Can't decide what I get - muscovys or chickens

[Pat_tato]

I live on a one acre property off of a busy road. We back into a small creek that has large old pines and good tall prairie grass. The last two years I've let chickens free range, and it was a great experience, but I couldn't get a rooster because of the noise. So that is why I am looking towards getting some quiet muscovys this year, so that a drake could protect them from the hawks.

However, I feel that I am missing something.

They are very broody, and lay in clutches... which is a concept I'm not familiar with. With the chickens I kept, I would just remove the broody chicken from her nest for a day or two with no problems, though it seems it won't be as easy with Muscovys... especially with those claws. I don't want a lot of muscovys reproducing on my small plot - I'd like to keep just about 12 max. So should I just stick with chickens or should I branch out and try something new?

 

[Ratchnick]

Try it, just make sure you clip wings so they don't fly off and go feral.

 

[Gray Farms]

You don't need many Muscovys if you don't want to many offspring. My trio of whites produce 40-60 duckling every year. They will set 2 or 3 times a year.

 

[Ratchnick]

I feel like you could manage them diffetently and get different results. No doubt @Miss Lydia will chime in soon.

 

[Isaac 0]

Muscovies are definitely a broody breed, it's almost a given they will go broody at some point in time. Ducks can be a bit more challenging to break of broodiness than chickens, but if you destroy/block off their nest and take the eggs that should sufficient enough to break them, some gloves and a long sleeve shirt would be recommended while doing it. Don't expect the drake to do much in a hawk attack.

 

[Pat_tato]

Thanks for the help!

You don't need many Muscovys if you don't want to many offspring. My trio of whites produce 40-60 duckling every year. They will set 2 or 3 times a year.

That's a lot! What do you do with all those ducklings? Are they easy to sell?

 

[Gray Farms]

Thanks for the help!


That's a lot! What do you do with all those ducklings? Are they easy to sell?

I sell some but butcher most of them.

 

[chickens really]

Why 12? That's a pile of Muscovy. 4 would be okay.
If you want loose birds to free range get Guinea fowl.
Although they are loud.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't eat my Muscovy. I have found the only way to keep them from over populating is to make sure to pick up eggs daily. I've had them since 2004 and this is the only way to keep the population down . They love to brood and they do make great mothers and breaking them from brooding is one of the hardest part of having them. I fought them for many years taking eggs tearing up nest locking them out. I haven't found anything that works so I just let it run it's course. I take the eggs mess up the nest daily and they come right back but I do make sure they get up and out daily. Also your going to want to clip wings so they don't fly off and add to the feral population. I have had as many as 15 but now I am down to 5 1 drake 4 females. They can live long lives one of my females is 13 and my other 4 are 9 and 8 yrs old. This summer. I love my Muscovy they are great foragers. Keep down the mosquito population and are friendly.

 

[Pat_tato]

thank you miss lydia. I suppose I'll just have to fight for the eggs.