Duck fighting????

[dunnitrees]

I need help guys,

I have 4 ducks that normally get on quite nicely (1 x Campbell duck, 2 x Runner duck/drake and 1 x Aylesbury duck) BUT now while my Aylesbury duck is having a bath she seems to get down really low and what looks like courtship to the Runner duck. She reaches into the bath and pulls at her wing enough now that she makes it bleed (Mid Secondaries). How do i stop this from happening?

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Hiya

ahh this is the mating posture and your duckie grabbing the feathers has sort of got the wrong technique! Sometimes there can be jealousy between females at this time of the year and there will be some feather tugging, it doesn't usually result in bleeding though, is your duck mid moult? That may explain the presence of blood in the feather shafts. Is it a duck and a drake or two ducks?

zo
x

 

[dunnitrees]

Hiya, Its my Aylesbury female and the female Runner duck.. its when the Aylesbury is in the bath having a splash and the other ducks are stood around watching (ducks watching are - Female Campbell, Female Runner, Male Runner) like you said the Aylesbury flattens down and faces the female runner duck and its her that pulls at the Aylesbury's wing but she does it in the same place every time. All the ducks are fully feathered and not moulting at the moment and i suppose with the Aylesbury being white the blood on her wing stands out loads. I even took the water bath away and just left them with a bucket of water just to dunk there heads to give the wing time to heal which worked but the day i put the bath in and she's got a bloody wing again :-(

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Bless them, they haven't quite got the mating thing have they. I wouldn't worry too much, just keep an eye on it and perhaps spray some F10 antiseptic spray on the damaged feather (it may be the same feather). Hopefully they will get the technique right soon!

 

[Howiek]

So, I have a duck fighting problem of my own. We had 3 Rouens, 1 male, 2 female. All is well. Smaller female sits a clutch of eggs has 2 male ducklings that are now full grown, they hatched over the summer. Everything was fine as they grew up, a bit of bullying by the other female and the elder male, but nothing over the top. Now for the last 2 weeks, the other female is existing separated from the other 4 ducks, she hangs out on her own when before they were always all together. When I put them in at night she immediately attacks the other female very aggressively, she is ornery 24/7. The boys sort her out and protect the female that had the ducklings but she just keeps it up, I have had to separate her at night in another coop. Any ideas what the heck has gotten into her? BTW, she is molting and has lost her colors but I did not have this issue last year when they molted.
Thank you

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Hiya I would say you are doing everything right. I have two the same at the moment. Moulting, shouting at all the others and attacking whoever comes near them. It's fairly normal i am afraid! Ducks are quite complex socially and can be very aggressive. You need to worry when one is excluded completely and shows signs of fear behaviour (hiding, quivering etc).
Keep us posted?
zo
x

 

[Howiek]

Thanks you, I kinda thought it would have to be associated to the molt. She has her colors back now and things have settled down allot. Still not a completely happy little camper, but much better. Now to see what happens when spring approaches and the 3 males start going at it.