Duck Breed Focus - Muscovy

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hello everyone.
I have a big problem. I have a muscovy on a huge clutch of eggs but today I noticed she has a huge abscess on the side of her head.. it is big, pink and shiny and looks so painful. I do not know what I should do about it. Do I risk her leaving the clutch by bringing her inside to lance the boil or do I allow it to naturally break on its own and leave her in her nest??

I also noticed the way she plucked her own down to make her nest. It is very fascinating to see a muscovy make a nest just like rabbits do.

I would lance it. Be sure to drain completely, if its not drained it wont heal. Brooding ducks can get weak from sitting so her health could be easily compromised. Thats just my choice, you have to decide if the duck is most important or her eggs. If you return her to her nest she will likely resume sitting, i have never seen one abandon a nest.

 

[Ghibli]

Are Muscovies happier to have other muscovies with them? We have one female muscovy with four ducks, and while she does seem to definitely like them, she spends a lot of time off on her own (Lately that means escaping into the overgrown part of the garden we don't want her in because there may be snakes and there definitely is ticks...). We can get her another female muscovy companion if that would make her happier. She talks to herself, chatters, plays in the pond, she'll bite the others for food and chase them out of the pond sometimes. She follows the others around and sleeps with them usually, but she definitely seems to be the odd one out.

 

[tmorgan46]

Are Muscovies happier to have other muscovies with them? We have one female muscovy with four ducks, and while she does seem to definitely like them, she spends a lot of time off on her own (Lately that means escaping into the overgrown part of the garden we don't want her in because there may be snakes and there definitely is ticks...). We can get her another female muscovy companion if that would make her happier. She talks to herself, chatters, plays in the pond, she'll bite the others for food and chase them out of the pond sometimes. She follows the others around and sleeps with them usually, but she definitely seems to be the odd one out.

I can't address the social aspect but one thing I can answer is the tick problem. You just solved it with a Muscovy. They are bug eating machines!!! We only have Scovies so I'm not sure about other breeds but ours have almost completely eradicated the ticks on our property. So I say let her dine in your garden to her hearts content. And get her another Scovie just to play it safe.

 

[huckleberrypres]

Muscovy Hatching Question:

Had 3 nests. Tinkerbell wins the Mom Prize. All eggs hatched, currently swimming with her babies in the pond. The other two moms need help.

Both of the other nests have three ducklings hatched yesterday and maybe one or two the day before. It's time for the babies to get out and start drinking etc.

Should I candle and take the remaining eggs and put them all under one mother and the ducklings with the other? That way one Mom can get busy tending to her brood and the other can hatch out the eggs for a few days?

Or, should I take the 6-7 ducklings from their respective Moms and give them to Tinkerbell to tend while they continue to sit?

Or, do I take the babies, raise them myself, let the Moms sit on the eggs for a few days and then pull them all? (least favorite option this one, but will if I must...I wanted them all to be raised "natural"....)

I'd love help with this right away, I feel I have to intervene pretty quick...

Thanks!

Val

 

[Miss Lydia]

Muscovy Hatching Question:

Had 3 nests. Tinkerbell wins the Mom Prize. All eggs hatched, currently swimming with her babies in the pond. The other two moms need help.

Both of the other nests have three ducklings hatched yesterday and maybe one or two the day before. It's time for the babies to get out and start drinking etc.

Should I candle and take the remaining eggs and put them all under one mother and the ducklings with the other? That way one Mom can get busy tending to her brood and the other can hatch out the eggs for a few days?

Or, should I take the 6-7 ducklings from their respective Moms and give them to Tinkerbell to tend while they continue to sit?

Or, do I take the babies, raise them myself, let the Moms sit on the eggs for a few days and then pull them all? (least favorite option this one, but will if I must...I wanted them all to be raised "natural"....)

I'd love help with this right away, I feel I have to intervene pretty quick...

Thanks!

Val

I would give them a few more days. then candle, put food and water close enough the ducklings can find it. I had 3 Muscovy ducks hatch 3 separate nests and the ducklings hatched over a 4 day period. Much better to let Mom raise and care for them

 

[Ren2014]

Muscovy Hatching Question:

Had 3 nests. Tinkerbell wins the Mom Prize. All eggs hatched, currently swimming with her babies in the pond. The other two moms need help.

Both of the other nests have three ducklings hatched yesterday and maybe one or two the day before. It's time for the babies to get out and start drinking etc.

Should I candle and take the remaining eggs and put them all under one mother and the ducklings with the other? That way one Mom can get busy tending to her brood and the other can hatch out the eggs for a few days?

Or, should I take the 6-7 ducklings from their respective Moms and give them to Tinkerbell to tend while they continue to sit?

Or, do I take the babies, raise them myself, let the Moms sit on the eggs for a few days and then pull them all? (least favorite option this one, but will if I must...I wanted them all to be raised "natural"....)

I'd love help with this right away, I feel I have to intervene pretty quick...

Thanks!

Val

I would give them a few more days. then candle, put food and water close enough the ducklings can find it. I had 3 Muscovy ducks hatch 3 separate nests and the ducklings hatched over a 4 day period. Much better to let Mom raise and care for them

X2

 

[huckleberrypres]

Okay....that's what I'll do! Before getting your responses I put food and water as close as possible to both their nests...so hopefully everyone will take care of each other and themselves.

After another day or two I can just take the unhatched eggs away and call it good, right? I'm pretty sure the other eggs aren't/wouldn't ever hatch...

Thank you!

Val

 

[Ren2014]

At what age do y'all turn baby scovies in with the group? My 6 babies are 6 weeks old now. They have been in a pen inside of the night pen so everyone has seen each other for quite some time. And, since Fred injured his leg he has been in their pen with them. No problems with him. There have been a few run ins when I've let them out for a bit in the bigger pen with the older Muscovy hens and of course I'm worried about Bob my drake.

When I turned Fred out into the group I literally stood there with a pool pole and threatened everyone for days, lol.

 

[Ren2014]

Okay....that's what I'll do! Before getting your responses I put food and water as close as possible to both their nests...so hopefully everyone will take care of each other and themselves.

After another day or two I can just take the unhatched eggs away and call it good, right? I'm pretty sure the other eggs aren't/wouldn't ever hatch...

Thank you!

Val

They will pick right up on eating and drinking from the momma.

Right, or sooner of course if Mom leaves them. But, I would still candle them.

Post pictures if you can

and congrats!

 

[mom of silkies]

One of my silkie hens was on 6 duck eggs, 4 ducklings hatched and are doing really well, I also gave my hen 3 chicks. She loves all the babies no matter what they are. This hen has hatched out everything from silkies to my cornish rock cross crosses, to turkeys, and now Muscovies. Right now they're in a pen in the house because we're getting bad storms here.