Muscovy questions

[Greta A]

I have a white drake and he is outside 24/7. He could go in but chooses not to.

I also have three black and white hens. Two stay out one chooses to be housed

 

[ruthhope]

am wanting to raise Muscovies. I have a very large brood area, chicken coop and run that I can keep them in but my goal is to have them free range on my predator prone 25 acres. I have a large creek full of water all of the time. I ordered white Muscovies from a hatchery in October and they were slow, fat and even at 3 mos barely could fly. They did not seem to care much about hanging out on the water and slowly were picked off by predators during the day (at night they went in the coop with the chickenks) even though the females were fly pretty good the males still were not. We finally butchered the last 2.

I am wondering if I got the wrong kind of Muscovies. I need a more wild and able to survive kind. Is their a hatchery or seller of a type that might fit the bill? Are black ones closer to the wild ones?

Also, in the past I've tried keep other types of ducks with little success but did not have a safe place for them to go at night. But I never lost them during they day as they stayed near or on the water mostly. I now have the set up for any type of duck that can survive free ranging during the day and can be trained to go into the coop at night. I keep 20-30 chickens free range and have occasional losses but for the most part they survive free ranging all day and lock themselves in at night.

Can I keep other types of ducks with the Muscovies? I would consider raising a mixed flock. I would like the Muscovies for meat and the others just to enjoy on the my creek and occasionally eggs.

I would love anyone's thoughts about this and a source to find a type of Muscovy that will work for me, if that is possible.

Thanks!

Linda

Where are you, Linda? We have lots of feral muscovy in NE Florida. I get rescues every year that wildlife rehabbers are not legally allowed to take in. I have problems finding new homes for them.

 

[AKMommaF8]

Where are you, Linda? We have lots of feral muscovy in NE Florida. I get rescues every year that wildlife rehabbers are not legally allowed to take in. I have problems finding new homes for them.

I wish we had that problem here in S Alaska. I lost my favorite drake last year and now have to find a replacement. Unfortunately, there aren't many of us that have Muscovies and those that do are related!

I also would love to free range mine, but have too many aerial predators and now with a subdivision nearby, tons of dogs!

I noticed most hatcheries this year are only selling straight run. While I can always use mor e females, the ONE time I need males, I can't order them specifically!

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Alaskan

 

[Alaskan]

Dogs are a huge predation issue... if you can't keep the dogs off the property, then I do not think they can free range.

I did find a LARGE muscovy flock (I had mixed colors, not white and not black, mostly chocolate and such) was more predator resistant.

However... over the years, several bad things happened... and I lost my drake, and my back up drake... and... that was that.

Getting muscovy shipped up to alaska is difficult.. I really wanted more that were chocolate, and did not have the white head gene... could find zero... so gave up.

As to free ranging... GEESE. I found, with the flock at least 5 in number, they were much better at protecting themselves when let to range during the day.

@AKMommaF8 if you like the muscovy you are looking at, buy a bunch.. I am sure you will be able to sell all extras... and, if you can't, they sure do taste wonderful!

As to muscovy and water... mine loved my pond. They swam daily.

 

[PekinMallard]

I live in the Tampa Bay FL area on a pond mostly surrounded by homes. Just one section farthest from me is wooded. We've had wild Muscovies that live and raise ducklings here. I do feed them to supplement foraging although probably unnecessary since there are bugs and other foods available year round. I mostly feed because there's a male Pekin Mallard that lives with them and he cannot fly. I don't know where he came from, and originally there were also 2 females that are gone. One just disappeared (suspect predator as we have lots despite being a residential subdivision) and the other was run over by a car, a somewhat common fate for even the ducks that can fly. Anyway, the Muscovies are great flyers and love swimming. The females especially like hanging out periodically on the rooftops, on fences and sometimes trees. Males only seem to do that when they're interested in a female that's doing it! They mate on land and in water. Sometimes they lay eggs in my yard but I've never had any of those result in ducklings. The eggs that hatch are laid elsewhere as typically 1-2 times a year one female will show up with ducklings. Most will not make it but some do and they often stick around. Usually 12-17 birds that roam around the general area, showing up in singles, pairs or more throughout the day. Most of them will show up in the early morning and end of day for some pellets. This neighborhood has feral dogs and cats, foxes, coyotes, occasional bobcat and bear sightings, alligators of course, as well as hawks and similar, and of course cars as mentioned. So many predators but the Muscovies must be pretty good at avoiding because many have been around for several years, all on their own without protection. If I was going to raise them I'd have to move somewhere I could build a safe place for them at night especially. It wouldn't work here. Probably not allowed by either code or HOA. So I just enjoy the wild but friendly ducks!

 

[ruthhope]

I live in the Tampa Bay FL area on a pond mostly surrounded by homes. Just one section farthest from me is wooded. We've had wild Muscovies that live and raise ducklings here. I do feed them to supplement foraging although probably unnecessary since there are bugs and other foods available year round. I mostly feed because there's a male Pekin Mallard that lives with them and he cannot fly. I don't know where he came from, and originally there were also 2 females that are gone. One just disappeared (suspect predator as we have lots despite being a residential subdivision) and the other was run over by a car, a somewhat common fate for even the ducks that can fly. Anyway, the Muscovies are great flyers and love swimming. The females especially like hanging out periodically on the rooftops, on fences and sometimes trees. Males only seem to do that when they're interested in a female that's doing it! They mate on land and in water. Sometimes they lay eggs in my yard but I've never had any of those result in ducklings. The eggs that hatch are laid elsewhere as typically 1-2 times a year one female will show up with ducklings. Most will not make it but some do and they often stick around. Usually 12-17 birds that roam around the general area, showing up in singles, pairs or more throughout the day. Most of them will show up in the early morning and end of day for some pellets. This neighborhood has feral dogs and cats, foxes, coyotes, occasional bobcat and bear sightings, alligators of course, as well as hawks and similar, and of course cars as mentioned. So many predators but the Muscovies must be pretty good at avoiding because many have been around for several years, all on their own without protection. If I was going to raise them I'd have to move somewhere I could build a safe place for them at night especially. It wouldn't work here. Probably not allowed by either code or HOA. So I just enjoy the wild but friendly ducks!

Happy to read your muscovy experiences. The female muscovies do lay eggs most day from spring to summer but they are not necessarily broody. The eggs in your yard sound like they are from non-broody females. When they are broody they hide away with a rudimentary nest under a bush and deposit all the eggs over maybe 2 or 3 weeks in the nest then brood them (as you have noted, turning up with a line of little fluffies following them).

The white ducks -- domestic pekins -- have been dumped byvtheir owner. It is a very cruel thing to do to a domestic duck that has little by way of instinct to survive in the wild and as you noted, they are prone to predation because they cannot fly.

If you like to feed you muscovy and the poor lonely pekin drake, please use duck food and not bread or French fries. Bread and French fries are nutritionally very inadequate (empty calories). Mazuri make waterfowl feed that floats on water and the pellets are good and nutritious. Ducks also can enjoy mealworms or soldier worms, live or dried. Most love defrosted frozen peas and many like chopped water melon. These are all good nutrition for ducks!

I regret that as I am in St Augustine, you are too far away from me in Tampa for me to come and rescue that poor Pekin Drake. Henerds someone to rescue him and keep him safe