Muscovies to Be Gased In Ocala.

[dianaross77]

I'm sure I'm going to seem insensitive when I say this but I don't think they need a good reason to get rid of an invasive non-native species. Muscovy ducks don't belong there. While I do not agree with their method of disposal, I don't agree that they should be left there.

 

[Bleenie]

It would be great if they could find them homes but it would be hard if they're all feral..... A butcher shop could get a BIG write off if they butchered the birds and donated the meat to a local shelter(like women & childrens shelter). My aunt had to stay at one of these shelters down there in FL and a local farm donated a lot of Emu, they ate it all the time.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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I disagree, I have had SEVERAL Muscovy drakes that are hell-bent on killing me. No joke. And I don't think the "protecting children" part is that far off. How heathly can a public park be for kids to play in if its covered in crap? We have a lot of Canada Geese here and I've seen first hand what the grass areas look like once they leave. I can't imagine ducks would be much different. How would you like to take your kid (if you have one) to a public park for the afternoon and have them playing in a bunch of poop??

OK i am going to agree.

It's rare for a drake to become aggrisive, but they do happen.

I had both aggressive and non-aggressive drakes, since Muscovy drakes are such large birds they could do a lot of damage to a young kid or even an adult if they decided to attack. I'm not saying they all are, but with that many ducks you are bound to have several that will attack.

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[LisaAnnW]

The problem with your equation is not all of those 110 ducks are female nor of breeding age. Even among the 50% or so of females, the very young and old will not nest, so the percentage goes down even more.

In my neighborhood, egret and heron often pick off 100% of the ducklings from a clutch once the mother takes them to the lake. It's upsetting to see it happen, but I try to help my kids understand that's how nature works. I like Muscovies too, and we have quite a few that live on our property - they're extremely friendly, and I assume full responsibility for their care.

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So if they have 2 ducklings make it, that gets you from 110 to 330 ducks. My Muscovy's raise on average about 2 clutches per year so thats roughly 550 ducks. In one spring you could go from 110 to about 550 ducks, and thats with 2 ducklings from each hatch surviving until adulthood. Give or take a few. With those 110 ducks you can get to 1000 ducks in about 2-3 years.

Please correct me if this math is wrong... its been a long day.

 

[LisaAnnW]

Goose poo is much larger than Muscovy poo! I know this because I have to clean up both. I love geese, but sometimes it's as much work as cleaning up after my horse.

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I disagree, I have had SEVERAL Muscovy drakes that are hell-bent on killing me. No joke. And I don't think the "protecting children" part is that far off. How heathly can a public park be for kids to play in if its covered in crap? We have a lot of Canada Geese here and I've seen first hand what the grass areas look like once they leave. I can't imagine ducks would be much different. How would you like to take your kid (if you have one) to a public park for the afternoon and have them playing in a bunch of poop??

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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So if they have 2 ducklings make it, that gets you from 110 to 330 ducks. My Muscovy's raise on average about 2 clutches per year so thats roughly 550 ducks. In one spring you could go from 110 to about 550 ducks, and thats with 2 ducklings from each hatch surviving until adulthood. Give or take a few. With those 110 ducks you can get to 1000 ducks in about 2-3 years.

Please correct me if this math is wrong... its been a long day.


But there are MANY more then 110 ducks out there, thats just how many are being killed. In actuality, the population could rise even faster. Like call ducks said, Muscovies breed like rabbits, in one spring my birds can easily hatch out 3-4 clutches. Even if only a few ducklings survive from each clutch, and considering how many are out there, thats a lot of ducklings that will reach breeding age by next spring/summer.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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I disagree, I have had SEVERAL Muscovy drakes that are hell-bent on killing me. No joke. And I don't think the "protecting children" part is that far off. How heathly can a public park be for kids to play in if its covered in crap? We have a lot of Canada Geese here and I've seen first hand what the grass areas look like once they leave. I can't imagine ducks would be much different. How would you like to take your kid (if you have one) to a public park for the afternoon and have them playing in a bunch of poop??


When you have a few hundred ducks living around a pond/park that is still A LOT of poo. I have 10 ducks and they create enough and they free range, a few hundred...

 

[LisaAnnW]

I agree: Muscovies are very gentle creatures - to say otherwise is just misinformation. Sure, they crowd around when being fed, but if someone gets bumped, scratched, or nipped because they're feeding at the park...well they weren't supposed to be feeding in the first place, so you take your chances! Big deal, feed a big flock of chickens and you'll get the same reaction - they jostle each other to get to the food first. Protect the kids? Most kids love ducks, love to feed the ducks, and love to see the ducks. Why don't we just bubble wrap the whole world to make it safe for our kids!?

You are correct that Muscovies don't hiss out of aggression, they hiss because they cannot quack.

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[LisaAnnW]

Yep, I clean up my share of poo also! Goes with the territory of owning a menagerie. I haven't been to Ocala in quite awhile (although I have friends there), but I've heard the park(s) in question are quite large, the lake is also large. That's why I scoff at town council blowing up over 110 ducks...what, does someone's cousin own the extermination service? There's got to more to this story than we're hearing. Most likely, it's a personal vendetta by one person in authority. Maybe that person really wanted a horse when he/she was young, and their mom got them a DUCK instead!

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When you have a few hundred ducks living around a pond/park that is still A LOT of poo. I have 10 ducks and they create enough and they free range, a few hundred...

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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My Muscovy drakes have hissed out of aggression, any other time they were silent. When they hiss, they are warning you to give them and their girls some space. At least thats what mine did.
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The only misinformation here is your comment, Muscovies are NOT always very gentle creatures. I have been attacked by drakes and I have the marks to prove it. Every animal is different.
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It doesn't sound like you have kids, because I highly doubt a parent would be so dismissive of such a possibility. If my drake can leave a scar in my leg that is still here several years later I really don't want to think about what they could do to a small child or even a larger one who is not expecting it.


I don't to sound like I hate Muscovies, because I don't. I raise them and I do love them, but I was attacked by a drake several years ago which has made me think more about what might happen around them. I am no longer completely comfortable around my current drake, even though I doubt he would ever attack. Its the bad ones that stick in your mind.