his eyes he'd settle after a moment. Did it twice tonight and he actually went to bed with his girls compliantly without trying to kill me. Still worried that he could a gotten hurt but it he was like a different duck and he even ignored me to go chase bugs which was very nice to see him being happy and enjoying himself. Time will tell I guess.

 

[ruthhope]

My drake is super aggressive I also tried the holding down which did not work and I was worried of hurting him I might try your method.

My boy -- O Pato -- is still frequently coming up and biting my feet, including coming from behind me. He has never since his "therapy" sessions on the table, flown at me with his feet coming in and then biting me. But he comes running and tries to bite my feet when I am busy -- getting the duck feeding bowls and water tubs prepared, gardening, or taking my compost bucket to the compost. I still have to pick him up: I talk to him gently and he calms down but he has to go into the dog crate for a short period of time out. Even when he appears calm again, if I put him down, he goes for my feet if he has not been in the dogcrate.

I don't know why he does this. The only time he gets petted is when I pick him up, before he goes into the crate, to calm him down. But that is because he doesn't like being touched. He also doesn't like bathing, but that is another story. He spends so much of his day on my back steps looking through my patio doors for me. Yet he most days -- but not all -- tries to bite my feet. Poor mixed up boy. He's decided he is afraid of the more dominant pekin drake. Again, I don't know why as when that drake was settling in, O Pato easily turned the pekin on his back and stood on him on multiple occasions. Then suddenly, O Pato is afraid of that pekin.

@Jlw0903 I encourage you to try the holding your aggressive drake against your body and restraining his head so that he cant peck you, while talking to him southingly. I hope that works for you. I am sorry that my drake still needs "reminding" not to bite my feet by time out in a dog crate. But if it takes having a dogcrate in the back yard at the ready for time out, that is what I do. I love the poor boy and just wish I could help him more to resolve whatever his issue is. Its more than drake hormones in my boy's case. He was a rescue and perhaps he has PTSD from when he nearly drowned and was abandoned by his mother duck

 

[ruthhope]

I actually just tried this (Tole is a Cayuga so a little smaller) so I set him on my lap and did what you did. He fought me pretty hard and I'm honestly a little worried he might get hurt in the struggle but I found that if I can catch his head and lightly cover his eyes he'd settle after a moment. Did it twice tonight and he actually went to bed with his girls compliantly without trying to kill me. Still worried that he could a gotten hurt but it he was like a different duck and he even ignored me to go chase bugs which was very nice to see him being happy and enjoying himself. Time will tell I guess.

Yes, cover his eyes with your hand and that will calm him faster. Keep trying!! THink of it as a hug rather than a fight. You will get more adept at holding him as you do it more often, so he is less likely to get injured. Mine has never been injurred and I have been dealing with him since the end of December. My inner forearms are the biggest casualties!!