How to sex Muscovy ducklings

[iajewel]

I will not get into vent sexing as you can hurt the duckling. If you have a good eye you can sex looking at the legs of the ducklings. The males will look like over grown monsters with tree trucks for clumsy legs. The females will be well suited to the size of their legs. Females will grow their wing feathers first. So much so that the males will still have featherless stubs while the females are well on their way to having wings.

I hope this helps you all sex your ducklings this fall.

 

[Going Quackers]

Any tips on getting them over their shyness? I purchased 11 assorted ages...the oldest are about 3 months old but I have to really think it out in order to catch them. The youngest are the 4 week ones. I moved them into the house because I felt the large outdoor pen was too large...they seemed to get trampled by the older ones and I also thought I might have a better time de-shying (new word, lol) them. The girls seem much more interested in becoming friendly than the boys do, but I was wondering if there are any extra tips...thanks! I love them anyways -- just like to be able to catch all my animals.

Time, treats can help but honestly they have to learn to trust and ducks being prey animals mean they are naturally afraid of anything new, different or not of the same species.

I can handle all my ducks if need be, that said i prefer to just herd the scovies in or about.. i have no desire for in the pocket birds lol

 

[Mariejulianna]

LOL! if you invent something can you post it here first? haha! I should try the milk jug thing. I think anything would be better than a chick waterer since they just seem to lose 98% of the water they intake right out the bottom of their bill...oh well.

 

[Kathy farms]

Thanks

Our friend's ducks (Khakis) have been laying since March so I was wondering if there was something wrong with our little Muscovy. I'll do a thorough sweep of the pen tonight and then just try to be more patient. We're at about 13 hours of sunlight per day up here now so maybe it's just a bit too early for her.

The mallard derivatives are prolific layers and that's in contrast with the Muscovy. Maybe an additional supplement of calcium (oyster shells) may also help things a bit with some layers' feed as part of the diet. They can lay big and incredibly hard shell eggs though. I had an 80 gram egg from one of my girls laying for the first time since I had her.

 

[Mariejulianna]

Hi! Do you have only the one Muscovy? I have 7 Muscovy hens and have noticed that they seem to be very "monkey see, monkey do" with their laying. One does it, so they all do it. I raise them with 2 mallard ladies and 1 Muscovy male. I was shocked when my youngest 5 started laying at barely 4 months old, just because my 8 month old Muscovy hen figured it out! Maybe she needs a friend that speaks her language...? The one in the picture does look like a duck to me. And maybe the laying habits depend on where you live? The weather? I am in New Mexico. My girls started laying again at the beginning of March, same time as my Khaki and Swedish. They have not stopped so far! Skipping maybe 1 or 2 days, but faithful and HUGE eggs. I just had a mother hatch out a batch on the 1st of this month. She is already laying again and the babies are still living with her!! There is another option that I doubt, but if the person you bought her from has mallards as well, your duck might be a Mulard. Mulards only lay eggs when crossed a certain direction. The other way they are sterile and do not lay eggs. This is probably not the case. Just sayin... I personally think it is a friend issue that might be solved by a visit with your friend's muscovies that are laying. Hope that helps!

--Marie

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I will never learn how to do this!
I have raised up some this year and know my own boys from girls. The boys have grown into big monsters, they did feather out later but I could tell from their legs as they were maturing that they were boys.

However, I have one chocolate pied that was given to me that I thought was a girl but the oldest master male of the group still seems to be chasing this one off from them. I swear, it looks like a girl to me.
When one of my girls tried to go broody a few weeks ago this odd one out stayed in the coup with her. Huggs is a sweet girl and never gets after other animals so I am not sure if it was only because this poor thing was/is lonely that it stayed in with her. She dejectedly follows the group around when out and about on the farm and when time to lock up for the night Herman stills tried to keep her from coming into the coop.
This one has a lot more caruncles on the face than my other girls of the same age.

Is it a personality conflict or do I have a thin legged, small male?

And again.......

 

[iajewel]

If its thin legged, its a girl
yes hens do have conflicts. and they hate others around their nests

 

[animalsRawesome]

Thank you for posting! I'm adding this to my favorites! my friend just hatched a bunch of ducklings. well, she didn't, her muscovy hen did.

Will this work if they are muscovies crossed with ???

 

[iajewel]

If your friend is breeding mules then I think it would still work? I dont' know I keep mine straight.

 

[animalsRawesome]

Okay. Thank you. If I have time I will go over to my friends house and take a peek at her ducklings' legs, then let yall know after they grow up if it still works with mules.