Muscovy keepers share your pics!

[svfarm]

How would I go about helping a duckling hatch when the air cell is right down the side? Normally when I would help a chick, I would go partially around the air cell. How should I do this?

 

[Scovy Momma]

Quote:
She's great! Thanks! I'm still hoping it's a she but you're right, it is hard to tell without the others around. How many did you end up with that are male? She's growing so fast, the coworkers notice by the end of the week that she's bigger than the last time they see her. This was her last night while I was cleaning. She slips on the wood floor a lot so I tried these tiny skid-painted socks I still had from when Daisy had her little foot issue a couple years ago. River didn't mind them at all but she learned its easier to stay on the towel.

 

[TherryChicken]

I think you have 25% that should be buffs...not 25% of getting buffs

That's what I was meaning ..

 

[chrissyr]

Quote:
She's great! Thanks! I'm still hoping it's a she but you're right, it is hard to tell without the others around. How many did you end up with that are male? She's growing so fast, the coworkers notice by the end of the week that she's bigger than the last time they see her. This was her last night while I was cleaning. She slips on the wood floor a lot so I tried these tiny skid-painted socks I still had from when Daisy had her little foot issue a couple years ago. River didn't mind them at all but she learned its easier to stay on the towel.

So cute! I'm still thinking girl. From the video, her beak looks smaller than the ones I have looking boyish. Someone should invent some of those for kids, lol! If I could have taught my kids to stay on a blanket I would have been ecstatic! Haha! I have 13 ducklings left. Haven't sorted out how many boys/girls, but some just have bigger beaks and feet coming on. Love your pics and videos

 

[chickoletta5]

My muscovy babies.

 

[Coops4me]

Hi I'm new to ducks,and would love some advice. I was given a pair of muscovy ducks this spring from a breeder. Thought it would be nice to have some for my ponds. Well I have 13 babies now. They are about 4 days old now. The mother is a choc pied I think and not sure what color the father is called. Here's some pics of them. Question when do I sell the chicks? I have never had ducks before. And really need some help.


they are all at the pond now. Any info on these would be great.

 

[svfarm]

silver? i mean he's not lavender, he's way to light to be lavender 

It looks like he is a silver. I got three blue ducklings from my black female. So reverse the genetics chart and he's a silver.

 

[Muscovynmore]

Anyone know what color he is? And what colors the ducklings may be?

He's an interesting color. The only thing I would say for sure is that he is a white head. He doesn't look lavender to me, either. The tint of his faded feathers makes me think silver is likely, but his tail looks too gray for that. Here's a picture of one of my faded, solid silver drakes for comparison.



My silver birds have a distinct color pattern as they feather in and then fade out. Right after a molt, they have lavender tails and nearly white heads. Their bodies are a transition between the colors (brand-new feather tips are often orangish-brown, too). As the feathers get older, the lavender fades until the bird is a creamy, almost-rusty color like the previous drake.

Anyway, that's my experience with silvers. Your drake looks to me like he has a gray tail, even though he's had a bit of time since his last molt. That doesn't quite ring true as silver to me because they tend to fade out pretty quick. But my computer screen might be playing tricks.

He doesn't look lavender to me, as I said. Here's a messy lavender drake.


Hee, hee, he still thinks he's good-looking.

Well, he is, but I'm getting lost on a rabbit trail. I think I'll encourage anyone who's interested to compare his feathers to the silver drake's. Notice how the lavender is faded, but he's still much darker. The tint to his feathers is also very different from the silver's. Oh, and the yellow spines on his tail are adorable.



This picture didn't turn out right, but this girl is a silver barred. She's much more of a light cream color in person. Don't use her as a comparison . . . this picture makes her look very lavender.


So in summary, I think your drake is probably silver. It would be easier to decide if he weren't a white head, but that's not his fault. He might have a different tint than my ducks do, but that might be the picture. My final observation is his feet. They're yellow with a bit of darker trim, which lends to silver.

He's really cute. I hope the ducklings turn out even cuter.

It's kind of embarrassing to post all these pictures of birds that are about to molt . . . but maybe they'll help someone.

 

[jennifleur]

Nice dark silvers, very even.

Can anyone help me with these?
Lilac, brown, lavender?

 

[Muscovynmore]

Aw! Generically, a colored tail (on an otherwise solid duckling) means that it will be a barred of that tail's color. Your yellow-with-dark-pink-bill ducklings should be silver (or silver barred. That one's hard to notice). Then those three black ones should be black pied.

But I don't know about the pale brown ones. Brown isn't one of my birds' colors.

Awww.