Duck Breed Focus - Muscovy

[kris86AR]

Question. This is my first year with Muscovy hens and eggs. I locked one down in a large wooden crate and she is doing great sitting. She has fresh food and water daily. I have another who didn't start laying till a month after the first hen started. She won't sit the nest past daylight. She has about 11 eggs and beautifully lined with down feathers. Been sitting all night and off at daylight for a week now. I caught my drake breeding her on the nest one day!!!!! Is it just best to lock them down with crate or box every time? Or she just young? Any tips or suggestions would be GREAT!!!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Question. This is my first year with Muscovy hens and eggs. I locked one down in a large wooden crate and she is doing great sitting. She has fresh food and water daily. I have another who didn't start laying till a month after the first hen started. She won't sit the nest past daylight. She has about 11 eggs and beautifully lined with down feathers. Been sitting all night and off at daylight for a week now. I caught my drake breeding her on the nest one day!!!!! Is it just best to lock them down with crate or box every time? Or she just young? Any tips or suggestions would be GREAT!!!

She is guarding the nest, and her eggs. I have 2 duck hens that do it. Overnight is not long enough for the embryo to begin development from what I understand.

 

[Mudbillkisses]

Aw congrats on the babies!! Of all the breeds I've raised from hatched ducklings, muscovys have been my favorite. With lots of contact, they were so calm as ducklings it was unexpected. Enjoy!!

 

[ellymayRans]

Update on latest hatch... of the 2 eggs that remained i pulled yesterday. Expired just before hatch.

So i have 3 new ducklings. 1 black barred and 2 atipico/dusky.

Now ive read and read trying to understand what atipico/dusky really means and I'm confused! Lol! Shocker i know!

I read where there is a Solid and then there's dusky.
What is the difference?? Is atipico only black or can there be atipico chocolate, etc.?

Anyone know for sure?


I had a bad scare yesterday too.. On a few occasions ive had chicks squeeze out the feeder holes of their brooder, including the ducklings. Ive only lost 1 that happened to, the others were just in the bottom poop tray or in the food troth. Well yesterday i just happened to go top off the juvie ducks water and found the black barred duckling in their water troth, very large one, fortunately there was only a very shallow amount, however i thought it was dead. It was a wet blob with its head all the way back as if its neck were broken!
I scooped it up and it barely gasped...i ran it inside, rubbed it down with a towel under a heat lamp then proceeded to blow dry it. Omy i was a nervous wreck! I couldn't believe it so near death and within an hour it was almost normal. It was still shivering but it finally got past that!! I swear another 20 secs it would've probably been lost! Poor baby!!!!!

 

[Ren2014]

Update on latest hatch... of the 2 eggs that remained i pulled yesterday. Expired just before hatch.

So i have 3 new ducklings. 1 black barred and 2 atipico/dusky.

Now ive read and read trying to understand what atipico/dusky really means and I'm confused! Lol! Shocker i know!

I read where there is a Solid and then there's dusky.
What is the difference?? Is atipico only black or can there be atipico chocolate, etc.?

Anyone know for sure?


I had a bad scare yesterday too.. On a few occasions ive had chicks squeeze out the feeder holes of their brooder, including the ducklings. Ive only lost 1 that happened to, the others were just in the bottom poop tray or in the food troth. Well yesterday i just happened to go top off the juvie ducks water and found the black barred duckling in their water troth, very large one, fortunately there was only a very shallow amount, however i thought it was dead. It was a wet blob with its head all the way back as if its neck were broken!
I scooped it up and it barely gasped...i ran it inside, rubbed it down with a towel under a heat lamp then proceeded to blow dry it. Omy i was a nervous wreck! I couldn't believe it so near death and within an hour it was almost normal. It was still shivering but it finally got past that!! I swear another 20 secs it would've probably been lost! Poor baby!!!!!

Sorry for the expired one.

Here's a link that might help with the coloring http://www.muscovyduckcentral.com/genetics.html

YAY for the save

 

[ellymayRans]

Thanks! Yeah inread that however the atipico info on the bottom and pattern info is not legible for me.

I continue to search.

 

[mom of silkies]

Hopefully my eggs are going to start hatching this weekend!

I can't wait! How long does it usually take them to hatch?

 

[Ren2014]

Thanks! Yeah inread that however the atipico info on the bottom and pattern info is not legible for me.

I continue to search.

Atipico is a duckling who lacks the eye stripe and four spot wild markings. Wild type is a baby born with four yellow spots on it's back and a dark line extending back from the corner of the eyes.

 

[Ren2014]

Hopefully my eggs are going to start hatching this weekend!

I can't wait! How long does it usually take them to hatch?

Are they under a broody? The can hatch over a course of 1-3 days depending on when they start hatching.

 

[mom of silkies]

Are they under a broody? The can hatch over a course of 1-3 days depending on when they start hatching.

They are in an incubator. Today was day 31 so just waiting...

Hoping for a really good hatch according to candling, I should get an excellent hatch... so hopefully they're won't be any issues! Do they normally hatch before day 35? Because my chickens usually start hatching on day 19, and my turkeys hatched on day 26.