Duck Breed Focus - Muscovy

[Ren2014]

If they have plenty of room to stay away from Bob maybe they won't be messed with, they are close to the age of mine and they will be 6 weeks tomorrow so far the only time Opie messes with one is if they get close then he just pops them. Bob of course will go after Fred he is telling Fred that he is the boss around here and he better not forget it. What you saw was Bob being dominant over Fred. Other than standing on him did Bob do anything else?

I bet that was hilarious the scovy chasing the Pekin [where are our cameras when we need them] but we have to remember the babies are low in pecking order and the adults do have to teach them that. As long as no one is getting injured.

They definitely have plenty of room. Everyone was out together tonight and all was fine but of course I was standing right there. I got these babies for Fred. With Bob being the boss, will Fred not get a chance to mate with them unless I separate them? Bob has 3 girls now. One is sitting on eggs that should be hatching soon. One just went broody and the third is starting to go broody. When the second comes off her nest to swim Bob nails her every time before she can even get to the water. It's sad. Bob only stood on Fred. I was right there yelling at him though. Tonight I could see Bob chasing Fred at the big pond. Will he try to drown Fred?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Has Fred and the babies been kept together? Usually the females will bond with the drake they have been hatched with our raised with. Now saying that Bob being the dominant drake will think all females should be his so Fred and his females will have problems not much you can do except get rid of Bob or just let them work it out. Hopefully Bob won't drown Fred but I'm sure it has happened. I had some Muscovy drakes years ago when I first started they lived in the river down below us. I befriended them and went and got females for them The females were mine so of course they stayed up here. These drakes got along well when they lived on the river did everything together, but once they were introduced to my females things went drastically wrong one drake ended up killing another one [they all still lived on the river at the time] but would come up to visit daily. So to keep the one from being killed and he was the next target I brought Ernie up to the house to live and he was with us almost 12 yrs. But This was my first to know that drakes can and will kill other drakes . So keeping an eye on those 2 boys of yours is important. Maybe Fred will just try and stay as far away from Bob as he can. I hope so. Also this may never happen with your 2 drakes, but Muscovy's are fighters My drake will not let up on my gander I have to separate them. Now that Opie knows Sam is being submissive by staying well away from him things are much quieter.

 

[Ren2014]

Has Fred and the babies been kept together? Usually the females will bond with the drake they have been hatched with our raised with. Now saying that Bob being the dominant drake will think all females should be his so Fred and his females will have problems not much you can do except get rid of Bob or just let them work it out. Hopefully Bob won't drown Fred but I'm sure it has happened. I had some Muscovy drakes years ago when I first started they lived in the river down below us. I befriended them and went and got females for them The females were mine so of course they stayed up here. These drakes got along well when they lived on the river did everything together, but once they were introduced to my females things went drastically wrong one drake ended up killing another one [they all still lived on the river at the time] but would come up to visit daily. So to keep the one from being killed and he was the next target I brought Ernie up to the house to live and he was with us almost 12 yrs. But This was my first to know that drakes can and will kill other drakes . So keeping an eye on those 2 boys of yours is important. Maybe Fred will just try and stay as far away from Bob as he can. I hope so. Also this may never happen with your 2 drakes, but Muscovy's are fighters My drake will not let up on my gander I have to separate them. Now that Opie knows Sam is being submissive by staying well away from him things are much quieter.

WOW, good to know. Sorry about your loss.

Yes, Fred and the babies are together. Fred does try to avoid Bob when outside together. I don't think Fred is sexually mature yet so it might get worse. I want to let them work it out but I will die if Bob kills Fred. Will Bob try to mate the babies if they are only 8 wks or so old?

 

[Miss Lydia]

WOW, good to know. Sorry about your loss.

Yes, Fred and the babies are together. Fred does try to avoid Bob when outside together. I don't think Fred is sexually mature yet so it might get worse. I want to let them work it out but I will die if Bob kills Fred. Will Bob try to mate the babies if they are only 8 wks or so old?

None of my Muscovy drakes have ever tried to mate a young female and it maybe that there has always been plenty of females for them But I have never seen my drakes go after one younger than 8 months old.

 

[Ren2014]

None of my Muscovy drakes have ever tried to mate a young female and it maybe that there has always been plenty of females for them But I have never seen my drakes go after one younger than 8 months old.

So good to know. Tomorrow will be a full 24 hours mixed flock

IF the others come home. I was just telling Bob's previous owner that since he has been staying out on the stock tank at night, everyone else decided to stay last night

I just got rid of the last 3 boys from Bugs' and it has put everyone off a bit. She had actually bonded to two of them and they were the two unpaired so they attacked every female they could run down... hence them now being gone. Poor Bugs. The first day she was all alone.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So good to know. Tomorrow will be a full 24 hours mixed flock

IF the others come home. I was just telling Bob's previous owner that since he has been staying out on the stock tank at night, everyone else decided to stay last night

I just got rid of the last 3 boys from Bugs' and it has put everyone off a bit. She had actually bonded to two of them and they were the two unpaired so they attacked every female they could run down... hence them now being gone. Poor Bugs. The first day she was all alone.

Poor Bugs. I hope you can get them in so many preds love duck.

 

[Ren2014]

Poor Bugs. I hope you can get them in so many preds love duck.

Thanks. I DO TOO

When I first got them the plan was for them to stay at that tank. After they refused to and learning what all I did, we built them a pond right here by their pen. Now, with all of the rain here, they aren't using it. They aren't even coming up to eat. The tank is with in shot range but I'd have to be out and have gun in hand if something came through. Their routine forever was to come in at night. How do you retrain a broken regimen??

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks. I DO TOO

When I first got them the plan was for them to stay at that tank. After they refused to and learning what all I did, we built them a pond right here by their pen. Now, with all of the rain here, they aren't using it. They aren't even coming up to eat. The tank is with in shot range but I'd have to be out and have gun in hand if something came through. Their routine forever was to come in at night. How do you retrain a broken regimen??

What are they eating? If your taking feed to them stop and let them come back up to where you want them to eat. right by or inside their over night house.

 

[Ren2014]

What are they eating? If your taking feed to them stop and let them come back up to where you want them to eat. right by or inside their over night house.

They were only out one night. I guess they ate bugs and plants. They did come up this evening so apparently their night out was not a party, lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

They were only out one night. I guess they ate bugs and plants. They did come up this evening so apparently their night out was not a party, lol

LOL well good probably all those Owls flying around scared the poo out of them. It would me if I was a duck.