How Soon After Adding a Drake are Eggs Fertile?

[Mylied]

I'm getting a drake this week. I have 3 hens already. How long after I add him should I wait to incubate eggs? Thanks! If it matters drake will be a muscovy and hens are pekin that are currently all laying.

 

[CindyinSD]

From what I’ve read, @2 many chickens is right about the (usually) infertile offspring, however, the “mules” grow rapidly and are sometimes bred on purpose for use as meat birds.

 

[casportpony]

Hmmm, didn't realize they'd have a harder time breeding too. I thought a duck was a duck. Lol. Guess we shall see what we get.

Send an email to John Metzer at Metzer Farms and see what he says.

This is an article from their website:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/MuleDucks.cfm?CustID=24792719
Mule Ducks or Moulards
Muscovy and domestic ducks (such as the Pekin - which were developed from Mallards) are very different as they have been genetically isolated for over 50 million years. They can be crossed but you get some very interesting results. If you cross a Muscovy male with a Pekin female you will hatch moulards (or mule ducks); if you cross a Pekin male with a Muscovy female the progeny are called hinnies.

In Europe and in Asia many mule ducks are produced because of their large size, quality liver and reduced fat content in the carcass. Artificial insemination has been developed in ducks due to the desire to produce mule ducks. If left to mate naturally, the fertility is only 20-30%. Artificial insemination brings the fertility up to 80%. Whereas a Pekin takes 28 days to hatch and a Muscovy takes 35 days, a mule or hinny takes 32 days to hatch.

Approximately 60% of mule ducks are males. Some of their characteristics are like the Muscovy as they are large, quiet, slow moving and have long claws but are also like Pekin as they swim well, the males and females are much the same size and they do not fly.

Hinnies are not grown commercially. Males hinnies are much larger than female hinnies, like the muscovy, yet the females look like Pekins but fly quite well.

Mules and hinnies cannot reproduce. Both males are sterile and only the hinny females lay eggs (though they cannot hatch). If you have Muscovy and Pekin together, the chances are poor that they will cross but if they do, a hinny will probably be the result as Pekin males can catch Muscovy females easier than Muscovy males can catch Pekin females.

We do not produce mules or hinnies but thought you might enjoy this material on this interesting aspect of duck production and genetics.

 

[2 many chickens]

About 10-14 days for fertile eggs.

Also, I believe a muscovy male breeding a pekin female will breed 'mules' so you won't be able to hatch their offsprings eggs as the ducks they produce will be sterile and cannot produce their own offspring.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Just digged a bit in the internet, so there are mules and hinnies:
https://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/What-are-mule-ducks-H460.aspx
https://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Musc/Mule.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulard

 

[Miss Lydia]

He’ll breed with your girls no problem communicating that way. Just looking at him with having Muscovy since 2004 it get pretty easy to pick out the young ones. He’s a nice looking drake. @Mylied

 

[Mylied]

My opinion is I wouldn't breed the cross unless as a eating meat bird.

That's the purpose. I know the offspring will be infertile. The whole purpose of getting a drake was to make ducks for the freezer.

 

[Mylied]

I read a study where they raised pekin ducklings with a muscovy drake and then later introduced the pekin hens to a drake and fertility was higher. They also said a muscovy drake who's been without a muscovy female will be more motivated to mate pekin females. My hens have never seen any drake and the drake has only had a brother for company for some time. Not to mention he doesn't have the choice of a muscovy hen. So maybe I'll get a few. It's all good either way. If it doesn't work out, I'll get a pekin. I just thought a muscovy would be nice.

 

[Mylied]

Exciting news for me. I put 8 eggs in the incubator on the 15th and 3 more on the 16th just to see. 4 have visibly started! I'm going to leave them alone until the 7th day and then weigh them. I only attempted to hatch duck eggs once before and didn't do well, so I'm following a guide this time. The embryo is above the number.

 

[Mylied]

We were going to use offspring for meat. That's interesting about them being infertile. Thanks!