Does any one know what to do with Muskovy ducks that peck each other till they are bloody and dying? They pull out each others feathers. We have to separate them periodicly to get them to quit picking on each other. They are going to become duck soup if they don't stop soon. Thanx.

-- m. kisch (zedanka@aol.com), January 19, 2001

Answers

Feather picking is hard to stop once it has started. What are you feeding your birds, how much space are they in and how old are they? We purchased some Muscovies this fall from someone and they were feather picking. I am not sure what they were being fed but after we started them on pellets and got them into a nice big pen it got a lot better. We don't seem to have this problem on our free-ranging birds because they can get away from each other, Muscovies included. If you notice one or two that are the instigators you may have to seperate them permanently or get rid of them.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@linkup.net), January 19, 2001.

Do you have too many males? We raised some straight run duck chicks and ended up with 5 males to 2 females. They did a lot better once we got rid of 4 males.

-- mary,texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 19, 2001.

I wonder about over crowding too. However, when our mallard hens would be setting up nests in the spring and raising babies, other mothers would go after another's babies to kill them if they could, the mother whose babies were attacked would of course defend them, and some of those got pretty serious with feathers being ripped out, but never to the point of real blood. Some relatives had Muskovys and they seemed much more aggressive than our mallards were, so perhaps they're getting ready for spring and you need more room -- and seperate ones -- for them. That's what we had to do with our hens to keep them from killing babies.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 19, 2001.

We have only one drake and 7 females. They all seem to pick on one or two birds. One duck has adopted the chickens as her family, and won't even go near the other ducks for fear of being picked to death. We have them just on cracked corn. We took them off pellets a couple of months ago, but it was just as bad then. I thought maybe they need a pecking block or something, but not sure where to find one or what it is for sure. I was raised on a farm by my folks never did ducks, and it had been a life long dream of mine to have ducks. It hasn't turned out to be as much fun as I had imagined.

-- m. kisch (zedanks@aol.com), January 20, 2001.

Have they been on the forum lately - it seems to be contagious!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 20, 2001.

What are you feeding them? It could be a protein problem. In severe cases their feet will start to curl and turn inward. I would put them on a laying ration (16% or higher in protein) and see if this will help, it should. P.S. make sure it does not have amproleum or any other medication.

-- David (davidl41@ipa.net), January 20, 2001.

We have 10 mallards. 5 drakes and 5 hens. We started out with 6 of each. When we first got them we kept them penned up so they wouldn't wander away. One hen got out of the pen and disspeared. Then one of the drakes started pecking another drake. The pecked drake flew the coop literally! I think it may be the male female thing. Now we have no problem.

-- JoAnn (jonehls@excite.com), January 21, 2001.

Head out to a nearby pine tree. Tear all the sap gobs, clear and white, off of the trunk. Squash it together into a sticky paste. Smear it generously in exposed areas on injured ducks taking special care to get it all over the base of the shafts of any new feathers poking out from the bare spots.

-- William in WI (gnarledmaw@lycos.com), January 26, 2001.

Hey, we used to sell some stuff like that at the feed store. Don't remember what it was called. Stuff to put on the injuries that heals and stops them from pecking!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), January 26, 2001.

somtimes putting ducks under a red light will help the ducks cannot tell the differance between exsposed flesh or feathers because everything has a red colour.This is what we do in holland with ducks and chickens when they first hatch to prevent pecking at each other and then we dont have any problems when they get older.Also you must have a lot of space for them you cannt put a lot of ducks in a small area,ducks need more room than chickens.I wish you goodluck. Ankja Stryder

-- (dutch@eeoni.com), April 01, 2001.

I have 2 pairs of Indian Runners. I've had them for 6 months and they've got along fine. One of the females started laying about 3 weeks ago and yesterday I noticed one of the males pecking the other male relentlessly. They free range all day but the pecked male didn't try to escape. He just seems to put up with it. The male pecks worst when the other male tries to get near the female that isn't laying eggs. I've tried separating them into 2 couples but all 4 ducks were distressed. they do everything together. Plaese help. I'm really worried

-- C Lee (catherinelee1@aol.com), February 05, 2002.

Muscovies are known for being aggressive. Make'em into soup and get some real ducks -- any other kind of duck.

As for the Indian Runner drakes pecking at each other, 2 males for 2 females is too many. I didn't get peace in the valley until I got down to one drake for 7 females. They're not human couples.

-- snoozy (bunny@northsound.net), February 06, 2002.