adding two baby ducks to a lone muscovy female

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Hello,

I have ordered 2 baby Muscovy ducks (they are mixed Pekin&Muscovy), I have a girl from the same breeder who will be a little more than a year old when the babies arrive.

How in heck do I do this ? do I worry about diseases and isolate the babies ? (they all come vaccinated, as I understand)

do I worry about the female being a good mother or being jealous ? how do I introduce them? do I keep them inside under a heat lamp or just drop-them-off to her like an ungrateful mother dropping her kids off at Grandma's for her to raise them?

I get the feeling this is one of those times I will make LOTS of plans and then life will take over and nothing I expect to happen will happen, and I'll just have to learn to dance a new dance on the fly. BUT, at least with a little info and learning from your experiences.... I'll at least know what to look out for

thanks in advance !

 

[Yardmom]

The only way she would raise the ducklings is if she is already broody and sitting on eggs. Then slip them under at night. It may or may not work. Most likely you will need to keep them separate with a heat source until they are feathered out.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

if she is already broody and sitting on eggs.

she has never been very broody... she doesn't even like to sleep on them when they stay in her nest. Maybe between now and when the babies arrive (in June) she'll discover her maternal instincts ? (not likely I am afraid)

I suspect you're right, (poor me) I'll have to keep totally adorable baby ducks in the house with me. (at least that is what I will tell my spouse, of course he is unlikely to believe me)

 

[SolarDuck]

I would also most likely wait until they are feathered out because she won't raise them unless she is broody. Scovies are very broody though so who knows maybe if you don't collect her eggs for a little while she will start brooding them.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Scovies are very broody though so who knows maybe if you don't collect her eggs for a little while she will start brooding them.

she had a sister who was very broody, but she hasn't been. I think they are mixed with a little Pekin, maybe she takes after that side of the family.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I would also most likely wait until they are feathered out because she won't raise them unless she is broody. Scovies are very broody though so who knows maybe if you don't collect her eggs for a little while she will start brooding them.

she has quite a big space next to her, maybe I can set that up as a place for the babies so she can see them. Maybe it will make her maternal to see the babies. At the very least it will get them used to each other.

 

[SolarDuck]

she had a sister who was very broody, but she hasn't been. I think they are mixed with a little Pekin, maybe she takes after that side of the family.

Do you have a picture of her? If she is mixed with Pekin she won't have any of rhe red caruncles that Muscovy have.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

she is all white except for the little patch of black on her head.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I have left 4 eggs in her bed to see if she might like to take care of them... waiting to see if the clutch size makes her decide to stay with them.