Help identify these two

[kylee2katie]

These two babies are 6 weeks old and were given to me by a friend who "rescued" them from a flea market. They, along with 2 baby mallards were in a cardboard box - my friend bought them all and brought them to me. I'm not familiar enough with the different breeds to be sure what they are. They were WILD when I got them but over the past week, they have learned that I am the keeper of the peas! They will eat out of my hand (eat my hand) and let me touch them a little. They are really sweet and much more friendly than the mallards. The one with the most white has an "x" on his/her bottom in white while the darker one just has a white patch...

 

[Kevin565]

i think their both full muscovies. I agree that its possible that the second one could be a mix. however i would lean more towards it being a full blooded.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

The top one, the one with the most white looks like a full muscovy

Very pretty.

Second one - looks to be a muscovy X with a mallard, so I think that makes it what they call a mule. It has characteristics of a scovy - the color and the legs/feet, but the head is something else - and I'm leaning to mallard.

Anyway they are gorgeous!

 

[kylee2katie]

Thank you - they are pretty unusual looking to me at this point - the tails are much longer than the mallards, my pekin, or my runner. They have so many different colorations - white /black chest, heads, and tails but the wings are sort of an irredescent green/black mix - my daughters named them Sting and Mick Jagger!! Here is a picture of both together - they were walking so it is kind of blurry.

 

[kylee2katie]

are there different types of muskovy? like I said, I am very new to this!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Muscovies come in many colors - white, blue, black, chocolate and patterns - solid, pied, caped, and barred....

I'd say that #1 with the white is a chocolate i think they call it pied...
#2 the darker more colored one is definately not a pure muscovy - and I bet its got mallard or rouen in it - making a mule - which means its sterile - if its a girl it should still lay eggs but it will never breed babies. I bet she'll have a pattern color when she/he does an adult molt thats similar to a mallard/rouen - with white splotches in there.

again - beautiful birds.

 

[Bleenie]

They both look like Pure Muscovies to me..it's been my experience that most Mules do not have the Muscovy bill, they have a much wider, mallard-looking bill with very short tails.

#2 does look strange but probably just because of the wild-type pattern she is showing. She will molt out those funky, laced-looking feathers in her first molt and will probably be a Black pied (or black with white patches).

I had an "ugly" duckling earlier this year, she was wild-type and looked a lot like your girl. she was the first i have ever gotten but she's gotten really pretty at her new home and should also molt into black in a couple months. (i am not really a fan of the wild-type coloring).

 

[kylee2katie]

Thank you! I do hope the molt brings a more even tone!! they do look like they fell out of a mixing pot! I've been reading several threads on muskovy - I do understand why people like them so much. These are the sweetest of my crew! By the way, when do they start to molt? Also, neither of them make any noise - they just run really fast! I don't want to do anything to scare them but how can I get them to make some noise so I can (maybe) tell whether they are boys, girls, or a pair?

 

[chickincoop]

We have two 7 week old female Muscovies who are similar to these in color. We have one which looks just like the darker on. I believe afetr the molt, the dark brown will go away and she will be a black and white pied. Probably the same for the other, with more white.

 

[Bleenie]

Muscovies do not quack, they make trilling, cooing, hissing and huffing noises. the only time mine have ever quacked was when somethign scared them or one of the others pinched them.

males will be obviously bigger than females, especially the feet. Males tails are longer and wider while females have shorter, pointy tails.

Hope i helped