A silly question about mule ducks

[Henschickspups]

Still a cautious new duck Mom... Just added cautious new Grandma to the repertoire LOL

Congrats!

 

[casportpony]

Is there a rough estimate to how many days early they hatch? Right now 35 days puts us at May 30th. With the uncertainty, I was planning to take the turner out May 28th, and then hand turn for the last few days.

According to Metzer Farms, it's 32 days.
Source: https://www.metzerfarms.com/mule-ducks.html

Mule Ducks or Moulards

Muscovy and domestic ducks (such as the Pekin - which were developed from Mallards) are very different as they have been genetically isolated for over 50 million years. They can be crossed but you get some very interesting results. If you cross a Muscovy male with a Pekin female you will hatch moulards (or mule ducks); if you cross a Pekin male with a Muscovy female the progeny are called hinnies.

In Europe and in Asia many mule ducks are produced because of their large size, quality liver and reduced fat content in the carcass. Artificial insemination has been developed in ducks due to the desire to produce mule ducks. If left to mate naturally, the fertility is only 20-30%. Artificial insemination brings the fertility up to 80%. Whereas a Pekin takes 28 days to hatch and a Muscovy takes 35 days, a mule or hinny takes 32 days to hatch.

Approximately 60% of mule ducks are males. Some of their characteristics are like the Muscovy as they are large, quiet, slow moving and have long claws but are also like Pekin as they swim well, the males and females are much the same size and they do not fly.

Hinnies are not grown commercially. Males hinnies are much larger than female hinnies, like the muscovy, yet the females look like Pekins but fly quite well.

Mules and hinnies cannot reproduce. Both males are sterile and only the hinny females lay eggs (though they cannot hatch). If you have Muscovy and Pekin together, the chances are poor that they will cross but if they do, a hinny will probably be the result as Pekin males can catch Muscovy females easier than Muscovy males can catch Pekin females.

We do not produce mules or hinnies but thought you might enjoy this material on this interesting aspect of duck production and genetics.

 

[Luv Ducks]

My Mule Ducks from a Huge Muscovy Dad and a Rouen Hen took around 35 days to hatch. I think I might have a Hinnie baby right now as it looks like a Muscovy Baby but I no longer have a Muscovy Drake and only Mallard breed drakes. It does not look like the other three Mallards it was just hatched out with. My Mule Ducks were 2 drakes and a Hen. I kept the Hen and had to help her hatch out as she could not get out of the shell and was a sticky duck. I had to take her from the Mallard sitting on the eggs as she left the nest with her babies after the 29th day. I brought it in the house and put it in an incubator and then when it did not hatch after 48 hours of pipping I put it a small hole in the air sac and then ended up opening the egg and it was all gooey. I washed her off and put her under the light to dry and she is now a year old and huge but a great pet. She quacks when she is upset and runs with both the Muscovy and Mallard breeds that I have. She is happy with any other ducks. The two drakes went down the road and were rehomed as they were so big and always trying to mate my Hens and tearing their feathers off. Good luck with yours, it will do fine with whatever you have. They are good about adjusting.

 

[Henschickspups]

That's awesome to hear! Apparently if I want any more muscovy, I'd have to pop them into the incubator. I'm only starting to get my hopes up about this egg hatching, he spent 12 days in the fridge before going into the incubator, and I'm pretty sure he was washed, too.

 

[Luv Ducks]

That's awesome to hear! Apparently if I want any more muscovy, I'd have to pop them into the incubator. I'm only starting to get my hopes up about this egg hatching, he spent 12 days in the fridge before going into the incubator, and I'm pretty sure he was washed, too.

I have heard of them making it okay under those conditions though so don't give up. I hope that it hatches for you.

 

[Henschickspups]

So far so good! I'd swear I saw his little foot kicking away yesterday!

 

[Henschickspups]

We've got shadowing against the air cell! extrapolating from chicken eggs and looking at duck hatching timelines. It's looking like we'll be hatching around 32. After hatch, how long would I have to wait to know if he's a mule duck or not? Or is that unable to be known with 100% certaintly?

His or her name is Thomas - our little ducky that could!

 

[ProudRedneck]

We've got shadowing against the air cell! extrapolating from chicken eggs and looking at duck hatching timelines. It's looking like we'll be hatching around 32. After hatch, how long would I have to wait to know if he's a mule duck or not? Or is that unable to be known with 100% certaintly?

His or her name is Thomas - our little ducky that could!

35 days = pure
32 days = moulard (hinny/mule)
4-5 months to find out if you have a drake or hen

 

[Henschickspups]

35 days = pure
32 days = moulard (hinny/mule)
4-5 months to fine out if you have a drake or hen

I wasn't sure if that was a set in stone or the possibility of an early hatch. Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[Luv Ducks]

I wasn't sure if it was set in stone or not either. My Mules did hatch out at 35 days. I had three. Heads looked like my Rouen Ducks and the body just like my huge drake Muscovy. Girl ended up having a partial white ring around her neck. The boys never got curled tail feathers but were always trying to mate my girls, hissed and I saw their private parts. Girl is friendly and huge. Now I have a smaller Muscovy female and a larger Call duck that is Black Swedish. The egg was white that this odd duckling came out of at 28 days. With mud on the back of my white Muscovy female I think the Black Swedish mated her. The duckling was hatched by my Mallard along with three other Mallard ducklings. It looks just like the Black Swedish Call Drake. I think it is a Hinny but the timing for the hatch is off. Good luck figuring yours out.