Attention Muscovy lovers

[redneckchickens]

At what age can you tell the REAL difference between a male and female Muscovy? I have 4 of them one is 6wks old and the other 3 are 4wks one looks smaller then the rest but the oldest is huge! and the 2 middle ones are the same size. So I am having a real hard time deciding what I have on my hands. Thanks for any input!

 

[laughingdog]

Id heard years ago when had rescue, that they lay thirty eggs often and can hatch all. recent having comp and talking to locals that breed them, I'm now told they lay a dozen eggs only. Some said they may make two or three nests with dozen in each.. if i get half to dozen ducklings hatched first time, ill be extatic. if i actually got thirty to hatch, id fill the tub and lay in swimming trunks surrounded by them and die of adorableness overload!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I lost 4 more eggs tonight (day 16) when I candled them

I wish I could do something to stop the deaths but I'm doing everything I should be doing. Temps are right, humidity is right, I'm turning 3 times a day and spritzing them once a day. I've read that they are hard to hatch but this is heartbreaking!! 7 left with one that's iffy, I love hatching my own babies but if I have to order ducklings I will. Only bad thing is most hatcheries make you order at least 20. Any suggestions would be appreciated, Thanks

I sure wish you were closer I'd just love to hand you some Scovy eggs. I'm sorry but these eggs probably went through a lot going through the mail and I think even under a mama duck they have a tough time. Have you tried going on the Fl thread to see if anyone close to you has eggs? I hope the rest continue and you get some ducklings from this hatch..

 

[Dianne88]

I'm going to candle my eggs again tonight and see how many are still growing. Luckily I've found a lady with eggs for sale about an hour away. She's letting them go for $1 each. Cross your fingers that I can hatch some fluffy butts one way or another!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sad news, I lost 2 more eggs tonight

I'm down to 5 eggs. The lady I'm getting my new eggs from also has 1 month old for sale, tempted to just to go for the ducklings and forgo anymore heartbreak!

1mo. old ducklings are still small and a lot less heart ache. I'd go for it. My ducklings are 8 weeks and too me still babies. So sorry about the eggs..

 

[Miss Lydia]

Finally went out and took a recent pic of Peggy Sue, since I have so many pics of my ducks on my computer it would have taken me the rest of this year to find the one I wanted to share. This is what I believe your 2 will look like when finally finished their transitions from duckling to adult, My lil baby girl from this year too. This is Peggy Sue she was 1yr old this past June.

 

[Dianne88]

I worried about the dirty egg all day, so tonight I candled it one more time and saw no formation or movement (just a dark blob). I decided to take it out just to be on the safe side. I took it outside and to crack it open so I wouldn't always wonder if I threw a baby away. I tapped very lightly and KABOOM, pieces flew everywhere!! OMG the smell was awful!!!

I'm glad you guys words haunted me all day and I did it outside!!! When in doubt, throw it out!!!! YUCK!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I worried about the dirty egg all day, so tonight I candled it one more time and saw no formation or movement (just a dark blob). I decided to take it out just to be on the safe side. I took it outside and to crack it open so I wouldn't always wonder if I threw a baby away. I tapped very lightly and KABOOM, pieces flew everywhere!! OMG the smell was awful!!!

I'm glad you guys words haunted me all day and I did it outside!!! When in doubt, throw it out!!!! YUCK!!!

Wow that was a close one, thank goodness you got it out in time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

sitting at the window watching the ducklings take a swim in the water container I put out for them

so happy to see them coming out for a longer period of time and acting like ducks! I got them a heavy duty container that you mix cement in, it's prob 2.5' x 1.5', I placed bricks like little steps up to the container. They are splashing and preening themselves, the smaller one was skidish about jumping in and the larger tried to barge past her and knocked her in, now she's in and out all on her own! I would love to go out and take pics but they would just run and hide. I put meal worms in their food bowl and it's always gone when I go to check on them. I give them pureed veggies but they don't seem interested in it??

Their coming around and feeling more at home. great job. maybe when you have time you can sit close by and just wait maybe with some meal worms toss a few where they can see them talk to them quietly they'll come around, when they haven't had very much human contact even as wee ones it takes a while to build trust. When we went to pick up mama duck and her 2 sisters it will be 2 yrs this Sept. they are 2 yrs this month. They were living in very bad conditions, this man was hardly able to care for himself[medical problems] but he had all these animals and it was about money. they had only had someone come at them with a net and were terrified. But after about 3 months of living with the rest of my flock they were eating out of my hand, they are still not lap ducks but that's okay I have 4 dogs that will sit in my lap, but they will come close for treats and they know I am not going to eat them. Yours will come around quicker because they are a little younger than mine were when we got them.

 

[charlindabob]

Dianne88, please keep us posted as the hatching date draws nearer and nearer. I am very interested in the hatching process and especially the humidity at that time. Keep us posted......