Identifing the kind of duckling

[Johnchickens2]

Hi. I would really appriciate your help. I've got teo ducklings - what kind are they? Mallard? Ruen? Moscovy? Pictures attached. Thank you!!

 

[ruthhope]

No. Got them from a friend. I had Muscovy in the past but didnt like their behavior that much. Do I wanted a different breed, and he promised me these are not Muscovy... Of course I eill raise them and care for them anyway.

I'm a muscovy fan -- they are such intelligent ducks and so friendly. Mine are all rescues but I only raised one from a tiny fluff ball -- the others came from our local wildlife rehabber at 8-10 weeks old. My little fluffball was all yellow. But his bill certainly looked like yours.

If you hand-raise these little ones, and have your children interact with them everyday, they are very likely to be friendly with your children. Muscovy are the quietist of ducks!!! my son and I also have pekins: they are very noisy ducks and equally as messy as muscovy. Ducks are just messy -- pooping everywhere with wet poop. But it hoses down and unlike chicken poop, it can safely go straight onto the garden. It doesn't need composting.

Female muscovy babble away -- quietly: much more quietly than my pekin drakes that don't stop chattering all day and at times in the night. There is no way a female muscovy can compete on noise level with female pekins. [My son has the noisiest little duck, a pekin, in the world].

Male muscovy sigh -- not all the time, but certainly when they are excited -- when I come home they are at the gate getting excited!! They spend hours sitting on the top step by my patio doors, looking inside and when they see me they start sighing. People lable the male muscovy sound "hissing" but it is not a hiss and it isn't a mean sound.

Yes, one of my muscovy drakes -- the softest cuddliest one -- is huge and bigger than my pekins. But the other muscovy drake is about the same size as my larger pekin drake. The muscovy are intelligent enough to learn not to fight with the pekins and they resist provocation by the pekins, as they have learnt that I don't like it. My son's muscovy female is very petite -- smaller than his pekin females

I hope you are able to grow to love those two little fluffies, they are really cute and can be really great pets like Daffy, the big fat lump of a handsome bird in the photo

 

[Johnchickens2]

Did they hatch these ducklings?

No. Got them from a friend. I had Muscovy in the past but didnt like their behavior that much. Do I wanted a different breed, and he promised me these are not Muscovy... Of course I eill raise them and care for them anyway.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I was expecting Muscovy (praying for females) when I ordered this spring, but with an outbreak of avian flu in my area all the Muscovy ducks went to the commercial producers and I got these two instead. The feedstore from which I ordered had always provided Muscovy in the past, but the never "promised" so I got a cute surprise when the day came to pick them up.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I thought you had coats on them until I enlarged the picture. lol

 

[Quatie]

Well... not something specific... But on the whole - they are pretty massive, noisy and agressive, and my kids cannot play with them. The males bother the chickens sometimes... and they make the yard very dirty. I wanted small ducks that dont grow much, which he promised me these two are. But from what you have written, I understand I have Muscovy again.... Maybe these two are females? So less noisy and less agressive... I hope...

I also really can't image muscovy being loud. I have 8 muscovy and 20 mallard derived breeds. The mallard derived breeds are super loud! There are quiet individuals and others that like the sound of their own voice. All my neighbors know I have ducks. However I am not sure who is messier, but I feel like the mallard derived breeds are. The mallard derived ducks tend to dig holes in the mud with their bills creating a tripping hazard.

Those look like they are likely going to be solid chocolates.

 

[tessandherducks]

Hi. I would really appriciate your help. I've got teo ducklings - what kind are they? Mallard? Ruen? Moscovy? Pictures attached. Thank you!!

I have 2 Muscovy ducklings at the moment which are 5 days old and look very similar to your beautiful babies, so I also would agree with that they are Muscovy's

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww Drakes can be a handful for sure. But to me they are like puppy dogs. They love to help dig for worms. They are much more laid back than my Runners and Buffs. And yes if a chicken gets too close to my drake he has been known to grab feathers. They can be kid friendly though if started at a young age. Hopefully you have females if that will suit you better. Muscovy are called quackless ducks though can't imagine them making much noise.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hard to tell what colors they will be they dramatically change so much from young like yours till fully feathered.

That's awesome if females. No way of knowing sex at their age by looking at them,

 

[Miss Lydia]

Nibbling is normal they use their bills to try things out since they haven't hands to do it lol.

Always offer them treats with your hand open and treat laying in your hand that way they won't be so apt to grab fingers.
My Muscovy females will even catch treats when I toss them to them my drake just lets it hit him in the face won't even try. He's such a lazy big guy.