Behavior Problems With Muscovy Drakes

Muscovy ducks are one of the most common types of meat duck found in parks, farms and various locations throughout the United States. Muscovy ducks can be enjoyable to own, but you need a good understanding of general duck behavior before you bring home a muscovy drake, or male, to go with your females.

  1. Aggression

    • Muscovy drakes are known for displaying highly aggressive behavior that can be threatening and even dangerous. An aggressive drake may hiss, chase, bite, pinch and otherwise attack humans, other ducks and even other animals. Mature drakes are generally fairly aggressive birds, suitable for keeping only by individuals who know exactly what caring for drakes entails and are prepared to handle a drake's aggressive behavior.

    Predators

    • A drake who is protecting the hens in the flock will respond aggressively to anything he views as a threat to himself, the hens or any ducklings present. The drake may decide that you, your children or your other animals are predators, chasing or attacking to eliminate the perceived threat. Socializing your drake at an early age can help teach him that humans are not a threat to him, minimizing the likelihood of his attacking because the drake feels you are a threat. Unfortunately, socializing your drake too well can also lead to problems.

    Why Socialized Drakes Attack

    • In a natural environment, muscovy drakes constantly challenge one another for the top position in the flock. If you have hand-raised your young drake, you may discover that he views you as being a part of his flock when he becomes a mature adult. Unfortunately, if your drake views you as a part of his flock, he will feel it is his place to challenge you for dominance. Regardless of the outcome of the challenge, the drake is likely to continue behaving aggressively toward you to display his own dominance or to re-establish that he feels dominant over you when you run away.

    Dealing With Drake

    • An extremely aggressive drake can be challenging to deal with on a daily basis. If your aggressive drake is in an environment that requires frequent interaction with living creatures, you may need to seclude him. You can limit the areas he has access to by placing him a in a coop or other enclosed living space. If your drake is too aggressive for you to handle safely, you may need to find him a home with someone who is used to handling aggressive ducks.