Couple of questions about crossbreeds and Muscovy, Khaki Campbell and Cayuga, housing etc..

[SBHERPER]

Hello everyone, Couple of questions about crossbreeds. Thank you and I have read many threads about Muscovy and infertility with crossing but will the offspring still produce eggs even if they are infertile? If so, would crossing with the Khaki produce a hybrid that would produce more eggs than a Muscovy?

Next question would be if I crossed Cayuga which goes broody well but less eggs with a khaki that does not sit well can I possibly produce a cross that lays a lot more eggs and goes broody?

Lastly, While I have kept Khakis, Pekins and Runners in the past, this is my first time keeping Muscovy and Cayuga. I was thinking of housing in a separate building my Muscovy with the Cayuga. Does anyone think that would be a issue. One side I would put perches for the Muscovy and the other bedding for the Cayuga.
Thank you.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I would strongly recommend you purchase “Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks” by Dave Holderread. He has a whole chapter on hybrids and it answers most of what you asked. The short of it is it is way more complicated than your questions suggest. For example, it depends which breed is the drake or the hen. A Muscovy drake crossed to a mallard type hen results in sterile males and females which do not lay eggs. But, the opposite cross results in females that lay tiny eggs. For your Cayuga Khaki cross, you get more eggs if the drake is the Khaki. That cross is also sex-linked.

 

[SBHERPER]

I would strongly recommend you purchase “Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks” by Dave Holderread. He has a whole chapter on hybrids and it answers most of what you asked. The short of it is it is way more complicated than your questions suggest. For example, it depends which breed is the drake or the hen. A Muscovy drake crossed to a mallard type hen results in sterile males and females which do not lay eggs. But, the opposite cross results in females that lay tiny eggs. For your Cayuga Khaki cross, you get more eggs if the drake is the Khaki. That cross is also sex-linked.

Thank you very much.

 

[ruthhope]

@SBHPER "One side I would put perches for the Muscovy and the other bedding for the Cayuga."

I have muscovy and none of them would roost on a perch -- for example a branch or horizontal bar like a chicken. I have one drake that likes to be high -- on a straw bale or, currently, he is on top of a dogcrate on which I then put a piece of plywood to stop him pooping on the pekin inside the dogcrate. A female muscovy liked to be up high on bales until she went broody, and now she shares a floor level nesting box with a pekin female. My other muscovy drake is an enormous great lump who is too lazy to climb or jump up onto a straw bale.
Thus wherever you house your muscovy, don't bother with roosts. Just pop in a couple of straw bales and see where they chose to sleep.

I would be cautious about muscovy flying and consider clipping their flight feathers. My muscovies are all rescued from the wild -- more accurately, feral rather than wild. The female flies and had to have her wings clipped soon after arrival [I think she was going looking for her wildlife rehabber]. One drake could fly as a juvenile although he only flew up onto my side gate. Daffy my enormous great lump only flies down hill off my steps. But the rehabber and I released 4 juvenile muscovy -- 3 females and a drake -- onto a private pond in the spring. One of them flew straight up high into the air and all 4 were regularly flying the length of the pond within a few days. Eight others released a few weeks earlier onto a private lake also fly. Thus at least while your muscovy are juveniles, they are likely to be able to fly.

 

[SBHERPER]

@SBHPER "One side I would put perches for the Muscovy and the other bedding for the Cayuga."

I have muscovy and none of them would roost on a perch -- for example a branch or horizontal bar like a chicken. I have one drake that likes to be high -- on a straw bale or, currently, he is on top of a dogcrate on which I then put a piece of plywood to stop him pooping on the pekin inside the dogcrate. A female muscovy liked to be up high on bales until she went broody, and now she shares a floor level nesting box with a pekin female. My other muscovy drake is an enormous great lump who is too lazy to climb or jump up onto a straw bale.
Thus wherever you house your muscovy, don't bother with roosts. Just pop in a couple of straw bales and see where they chose to sleep.

I would be cautious about muscovy flying and consider clipping their flight feathers. My muscovies are all rescued from the wild -- more accurately, feral rather than wild. The female flies and had to have her wings clipped soon after arrival [I think she was going looking for her wildlife rehabber]. One drake could fly as a juvenile although he only flew up onto my side gate. Daffy my enormous great lump only flies down hill off my steps. But the rehabber and I released 4 juvenile muscovy -- 3 females and a drake -- onto a private pond in the spring. One of them flew straight up high into the air and all 4 were regularly flying the length of the pond within a few days. Eight others released a few weeks earlier onto a private lake also fly. Thus at least while your muscovy are juveniles, they are likely to be able to fly.

Thank you.