Help with muscovy behaviour

[miribb]

Hi all, my partner and I (NZ) rescued an injured Muscovy back in May. Bandit is her name, or BB. Looks like she'd escaped from a farm and had a run in with a car, her wing was shattered and rotting. The vet took it off and she's been with us since. After about 3 months we tamed her up to the point that she would come over for scratches and didn't mind being picked up. Tame to the point that she wouldn't leave us alone when we were switching out her paddling pool and would rest her head on our arms. She had a moult and her head switched to white so we figured she's quite young. She also started laying in October! Exciting, paying back her vet bill.

We were taking her eggs but leaving one behind to encourage her to keep adding to her nest. BB also started making that high pitched squeak for everything - even when we were feeding her. She suddenly started lining her nest with her feathers last week and spent a few days where she would only come off her nest if she saw we had food. She then spent an entire day on the nest with the single egg left, so we decided to take the last egg so she would move around again and lay some more. Since then (4 days ago), she has become very unfriendly. Running away from us and only eating half her food. not the food driven duck we're used to! She hasn't been on the nest since we took the last egg, but she's still choosing to spend most her day in her enclosure where she can see us through the bedroom window, when she has a massive area she could roam. She's basically as close to us as she can get from her enclosure until we go out to pat her. I thought I'd broken her broodiness, but she's now totally off us! Was she only being super friendly because it was breeding season and she thought we were going to mate with her? Is it just her hormones a bit out of whack? Should I be worried she's not eating as much as she ever did with us? Could she be egg bound? I thought I did lots of good research but she's throwing us a tough one here.

Any support much appreciated. We love her to bits, looking into finding another female muscovy with flight issues to keep her company.

 

[johntfs]

Maybe try returning the egg (or a looklike) and see what happens?

 

[BDutch]

Welcome to BYC Miribb.

She centainly was broody and tried to hatch the egg for a baby duck. You interupted this attempt. And she is unhappy now, wanting to be a mother.
It would have been great for her if you had changed the unfertile egg for a fertile one.

I think she needs another duck or at least other fowl to keep her company.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have found with my Muscovy females broodiness has to run it's course I've had Muscovy since 2004 and all the tries I've attempted with breaking them have never worked, so I just take eggs and let her work it out in her timing. They get very grumpy as your seeing but they will get over it. I do agree she needs a friend though even though when broody they aren't always so nice to them. lol They defiantly are characters. My advise is to just let her get over it by herself. Be there to let her know you care and maybe ever offer something really yummy [mealworms] to win back her affections.
Bless you for taking her in and caring for her. This is just the beginning though they do this all through summer and into fall. Laying, broody, grumpy and back again. But I do love this breed.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I too love Muscovy ducks! I’ve not had this issue so I can’t help there. But you said you wanted another hen with flight issues. That is easy to fix...clip feathers. Welcome to BYC! You will make many friends on here who are always willing to help! When you get a chance, we would love to see pictures of BB! She sounds like a sweet duck! Perhaps you could add a mirror to her penned area until you get her a friend so she thinks she has someone to talk to. Welcome to BYC! We look forward to learning more about your BB adventures and learning experience!

 

[sourland]

I agree with @Miss Lydia that she is feeling the hormonal affects of broodiness. She will gradually return to normal, but as the others have said she needs a duck companion.

 

[miribb]

Thanks for all the support everyone, just thought I'd post an update. She's become a lot friendlier... and learned to climb her enclosure fencing! Only to get to a patch of bushes she loves to tootle around in - we're thinking she wants to nest there. She comes over when we call her and the entire property is fenced off so we're not too panicked. We're not going to let her breed, there's no demand for her babies here so we feel it would be irresponsible. We are going to get her female companion when we move to our new place in a few months. She's started to lose feathers, I didn't think she would moult in summer? These are mainly her top feathers, not down. We love the chatting she does with us when we talk to her, not so sure about the constant spying - her enclosure is by our bedroom window and she's very nosy. Always keen to learn more about Muscovy ducks, thanks everyone! Will be sure to post a pic, soon.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like she’s won over some hearts! Look forward to pics and her new companion when you get moved!

 

[miribb]

 

[Miss Lydia]

She beautiful love Muscovy faces!