Muscovy keepers share your pics!

[Ren2014]

Hi guys, maybe you can help me a little.
This sweet guy has been biting at his legs a lot lately. He's extremely pigeon toed and it looks like his knees are a little weak. He also won't climb into the pool or buckets any more to bathe. Any ideas why? He's over a year old (and should be molting based on his ratty plumage). It's time to select which of the year's offspring gets to stay and I don't want to keep ducks that could pass on genetics that give future ducklings crippled, painful bodies as adults. Could my buddy's problem be genetic or is it environmental? I didn't raise him so I didn't have any control over stuff prior to him coming here a year ago but at this point none of his offspring have it showing up yet. I didn't notice it early on when we first brought him home at about 5 or 6 months, but then again I wasn't checking and was just getting used to muscovies so I could have missed it. His feet/legs are so bad when he's standing at rest his inner claws often stand on the other foot across the other inner toe and he will sometimes randomly bite at his hocks when standing around. He also is not a frequent mater and prefers to dance with the girls until they lay down for him, then often sits down next to them instead of following through-even in the spring.

I'm really hoping it's something that happened as a duckling because he's such a friendly drake...so friendly I could not get a picture of his feet because he wanted his face in it. This is the least goofy one. He's always happy to see you.

He's beautiful! Have you checked him for mites or any kind of parasite?

 

[rachelsflock]

I can do that tonight. Who knows!

 

[Ren2014]

My Bell. She's starting to show more brown.


Somebody couldn't wait for me to put the shavings out, lol

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

My Bell. She's starting to show more brown. Somebody couldn't wait for me to put the shavings out, lol

What a pretty girl! Is she a chocolate?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Updated pictures of Cocoa, Cosmo, and Ebony. They've been outside for almost 2 weeks weeks now. They're almost fully feathered now, just waiting for their wing feathers to finish coming in. They've all finally figured out how to get in and out of the coop on their own. It's no easy task without being able to fly lol

In this picture, little Mira decided to photo bomb. She's the whole reason i brought home a duck in the first place, someone to keep her company while she was stuck in the house, recovering from her injury. Not long after this picture, she snuck around behind me and flew up on my shoulder to hang out lol.

Sorry for such a big photo bomb but i couldn't decide which pictures to use.

 

[TherryChicken]

What color is this Drake??

 

[TherryChicken]

 

[Going Quackers]

My Bell. She's starting to show more brown.


Somebody couldn't wait for me to put the shavings out, lol

She's pretty, i have some like that here... they remind me of tea. Funny on the shavings. Amazing how determined the breed is to lay anywhere.

 

[Going Quackers]

Hey everyone, do your ducks return to a coop at night? Mine have been out in the chicken coop since Thursday night and I opened the side door today so they can go out if they want but do they have that desire to return? I want to let them out to run and play but don't want to risk them running away (or me not being able to catch them lol)

Yeah they all return to the duck area but i toss feed at dusk, they wanna eat? they come in lol. I think with smaller flocks it can be more difficult, i found as my flock grew they have learned return habits better.

 

[Ren2014]

What a pretty girl! Is she a chocolate?

Thank you.
I'm told she is a blue fawn/lilac.

She's pretty, i have some like that here... they remind me of tea. Funny on the shavings. Amazing how determined the breed is to lay anywhere.

Thank you. It is amazing how determined they are.