Attention Muscovy lovers

[Alaskan]

None of my drakes sleep in the open in the houses. They all sleep in stalls, my drakes would not tolerate being close together, these are mature adults though, young ducks that aren't sexually mature the drake may pick on them I would not put my ducklings in with a drake for the night.If you have a large dog crate they work real well for extra bedrooms inside with everyone but safe from harm.

So, you take the drake out as soon as the mother starts brooding?

This family group have all been housed together, but they have been in a large pen, so no small locked up housing.

I have them in a large run but my run has no top, which is why I clipped their wings.

I am a little worried about them though....they don't seem very "predator aware", so I rather think they wouldn't pay attention if a raptor was circling overhead.

I was thinking that I will continue to risk them during the day (I did put up awnings and dog crates for them to dive into, I just worry they won't), but I am thinking that I might start locking them up at night. The silly Muscovy aren't even sleeping in the shelters I put up, but totally out in the most open part of the run! (Some areas of the run have lots of good cover) I don't sleep well knowing that they are sleeping like that.

I want to put them in an 8x8 coop. There is a single turkey in there right now, but the turkey spends almost all of his time up on the poop shelf, so I don't think there will be a problem, if they are only together at night.

But...then we get back to the question of.......how long can the young drake be with the old one? I guess I could try to train the young drake to sleep by himself in a dog crate in the coop.

Hummmmm

 

[Miss Lydia]

Pics of my young ones, I've let them free range and not be cooped up with the chickens and all they do is sit and stare at the chickens. Almost like saying NaNanny BooBoo!!

They like to rub it in LOL

 

[Dianne88]

Dianne88, any external pips yet? You should be a mother soon. I brought my incubator in from the shop and noticed that the Humidity has gone from 40-50% down to the mid-20's. But it is setting MT at this moment. Anybody know much about the Australian Muscovys that are said to be "Mammoth Muscovys"? Spoke to a lady there and she said her drake was 7.2 kilos which is 15 plus pounds. Is that really big for US Muscovy drakes?

I've candled 3 and all 3 have internally piped, I want to look at the rest but don't want to loose my humidity! I want to start freaking out!! Ok ok ok calm down! Let nature take it's corse, see this is why it good for me to go to work tomorrow!!! Tell me it's going to be okay this time!! Just went over to the incubator and now I can hear chirping!

 

[charlindabob]

I've candled 3 and all 3 have internally piped, I want to look at the rest but don't want to loose my humidity! I want to start freaking out!! Ok ok ok calm down! Let nature take it's corse, see this is why it good for me to go to work tomorrow!!! Tell me it's going to be okay this time!!
Just went over to the incubator and now I can hear chirping!

Wow! Take a deep breath, exhale slowly and back away from the incubator one step at a time! Go sit down, prop your feet up and have dh bring you your favorite beverage and relax. Then scream !!!!....lol

edit: I should check my spelling before I hit SUBMIT.

 

[Dianne88]

Wow! Take a deep breathe, exhale slowly and back away from the incubator one step at a time! Go sit down, prop your feet up and have dh bring you your favorite beverage and relax. Then scream !!!!....lol

DH said "ya know you can't stay up all night watching the egg, you gotta work tomorrow". Why did I agree to work on my day off!! I'm giving them 24hrs before I really start freaking out! Too Late! LOL

 

[Dianne88]

No external pips that I can see yet but it sounds like a mini construction site in there with chirping!

 

[Miss Lydia]

No external pips that I can see yet but it sounds like a mini construction site in there with chirping!

 

[charlindabob]

Dianne88..............I know the FIRST thing you'll do when you get home from work is run to the incubator and check. The SECOND thing is to update us on the progress.....lol All air vents are open, right?


ML, you live close to Boone county?

 

[Dianne88]

Dianne88..............I know the FIRST thing you'll do when you get home from work is run to the incubator and check. The SECOND thing is to update us on the progress.....lol ML, you live close to Boone county?

Lots of tapping and some chirping today but quiet for the moment. I want to reach in a candle them but I'll have to resist. On a sad note, my son's silkie answered our question today, he's is a he!!! At 13 weeks he let out his first crow this morning! He's going to his new home in the country this evening.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Dianne88..............I know the FIRST thing you'll do when you get home from work is run to the incubator and check. The SECOND thing is to update us on the progress.....lol All air vents are open, right?


ML, you live close to Boone county?

Do you mean Boone NC? we're about 40-45 mile south west of Boone. we are in the back yard of Mt Mitchell state park