Has my muscovy gone missing or brooding?

bookjunky4life

In the Brooder
7 Years
Oct 3, 2012
29
2
24
I have a male and female muscovy ducks that are about 10 months old. They have been free range around my farm since they can fly. About one week ago, my female was just gone. The male is still around in his usual places and seems very lonely. Is it possible she just went somewhere to brood? We have about 5 acres with various outbuildings full of farm machinery and even lots of straw bales. Its perfectly conceivable she is nested down somewhere and I'd never find her. The other option is a hawk took her, but my FIL insists the hawk we have been seeing is not large enough to carry off a duck. I am certain however, the hawk has taken a silkie banty rooster and tried to take a standard hen. (I have extra roosters and older hens in a large uncovered pen, but my banties and other hens are in fully covered runs.) Which is more likely? We have found no feathers or carcasses anywhere. The hawk that I saw did not look like a full-sized red tail hawk but definitely a red tail. If she were nesting somewhere, would it be normal for the male to stick around her or completely leave her alone?
 
It is possible that your hen is brooding. When I had muscovies the males did not hang around brooding females, but were off elsewhere.
But this time of year not many Muscovy's are even laying eggs yet. Where are you @bookjunky4life what state. We have red tails here who could carry off a female Muscovy.
 
I am in central/southern Illinois. A lady not very far from here has a hen sitting on 7 eggs. I plan on buying some of those if they hatch :)
 
Marking 35 days on my calendar in the event she is brooding. I think its more likely the hawk took her but we will see. Is 10 months about the right time for them to start brooding. I've never seen them mating anytime but a little in the summer.
 
Marking 35 days on my calendar in the event she is brooding. I think its more likely the hawk took her but we will see. Is 10 months about the right time for them to start brooding. I've never seen them mating anytime but a little in the summer.
Mine usually don't even start laying till around 8-9mo. old and usually once they begin to lay they can go broody pretty quick. They are obsessed with it. I hope she comes home.
 
I have a male and female muscovy ducks that are about 10 months old. They have been free range around my farm since they can fly. About one week ago, my female was just gone. The male is still around in his usual places and seems very lonely. Is it possible she just went somewhere to brood? We have about 5 acres with various outbuildings full of farm machinery and even lots of straw bales. Its perfectly conceivable she is nested down somewhere and I'd never find her. The other option is a hawk took her, but my FIL insists the hawk we have been seeing is not large enough to carry off a duck. I am certain however, the hawk has taken a silkie banty rooster and tried to take a standard hen. (I have extra roosters and older hens in a large uncovered pen, but my banties and other hens are in fully covered runs.) Which is more likely? We have found no feathers or carcasses anywhere. The hawk that I saw did not look like a full-sized red tail hawk but definitely a red tail. If she were nesting somewhere, would it be normal for the male to stick around her or completely leave her alone?
 

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