Muscovies yay or nay

[chickens really]

Not really Duck like so definitely a personal choice. I don't like the breed myself...

 

[sourland]

It all depends upon your goals. Muscovies have great personalities, are great foragers, are great setters and mothers, and are (in my opinion) the best tasting duck. They can fly, but generally stay home unless they have access to a large body of water. I do not recommend them if your goal is egg production.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Im looking at getting some Muscovies but have heard both good and bad things about them. Ive heard they aren't great layers eat large amounts and are excellent fliers. Are they good layers? How much do they eat and are they really good fliers? Would you recommend them? If so why? Anything you know about muscovy ducks are greatly appreciated! Thank you!

I only have two, and they are both hens, but I’ll still answer!

Pros: 1) They are chatty, but in a neighbor-friendly way. Their language consists of trills and chirps rather than the loud QUACKS of mallard-derived hens. 2) They eat all of the bugs. They also eat frogs and snakes, and I haven’t seen a single mouse in the barn for a very long time. I don’t think they go through too much grain as they prefer to forage and catch their own food. 3) One of mine does fly very well, but she stays home without needing her wings trimmed because she’s the only flier of the family and she prefers to stick with her family. However, both girls can use their wings well enough that they could escape some land dwelling predators, or at least have a better chance at survival than my Rouen. 4) They have unique personalities. My white Muscovy hen is extremely sweet, when not broody, and enjoys being held or carried places.

Cons: 1) Although cold hardy, they are less tolerant of the cold than my Rouen. Neither has had frostbite, but my smaller hen simply looks miserable in colder weather. On that note, on the pro side, they are extremely heat tolerant! 2) Broodiness can be a big pro if you want ducklings, but it is more of an annoyance in a hen-only flock, mostly because that is when their personalities change for the worse. However, I’ve been able to stop most of the broodiness within a decent time frame this summer. 3) Eggs- I don’t have buyers for my eggs. I just give them to friends or use them at home. If I did need or want to sell their eggs, however, I might get annoyed at their laying style. Neither of mine is currently laying nor broody, and I’m not sure why (one is doing a slow molt, but the other has not yet lost a feather). I don’t have a problem with it, but others might!

Anyways, I land in the Pro Muscovy camp overall. They are truly unique and never boring. 9 out of 10 recommend!

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[Ducklover77]

I will second that they are an amazing animal to have

I definitely recommend Muscovies! They have such wonderful personalities and are just plain fun to have around.
I wouldn't consider them good egg layers, though, they are more for meat in my opinion.
I do agree that they can be big eaters at times. I don't know exactly how much mine eat, but I've read that 1 Muscovy can eat 1\4 to 1 pound of feed per day depending on the size of the bird.
They are good fliers. The drakes don't usually tend to fly that often because of their size, but the hens love to fly all over the place depending on their mood.
Muscovy ducks also tend to be quieter then regular ducks.
Last but not least, they are an all around wonderful bird to keep around!

 

[Shadrach]

Im looking at getting some Muscovies but have heard both good and bad things about them. Ive heard they aren't great layers eat large amounts and are excellent fliers. Are they good layers? How much do they eat and are they really good fliers? Would you recommend them? If so why? Anything you know about muscovy ducks are greatly appreciated! Thank you!

They are the dirtiest, most unfriendly, bad tempered creatures I have here.
The females do not lay many eggs and I think the eggs taste odd.
The males fight every day but thankfully don't fly well and the females that do fly well have a really irritating habit of flying off on an adventure, sometimes a few kilometers away and then expect you to walk back with them so they get home safely.
They are butt ugly by any standards and for some unknown reason the males get to be bath shy once they mature.
I love them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Shadrach my drake loves to bathe at least 1x a day. And I think they are beautiful

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach my drake loves to bathe at least 1x a day. And I think they are beautiful

I don't know what happens with the males here. They start off having baths.
Once they get a bit older the night time wash seems to be restricted to shoving their beak in the drinker and halfhearted attempts to chuck a bit of water over their heads.
There is no way in the world that Muscovy drakes in particular can be considered beautiful. You must just be like me and like ugly.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I must ! cause I really think my drake is a hunk. Mine do like to bathe in their water buckets too.