How messy are muscovies?

[fowltemptress]

Are muscovies as messy as other breeds? This may be wishful thinking on my part, but they're so different in most other areas I was hoping they might not be quite as bad. How big an area would a small group need in order to minimize visible damage? Also, I know they can fly, but if I kept the wings clipped, how tall would a fence need to be to keep them from jumping out? My SO would have a fit if they managed to get to the plants and snails in his koi pond and kill too much grass, so I'm trying to find ways to manage this that will keep my future ducks in his good graces and off the dinner table. If worse came to worse, could I just keep two, or would that not make much difference mess wise? I feel dreadfully ignorant asking so many questions, but I never had issues like this with chickens. I'd hate to let go of my duck dreams simply because they're messier.

 

[kstaven]

Here is a good link for muscovies http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/avian/muscovy1001.htm

Ignorance does not come from asking questions. It comes from assuming and not asking.

 

[swampducks]

Here's another site on muscovies that isn't geared toward commercial raising.

http://www.muscovyduckcentral.com/index.html

I'm planning on getting 3-4 myself this spring, maybe we can compare notes as things progess?

 

[BaronRenfrew]

Muscovies messy? lol They can't jump so if you clip wings they won't go anywhere. When they take a dump, stand back, it shoots out, maybe a foot and a half.

 

[Dodgegal79]

They aare just like all other ducks. I have both, they are a little better at not making things muddy like my runners are. They all poop the same.

 

[ole-crone]

I'd worry about more than the snails in your
SO's koi pond. I'll never forget that beautiful, sunny day when I walked outside and watched my sweet little muscovy female throw her head back so the huge goldfish would go down easier. She had eaten all of the fish small enough to go down her throat and eaten the tail ends off of those who were too big.

 

[Dodgegal79]

LOL, mine found a nest of baby frogs when my hubby was out in the yard. He was tellingf me how they just loving them, I asked him why he didn't save the frogs. He wasn't sure what to say, then said they ate them to fast.

 

[fowltemptress]

lol, I love the messiness of ducks, and if I had my way they'd be allowed to muck up and eat absolutely everything in the koi pond. My guy is alot more concerned with landscaping, so I guess I just have to convince him to move to a place with more land so I can split the area in half and have a billion and one brahmas, muscovies, and guineas on my side. Oh well.