Duck Breed Focus - Muscovy

[sumi]

The Muscovy duck breed is native to Mexico, Central and South America. The term "Muscovy" means "from the Moscow region", but these ducks are neither native there nor were they introduced there before they became known in Western Europe. It is not known exactly how the name came about, only that it very likely originated between 1550 and 1600, but it did not become widespread until some years later. The breed is unique in that it is the only domestic duck not to have descended from the Wild Mallard.
Very popular as a domestic breed, males are quite large, growing to about 30 inches long. The females grow to roughly half the males' size. Their feet have sharp claws, which allows them to perch, but these can deliver nasty scratches, so care should be taken when handling them. Although the Muscovy duck is originally a tropical bird, it adapted well to cooler climates, thriving in weather as cold as 10 °F and is able to survive even colder conditions.
Muscovies were standardised in the British Waterfowl Standard in 1954 and now have 9 different colour varieties standardised. They first entered the APA's Standard of Perfection in 1874 and are standardised in White, Black, Blue and Chocolate. The breed can also be found in Pied (white with any color mixed), Lavender, Bronze and Ripple.

Details:
Purpose: Dual
Egg laying: 60-150 annually
Weight: Drakes 10-13 lbs; Ducks 5.5-6.6 lbs
Broodiness: Average, good mothers


Pic by @ThreeBoysChicks


Pic by @Chicken Kisses

Pic by @jmc


Pic by @lauralou


Pic by @ricklo

BYC Breed Reviews:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/muscovy

BYC Breed Discussions:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/130753/muscovy-keepers-share-your-pics/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/808184/incubation-progress-of-muscovy-eggs/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/801036/attention-muscovy-lovers/0_30

Do you own Muscovies? Are you a Muscovie breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I love this breed started out with them in June of 2004 quite by accident met this guy in the river below our home he'll be 12 in March

Just a few of mine. love all the colors they come in. And Mr. Personality Opie!! lol

 

[Buck Oakes]

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Do you own Muscovies? Are you a Muscovie breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

Thank you great thread!
We got our first 4 Muscovy in 2012. My youngest DD picked them from a private breeder.
We keep several, and they are multi purpose for us. I added several more in 2014.
Drakes are huge and awesome table birds.
They are all raised like pets here, no matter what purpose.
I have nothing negative to report! Super smart, social, comical.



Adore this duck breed! If I had to choose I would only keep scovys.

Miss Physco. Only Muscovy thats ever bit me! She is my nest hider, and stashes eggs in very inconvenient locations.















This is my oldest hen, Huey and also my top hen.




Mother goose brooded and raised these babies.

 

[hennible]

 

[BckCntryBurrows]

Live near London, Ontario. I enjoy the Muscovies. Very low maintenance, great foragers, mine are frequently broody. Super tame birds, very quiet, never had an issue. They're messy, like most ducks, but I find they need less water than others.
Never clip their wings either. They fly fairly well but are entirely free range & always stick around the barn. They know that's home.

My two piebald white & black/lavender females & black magpie drake

My one of my blue/black ducks with neck bronzing (just got off a nest, so she looks a little rough)

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

I've seen several videos with muscovies making that same rather loud honking sound, even though "official" sources seem to indicate they are extremely quiet. Do they get quieter as they got older or something? I'm thinking about getting some, and the "hissing and quiet whistle-like clucks instead of loud quacks" is a lot of the appeal, as I don't want to bother my neighbors. But it seems like that might not always be true? I'd love to hear people's experiences with noise.

The loud one that you hear is my Rouen, Daphne. The quieter high-pitched trilling is coming from my Muscovy girls

Edited to add - my girls also make a “chirp CHIRP!” sound when broody or about to become broody, but the sound still doesn’t carry like the loud quacks of my Rouen. I wouldn’t call my Muscovy hens quiet as such, as they love to chatter away to each other and Daphne, but their sounds are pleasant and not too loud. I’ve never worried about them annoying my neighbor, but I have worried about Daphne.

Edited one more time to add that most of the excited sounds come when they regroup after time apart or just before heading out on an adventure

 

[JudysMuscovy]

One of my pretty girls -blue fawn

 

[chickengr]

these are my pets:

 

[Adorkable]

I wanted to get muscovies because I think they're beautiful and so unique compared to all of the other Duck breeds. I got 3 but sadly they all ended up being drakes so they are no longer with me

Here are just a few pictures of them. I have tons of pics!

























They were awesome and they loved me. Whenever they would see me they would run to me wagging their tails and hissing at me. Adorable little guys.



They did start snapping at my little fur-baby and chasing him around as you can see in this last picture.

​

I hope to add at least 1 or 2 females to my flock of Welsh Harlequin ducks as i really do have a great appreciation for this amazingly unique breed of ducks.
​