decided to add ducks this year and would love advice

[WeLuvRuckus]

First off, my ducks are not going to be pets . They will be treated well of course but I'm strictly raising for breeding , eggs and meat . I treat all my animals with love but try not to get to attached to my farm animals. I wanted to know if I intend to have a few different breeds , what can I do to eliminate or prevent interbreeding . I'm not looking to cross breed or if I do I want it to be a controlled breed . Separate enclosures seems ike the only way but I wanted them to live in one flock. Also I have one muscovy male right now that was a lone duckling at the farm I got my chicks from so the farmer gave him to me. I want to add cayugas , pekins and more muscovies and maybe khakis . Anything you can tell me or advice good or bad would be greatly appreciated thank you.

 

[Going Quackers]

Well separate pens are the only way to keep from inbreeding. Ducks will breed with anything, they don't care if they are another breed. You do know Muscovy are not mallard derived so if they breed with anything that is the young will be mules(sterile)

 

[WeLuvRuckus]

I don't understand that even if they breed with other muscovies? So is the male muscovy duckling I have sterile?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't understand that even if they breed with other muscovies? So is the male muscovy duckling I have sterile?

No your Muscovy duckling you have is not sterile if he is full blood but any breed of duck he mates with will throw sterile ducklings since Scovy's are not Mallard derived. Judy Winter a BYC member is crossing Muscovy with Pekin to get a faster growing meat bird.

 

[ducklover87]

Muscovies can only breed with other muscovies if you want babies that can reproduce. If your Muscovy mates with a different breed then the babies won't be able to reproduce. But if your Muscovy mates with another Muscovy then the babies will be able to reproduce.

 

[can you hear me now?]

I was talking to my boss the other day, and he said that Muscovies are and actually ducks. He said they were related more closely to cranes which is why they will not make ducks that are fertile if they mate with other ducks. Not sure how true it is I've not done any research on it but he is a pretty smart man so I would say is probably correct. So if you are hoping to prevent them from mating worst that can happen is that they will have offspring that cannot have more offspring. I needed to edit this, I was hasty in my post. I did some research and yes they are ducks. They are also not any longer classified as perching ducks but can still perch. Sorry for any confusion I may have added.

 

[Speceider]

Muscovies aren't any more closely related to cranes than mallards are. Muscovies are in the perching duck tribe, same as wood ducks and mandarins, while mallards are in the dabbling duck tribe.

Clint

 

[AmberRex]

Hmm this is all very interesting. There's a fact that I've learned today about Muscovy ducks!

 

[WeLuvRuckus]

Thank you all very much now what do you think of my choices of breeds ... and also besides muscovies what other breeds do you find are the best mothers. Another thing incubation or hen raised ?

 

[Mike Winters]

If you want eggs Indian runner and khaki Campbell are the best at 330+ eggs a year. but at a price if you want a good broody duck these two make horrible mothers and better off with a silkie chicken. Meat ducks would be like pekin. Swedish, Cayugas and rouens can make allot of meat and good foragers. must domestic ducks are poor to good at brooding eggs.

I have had an Indian runner sit on eggs just don't put all your trust into her because more then likely she will get bored half way through incubation and abandon them.