Can you eat wild Muscovy eggs?

[Skye'sDucks]

I know I'm asking...but I'm thinking the answer is probably no...

I just ask because I walked in on one of the wild Muscovy girls laying in the nest I have set up, it's very possible I took one of her eggs yesterday, but I have no way to tell. (No one has been laying there recently) I only have the one nest set up currently and it's been shared, though I've only known my own girls to actually lay there until now.

Thoughts?

I'm leaning toward more letting her lay there and let nature take its course...but I don't know...if ya'll think I should just pull them anyways or not.

Do ya'll think I should get rid of yesterday's egg, too, if they aren't safe to eat? (in case it was the wild hen again)

 

[Miss Lydia]

A wild duck egg won’t be any different than one of your own Muscovy eggs. An egg is an egg do you feed the wild Muscovys too?
Depending on what the wild one eats there could be slight taste difference but as long as the egg is cleaned before you crack it open it is safe to eat. As long as it’s not been laying in hot sun for days.

 

[Shadrach]

They should be fine to eat as long as they are not too old.
You just need to take the same precautions you would with hens eggs you find outside.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

A wild duck egg won’t be any different than one of your own Muscovy eggs. An egg is an egg do you feed the wild Muscovys too?
Depending on what the wild one eats there could be slight taste difference but as long as the egg is cleaned before you crack it open it is safe to eat. As long as it’s not been laying in hot sun for days.

I mean, I was kinda on the fence for this one, I thought that too: an egg is an egg, but I was still unsure since it was from a wild duck.

I don't feed them; (but I've given them some treats) in fact, a wild Muscovy drake appeared in the area behind our house one day, and a few days later he brought his girls along, too. There's three wild hens, I found one of them laying an egg this morning. So they haven't been around too long. Both eggs are fresh; one was literally laid this morning (probably as I was out there) and one at some time yesterday. But with that one, I really have no idea who laid it.

They should be fine to eat as long as they are not too old.
You just need to take the same precautions you would with hens eggs you find outside.

I will! They'll be used for baking; we'll crack them open in a bowl first to see how they look before using them. Like I said above, I found one egg yesterday that had to be less than a day old, but that one I am unsure about who laid it. And then the other one that I know was a wild Muscovy's was laid probably while I was still out there.

 

[PirateGirl]

I don't think there will be any harm to you.

I don't think it's legal to take wild bird eggs to eat, as in, I wouldn't go on a hike hunting for duck eggs to collect and eat. If a wild duck happens to occasionally lay in your domestic duck's nest/house and all the eggs are mixed, I'd call the egg consumption an honest mistake at that point.

Since she is wild, hopefully once her eggs start disappearing she will no longer view this as a safe spot to lay.

 

[chickens really]

It's definitely illegal to eat wild Duck eggs but not the invasive species. Muscovy are invasive in many states.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I believe if your in a state where Muscovys are consider invasive and a nuisance they would probably come shake your hand for helping to keep the population down one egg at a time. I believe your in TX ?

 

[Kessel23]

I think you are talking about feral Muscovies because wild muscovies are very skittish, the wild muscovies are actually on the decline and are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty act like almost every other native bird in the states. Feral muscovies receive no protection, actually the opposite, it is perfectly legal to kill and eat them any time of the year and it is encouraged to help population control. True wild muscovy ducks in the USA are found in Texas, and Texas only I believe, only in a small number of counties too. Very uncommon, they live in the swamps and are very skittish and silent. They have mostly black plumage, with the exception of a few wing feathers, the hens have solid black caruncles while drakes can have some red leakage in theirs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know about them being protected in certain parts of Texas. It’s very sad about the feral populations though guess how that got started? Now they pay the price. Killed humanely and eaten is one thing.

 

[lomine]

I agree that these don't sound like wild birds. I would not, as you put it, let nature take it's course. I'd keep taking those eggs so she learns it's not a safe nesting spot. If you let them brood you will soon be overrun with Muscovy. If there are ducklings around the hen will become aggressive and the drake may too. Or the drake may decide he'd like to mate with your hens too. If you have a drake they will likely fight. Either way I don't think it's a safe situation for your birds. If I were you, I would stop giving treats and try to get these birds to leave.

Maybe you could contact someone about disposing of these birds. It sounds harsh but you'd be doing the wild bird population a favor.