Dh brought home new babies

[Crickett]

My DH brought me home 13 new ducklings. They are yellow underneath with black or muddy brown on top, and they all have "eyeliner". Anyone know what they could be? I can't post pics. Four have the black, the rest are the muddy brown. I'm hoping the black are drakes. Also the darker color extends to the legs on a few of them, but their feet are yellow, and so are the beaks. Thanks if you can help!

 

[Wifezilla]

If it looks like this...

http://www.digital-images.net/Images/Ducks/MuscovyDuckling_6151.jpg

it is a muscovy

 

[Crickett]

They do look like that, only more yellow on the beak. Are they still Muscovies? And will they get those red things on their face when they grow up? oh, and one more thing, are the darker ones drakes? Or do I have to wait until they get the "Drake Curl" to know for sure?

 

[1lpoock]

Yes they are still muscovies....the drakes will get the "red things" on there faces as they mature and the females will get some too. You can't tell by darker or lighter which sex they are right now. And muscovy drakes dont get the tail curl, they just grow noticeably larger with bigger feet then females. Also, they will get carnucles sooner.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have been hearing good stuff about muscovies. They are often very friendly. Handle them a lot when they are young to increase the chances they will be good pets.

 

[Bossroo]

Also very good as in a turduckhen !!!

 

[Crickett]

Actuallt I think I'm glad they are Muscovies, I have two that turned out to be mallard females, and while I think they are beautiful and all, I just don't have such a big space to make a big pond!. I've heard that muscovies don't have to have a pond. I'm still going to make a small one, more ornamental than anything else, so they'll have a place to "play"; but this way it won't have to be used for "breeding" purposes.

 

[Ducklove334]

my muscovies NEVER breed on the water, they're happy to do the deed out in the open in the pen, or stuffed in a corner LMAO

but they rarely if ever mate in the water.