Help! I need a class called Muscovy Duck 101

[D'Angelo N Va.]

And oh boy, watch out. Once they start laying and going broody they will have babies galore. I had 3 in march & now I have 70. But they have so much more personality than other ducks. I am finding this out since January of this year. You will just fall in love.

 

[FarmrGirl]

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You're kidding, right?? THese ducks are wet and messy!

Not nearly as messy with water as my Mallard-types but they poop waaaaay bigger!

Yes, the girls fly beautifully! Clip the wings as soon as you see their first practice lift offs. For a few weeks after they figure out why they have wings, they'll get a good low coast going... that's the time! Have your boys handle them a lot because they make good lap-ducks, they won't run away from you like the mallard-types do. Mine like to be scratched under the feathers on their neck and chest

 

[Bleenie]

Mine stay on a 16% feed from hatchlings to adults+ and i ahven't had an issue with angel wing yet.

I use wood pellets to brood mine on but to keep the brooder drier you can set the waterer inside of a bigger dish. I could turn the shavings in my brooder everyday and move the wetter ones to under the heat light so they lasted longer and stayed fresher, i had a pallet-sized brooder though.

They need enough water to clean their nostrils out but i still kept a regular chick waterer in the brooder and gave them a small container to clean up in 1-2 times a day, you don't have to leave it in though.

It's getting colder now but I usually start putting mine in a "playpen" in the yard during the day at about 1week old. It helps them get used to eating grass and chasing bugs so they aren't so dependant on their grain when they're older... i free range though so this might not be an option for you.


so where's the pics?

 

[Arielle]

Thank you for everyones input!

THe 3 are put out for the day, to mix with the other barn yard birds and free range. Hoping they will understand the behaviors and calls of warning when a predator is near-- a crow or hawk.

Will work on pics!