Muscovy duck Q&A

[rachelsflock]

Well one of the roosters is picking at her so I've separated it but the missing feathers comes from something else, she's missing feathers under her wings on her back plate and all on her belly,. Her feet and legs are green instead of orange and she hobbles and limps around like something is wrong with her leg or foot but when I apply pressure it doesn't seem to cause any discomfort. I keep feeding her and watering her and giving her organic apple cider vinegar waiting for her body to heal itself but nothing is changing,. Doesn't seem to be getting better,. Or worse,. Just.... The same,. For about 2 weeks now and her and her siblings are all like 2 or 3 months old

Pardon me for butting in, but it sounds like her legs could have potentially lost circulation and might be dying or not growing right. They wouldn't happen to smell, would they?

 

[rachelsflock]

*sorry for asking you to sniff a chicken's feet. That's not something I ever thought I'd have to do.

 

[crandal]

*sorry for asking you to sniff a chicken's feet. That's not something I ever thought I'd have to do.

Lmao never thought when I left Jersey and moved to good old Utah that I'd be sniffing a chickens foot. But hey I guess it should have came at no surprise

 

[rachelsflock]

Hey, but if there's no smell then you can rule out infection or dying tissue. I think it's worth it! LOL.

 

[jcountry]

Hey guys and gals, I'm unsure if my duck eggs are fertile. I have two female muscovy and a male. I so far have over 22 eggs in their nest. They haven't been laying on them which makes me wonder? Any idea if they'd be fertile? I would assume they are because our male had been mating quite frequently with the girls. But the eggs have been sitting in the nest for a couple of weeks and the females still continue to pop out eggs daily. Do I wait to see?! Thanks!

 

[klucas80]

Hey guys and gals, I'm unsure if my duck eggs are fertile. I have two female muscovy and a male. I so far have over 22 eggs in their nest. They haven't been laying on them which makes me wonder? Any idea if they'd be fertile? I would assume they are because our male had been mating quite frequently with the girls. But the eggs have been sitting in the nest for a couple of weeks and the females still continue to pop out eggs daily. Do I wait to see?! Thanks!

You can candle them to see if you can find the blastoderm on the yolk. It usually shows as a spot on the yolk. If you take a bright flashlight, hold it right against the egg while it's dark.

 

[klucas80]

So I checked my muscovy's egg and the duckling is pipping but no zipping yet. There is a little bit of membrane showing and it's turned yellow but it's unbroken. Is there a point where I need to step in and help? I'd hate for it to not survive. It's been so long since she clutched. It's now been 30 hours since I noticed the crack.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So I checked my muscovy's egg and the duckling is pipping but no zipping yet. There is a little bit of membrane showing and it's turned yellow but it's unbroken. Is there a point where I need to step in and help? I'd hate for it to not survive. It's been so long since she clutched. It's now been 30 hours since I noticed the crack.

The duckling has internally pipped? It takes a long time for ducklings to hatch. So the fine line is to not step in too soon. Mom sticking tight to the nest, I'd sit and wait. I don't Interfere with my Muscovy's when hatching.


Lets see if we can get some others who hatch h with scovy ducks chime in.. @Ren2014

@casportpony

@learycow

@FoodFreedomNow

 

[klucas80]

I'm not sure if the little has pipped internally. Mom is pretty agressive right now. I guess I'm just behaving like a nervous parent. Lol I've hatched chicken eggs but never a duck egg. This is a new experience.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I'm not sure if the little has pipped internally. Mom is pretty agressive right now. I guess I'm just behaving like a nervous parent. Lol I've hatched chicken eggs but never a duck egg. This is a new experience.

x2 on @Miss Lydia's advice - if the egg was in an incubator, I'd have gone in and made a safety hole, but since Mom's there, I'd trust that she knows what to do. My broodies (even first-timers) have better hatch rates than I do.

Hang in there!