Adding two Muscovy drakes to my flock.

[K.Riggs]

Hi all, Long post warning! I have 10 hens and two roosters. Also a breeding pair of Embden geese. It is coming into breeding season, everyone gets along pretty well and my pecking order is sorted nicely. Each of my birds serves an important purpose on my property. My chickens for eggs obviously, most of my hens are Araucana crosses with a muff on their heads so they don't spot hawks well (pretty much our only predator to worry about here) i got the geese because they are great at spotting and alerting my chickens to predator birds and also for keeping the grass down. Now as spring approaches i have a big problem on my property with slugs and other pests mauling my fruit trees, i want some ducks to help deal with this as i know they do better than chickens and so far mine have not done so well at this.

Now i have been offered two Muscovy drakes which would be good, i don't want eggs as i have an abundance for my 5 person family and don't need to breed them for the table as i will do that with geese if i decide to at all. I know that the drakes will be fine alone as they will not have a female and were raised together (the owner says they are great with other poultry)
This brings the question, will my protective gander hate these new drakes anywhere near his goose? Will the drakes see the goose as a potential mate, thus causing the same tensions a duck would? And am i stupid for thinking of adding them in near breeding season? Will it make my gander honk all night when he sees them etc etc?

If you got to the end thankyou

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You won't know the dynamics until you add them. All you can do is be ready to separate out the drakes if there are problems.

 

[chickens really]

In my opinion your adding fuel too a fire....Drakes are Drakes and breed anything....I would not get them....

 

[K.Riggs]

In my opinion your adding fuel too a fire....Drakes are Drakes and breed anything....I would not get them....

Hmm my gut feeling, so two females would be the way to go then. Thanks for the advice, i will keep looking. Ideally i'd like to raise them from ducklings anyway. I have actually found ducks hard to come by in my area.

 

[K.Riggs]

Ok, so i passed on the drakes. But my lord finding any ducks in my area seems almost impossible! I really want some before spring when it becomes attack of the pear slug again