#The duck and quiver meaning how to#
How To Tell When A Duck Is Happyĭucks will not only quack repeatedly in a high pitched tone when they are happy but they will also bob their heads up and down. While not a given, once one drake gets all wound up in mating behavior, other males can have their interest peaked as well all pile onto a single hen. A drake may also swim around the hen with its neck and wings stretched out wide to indicate his intentions and mounting interest. Here is a video to get an idea of what we are talking about.Ī drake (male duck) will often flick water at a hen with its beak to get her attention just prior to mating. During these mating sessions hens can respond by bobbing their head up and down in an accepting response. Drakes will shake their tail feathers and their heads to get the attention of the hens. When I first started keeping ducks I thought that one was fighting the other and was about to drown.ĭucks engage in breeding behavior year round and can mate in or out of the water, but unmistakably prefer to get amorous in the water.įlirting behavior is common in ducks. However, duck breeding behavior can look a bit violent. Duck Breeding BehaviorĪs mentioned in a previous article, duck mating habits can help determine the sex of a duck. While the ducklings truly become a part of the established flock, a sort of mini flock develops where the three or four ducklings that hatched together remain tight knit and always swim and lounge together for the rest of their lives. But, this behavior subsides once other ducklings or chicks also hatch to help keep it company.Įach time I hatch a few ducklings to add to the flock the same thing occurs – a “flockette” is formed. After a duckling has imprinted upon you, it often carries on quite loudly if you disappear from view for too long. When ducks imprint upon a keeper they will also be far more likely to come when called and be easier to train as part of the put up and turn out routine. While you want them to meld into a flock, the connection they make with their keeper will make them easier to handle if sick or injured. The more you look into the incubator, talk to and handle the ducklings, the greater the chance they will imprint upon and bond with you. If the duckling was hatched in a clutch of eggs the momma hen was sitting, the duckling will naturally imprint upon her.īut, if the duckling was hatched in an incubator it will imprint upon the other ducklings or even chicks that are hatching along with it. The tiny baby duck will imprint upon whatever it sees during this time. The first hour of life is forever important to a duckling’s life. Whether you hatch your own ducks via their hen mommas, in an incubator, or purchased from a store, the fuzzy little ducklings will all instinctively behave the same right out of their eggshell. It will also enhance your husbandry skills to offer better care – and perhaps even get more delicious eggs in the process.īoth domestic egg and meat duck breeds as well as their wild peers share the basic characteristics. Being able to interpret duck behavior will allow you to better understand why they do what they do.
They each have their own definite personalities and flock demeanor. Ducks are quite entertaining little creatures.
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