Breeding Muscovy ducks for meat...?

[sydney13]

I have a female, 1 1/2 year old pet white muscovy hen. I have been thinking about getting her a male duckling this spring when she goes broody. I plan on breeding them (once the drake is fully grown of corse) and raising the ducklings they produce for meat. My question is if once the ducklings that she and the drake hatched out got large and I butchered them, would she be stressed out by this? I find that after a few weeks go by my chickens will detach themselves from their chicks and never form any lasting bond. On the other hand my goose will always be very bonded with her gosling of which is now much larger than she is. So how are ducks? Do they separate themselves from their ducklings after a certain point or always act as a family?

My other question is, would breeding two white muscovies together produce better meat ducks than breeding a white muscovy hen with a pekin drake? I've heard that the best ducks for meat are a pekin X muscovy but that it is always a muscovy drake crossed with pekin hen to produce these birds.

Last question is would it be ok to house the muscovy drake in with the chickens.? He would have the muscovy hen to mate with but also would be around chickens because I house them all together. So would he stick to mating with the one duck or would he also try mating with the chickens (ive heard this can be fatal for them)?

Thanks

 

[Kevin565]

I can only answer the last one. My Muscovy tried to breed everything. Geese, Ducks, Guineas. I think it has to do more with their temperament. If he end up being a aggressive breeder than yes he could kill your hens.

 

[sydney13]

I'm guessing they would all be higher in the pecking order because they would be older... maybe that may make him less inclined to breed with them too?

If it is too dangerous to have a drake in a mixed flock (a duck, chickens and 2 geese) then i would probably just get my duck another female duck friend and order day old muscovies the next few years to raise for meat (rather than getting a drake and breeding for meat ducks).

 

[cukooformarans]

I have chickens that run with my muscovy and they do fine. They may hiss and tiff over food, but never anything that appears to be dangerous or cause harm. That being said, I have 1 drake with 5 ducks, so he has less time to aggravate the chickens. (1 rooster, 10 hens, 1 muscovy drake and 5 muscovy hens)

ETA: This thread may be helpful. Good luck!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=340295

 

[Humanbean68]

My Muscovy drake (and hens) live with my chickens and he has never tried to mate them. He was hatched here though, and the chickens were all fully grown so that might have something to do with it?