Lone Male Muscovy

[CTMuscovy]

I joined this group in hope of getting some advice about a Muscovy duck we rescued that had been dumped in an industrial area. We now have caught him and he is in a secure shed and pen in our yard. Does he need another duck? Or is it ok to keep him by himself? We don't want to raise baby ducks or sell eggs.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[LaynaDon95]

He will need a duck companion. If you get a female muscovy she will end up setting and hatching babies. You can't get a male or they will fight. I would get a female of a breed that does not brood. That way he will have a companion, you will have eggs, but you won't have to worry about babies.

 

[CTMuscovy]

Thanks for the info. What type of duck would be a good fit for him that would not brood?

Here is a photo of him before we caught him. Lived in a car lot under a Cadillac for over a month through Storm Sandy and sub zero temperatures. After storm Sandy I had to snowshoe into the lot to feed him....

 

[LaynaDon95]

Poor guy. I'm glad you're taking care of him. Is he tame?
As far as the breed, it depends on what available near you. Are you looking for a grown duck or a duckling?

 

[CTMuscovy]

He is pretty tame. Followed my boyfriend around the car lot because the duck knew who was feeding him. One of the guys stepped out of the garage bay and just picked him up. Duck did not struggle - just sat there in his arms. So he must have been handled before.

You said a non brooding duck and I have no idea what breed of duck to look for. I would prefer an adult duck.

Yeah we posted him in the local papers and no one claimed him. We are sure he was dumped there. He lived in an area full of feral cats and coyotes so we are happy we were able to finally get him out of there.

Named him Caddy.

 

[LaynaDon95]

What a cute story! Well, you'll have to look locally to see what kinds of ducks are available as adults where you live. Craigslist is a good place to start if you have one. When it comes down to it you can collect eggs daily to make sure she doesn't get a chance to brood.
A pekin might be good. They aren't known for brooding and her size would be fairly compatible to Caddy's. You don't want a bantam sized breed or anything too small. Muscovies are big and heavy and he might hurt a duck that's too much smaller than him when mating her. I'm not very familiar with many duck breeds as far as broodiness goes, though. I'll do some research.

 

[jdywntr]

You want a larger breed. Pekin, Rouen, or a Muscovy. If you don't want ducklings, just collect the eggs everyday. Duck eggs are great to bake with. You will want to get an adult or an older duckling that is about 5-6 lbs. Check on craigslist or check at your local animal shelters, they sometimes get ducks in.

Great of you to save him.