Hatching experiment - Time to make my Muscovy a mom!

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

They have gotten so big and Beautiful!!

Thank you! It truly is incredible how quickly they grow! They are already about 75% feathered in at barely 1 month old! They’ve already mastered swimming and foraging. Daisy is the only one who has difficulty finding the ramp/step into the pool (every single time ). Daisy and Bubbles are making impressive quacks, and Daisy squeals with happiness the entire time she forages, just like Daphne used to. I just adore them!

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's pretty amazing how they can pick out one of their own, I have 3 Buffs 2 was hatched here and are 8 yrs old the 3rd I just adopted last fall she is going on 5 all 3 of these Buffs hang out together but are still in the flock of Runners. Only odd duck out is my Cayuga who came to live with us this past Jan she came with a Runner who was accepted right away Olive has had more trouble fitting in I would love to find a Cayuga for her to be best buds with. It's the 2 drakes that don't seem to like her and she is the sweetest duck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is so precious about Daisy squeals with happiness when foraging just like Daphne used to do

 

[The Coop Crew]

I love these guys! I’ll be stalking the thread for updates

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

5 weeks old, and they’re suddenly small ducks instead of ducklings! Daisy is definitely female. Chester is still peeping, and I assume male. The Rouens … are unclear. I have taken several videos, but haven’t uploaded them yet. At any rate, everyone is doing great! Mama and Remi still have conflicting views on the babies. Mama thinks they’re the most precious beings in the world and can do no wrong. Remi thinks they are entitled brats who need to be taken down a peg or two. Matilda just likes ducks, so she doesn’t care.

Hubby rented a skidsteer the other day to move a great deal of dirt from here to there. He got it stuck, and in doing so, created a little pond that is now the most popular duckling hangout!

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Ok ok, I’m nervous, but here we go. The peeper is Chester, the male KC. The loudest one is Daisy, the female WH. The other two, the Rouens, I’m not sure about.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you picked them up one by one and walked away from the rest?

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Ever since Mama grabbed the foot of one I was trying to help, I’ve been afraid to pick them up. I’ve had to a couple of times just to help out in particular situations, but not since their voices changed. They are used to my presence as I sit with them for hours whenever I can, and I’m sure I could get one if it needed treatment, but I think picking one up would cause more trauma than it is worth. I did take a couple more videos with Mama in the outside of the duckio and the kids trapped inside (oh, the horror!), which I will post in a bit

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Ok, two more! One of the kids inside the duckio, separated from Mom. The other was during a mix-up at tucking-in time during which Matilda joined the kids and one of the babies got stuck with Remi.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That first video that Rouen is def a girl. The second one where they are all together I couldn't tell who was doing what.

Maybe @KathiQuacks can help.