Muscovy duck Q&A

crandal said:

@Miss Lydia thank you for the advice. It's good to know what I'll be having to deal with if any hatch. Fingers crossed. No I'm not using any light in the coop. It's been unusually warm lately I think that's why they are laying. I don't know why but my scovies seem to stay pretty grounded. I have lots of trees in the yard yet they remain on the ground.

For nesting boxes I built a few on the floor of the coop and the chickens nests are about 3.5 feet up. I built boxes that have sides a front with a cutout a solid back and solid top. Is there a way to train them to use the nesting boxes. Like should I gather eggs from yard every day and put them in the nest?

The kids and I cooked our first duck egg today I must say,. I like them more than chicken eggs. What are your thoughts on meat birds. Does duck taste good,. I'm wondering if I should hatch and raise some for meat. The scovies I have now I couldn't do that with they are my first so they are pets to me. Just wondering if I should even bother trying duck.

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FoodFreedomNow said:

I think duck is delicious, and Muscovy meat is very highly regarded. I have processed a couple of my free range drakes and eaten one...it's lean, all dark meat that resembles beef; in fact, some people make "beef" stew with it. I grew up eating (lean) wild duck, so I don't care for the greasy duck that's served in restaurants.

Muscovies have a lot of personality and are smart, so it's easy to see why people keep them as pets. Their eggs are top-notch (I agree that they're better than chicken eggs), and I hatch my own, so that means roughly half are drakes, and there comes a point at which there are simply too many drakes. Just be prepared for how difficult processing drakes can be: they're huge, very strong, and you will probably be very fond of them by the time they reach processing age. It doesn't compare with processing roosters...by the time you process cockerels, they've likely become terrors and it's not so difficult to do the deed (relatively speaking).

My suggestion is to try it and then decide if going the meat route is right for you.

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crandal said:

Tomorrow will be a week into incubating and I'm already anxious for the hatch. Being patient sucks still such a long way to go it's like watching paint dry. Come spring momma ducks can have the job so I don't have all this excitement built up lol

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Ren2014 said:

LOL, you've got a ways to go still.  I gave up on incubating Muscovy eggs when I saw how less stressful it is to let the mamas do it and how they did a way better job than me. for you.

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crandal said:

Thank you,. The only reason I'm doing it is cause it's so cold at night here momma duck probably couldn't keep them warm enough and even if she did,. They'd all die from cold no? Please correct me if I'm wrong this is all new to me. And if I hatch some out now and muscle through the winter playing momma come spring they will be 4 months older than if I waited. I only have 7 and have to get rid of 2 Drake's so it's like I only have 5 so getting a jump start on building flock up this way

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crandal said:

Ren2014 said:

LOL, you've got a ways to go still.  I gave up on incubating Muscovy eggs when I saw how less stressful it is to let the mamas do it and how they did a way better job than me. for you.

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Thank you,. The only reason I'm doing it is cause it's so cold at night here momma duck probably couldn't keep them warm enough and even if she did,. They'd all die from cold no? Please correct me if I'm wrong this is all new to me. And if I hatch some out now and muscle through the winter playing momma come spring they will be 4 months older than if I waited. I only have 7 and have to get rid of 2 Drake's so it's like I only have 5 so getting a jump start on building flock up this way

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CyndiD said:

my runner ducks and 1 buff O duck hatched 17 ducklings this February 2016... they did fine. i had them all in the duck house (12'x12'). i did give them a heat lamp that was on 24/7 until it started to warm up or when they were fully feathered. our ducks are domesticated but, they are animals and they know how to survive with our help also of course.

just continue to do your research and ask Q's and your muscovy's will be fine. and enjoy the experience.

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crandal said:

Tomorrow will be a week into incubating and I'm already anxious for the hatch. Being patient sucks still such a long way to go it's like watching paint dry. Come spring momma ducks can have the job so I don't have all this excitement built up lol

Click to expand...