Broody Muscovy question

[ChickenGirl 19]

Hello, I'm Katy
I'm new to raising ducks and chickens,(only got them this summer) and I had a question about Muscovy broodieness..

How often do Muscovies go broody? Do they usually do so in the spring or summer? Can they hatch chicken eggs? Can they take care of them right?

I also have a question about ducks in general: Is it heathy for them to eat chicken food? I'd rather not seperate them so they don't eat it. If my chickens and ducks are togeather, they will have more room. In my run for them, I have a lot of grass and weeds, and they get along well with the chickens, although recently our drake got stuck in between the coop and the fence, and lost his back claw to the kwik, so we have him seperated.

 

[ian4379]

ducks can eat the same food as chickens, however as ducklings they need more niacin in their feed than chicks.

they'll go broody 2 to 3 times a year, usually starting when the weather warms up. i'll get winter hatches here as well as the weather is reasonably mild(no snow), but hatch rates are poor.

they can hatch chicken eggs but there is a danger that the mum will try to take the chickens for a swim, the chicks will drown if this is the case.

i have lots of fun with young teenage drakes, they arent always the smartest creatures, similar to teenage humans!

 

[ChickenGirl 19]

About what is the average hatch rate if a Muscovy duck hatches chicken eggs in the warmer months? (We have 5-20 in spring, depending on the year, and 19-34 in summer, in Celsius)

Edited for temperature type

 

[ChickenGirl 19]

Does anyone know?

 

[nanaluvsgps]

my friends muscovy goes broody about 4 times a year, an even more because the babies aren't left with mother so she goes back to laying quickly. She usually has 90% during every hatch winter and summer but i'm no sure about chickens, I can't imagine they would be too different.

 

[Going Quackers]

I find this varies on the duck, i have a few who are broody monsters, trying several times then i have some who are less interested and one who is totally uninterested lol

I use a flock raiser to avoid issues with feeding ducks and chickens, i like simple.