Muscovy behaviors and sexing...

[barnyardblast]

A friend of mine brought me a mama duck and four littles that had been abandoned at a gas station parking lot back in November. (Apparently, an internet deal fell through and they didn't want to transport back home. They were dumping them out of a box when my friend saw and asked for them.) This was back in November. I always quarantine animals and my only spare area was a side chicken yard in my chicken coop. The mama duck appears to be muscovy (or part muscovy) but she also hisses at times (not so much these days). They are feathered out and I'm trying to determine what I have. I have other questions as well...

The mama duck hasn't laid a single egg since November. I've wondered if Mama is actually female at all. Should she have started laying eggs by this point?

The four littles - one has heavy carbuncling around the eyes, the other three do not. I've also tried to tell by their tails and feet, but nothing seems definitive. They are around 15 weeks at this point. How can I tell?

I have five ducks (Golden 300) all female that are kept in a different area. I'd love to combine the two groups together. The Muscovy ducks are in a pen that isn't very suitable for ducks. I have a large dish in there with water that they drink and one can get in at a time, but the other duck area has a kiddie pool that is changed 1 or 2 times daily along with a lot more room (but no ceiling, so they could fly away I suppose). How do I blend the two groups?

 

[chickens really]

A friend of mine brought me a mama duck and four littles that had been abandoned at a gas station parking lot back in November. (Apparently, an internet deal fell through and they didn't want to transport back home. They were dumping them out of a box when my friend saw and asked for them.) This was back in November. I always quarantine animals and my only spare area was a side chicken yard in my chicken coop. The mama duck appears to be muscovy (or part muscovy) but she also hisses at times (not so much these days). They are feathered out and I'm trying to determine what I have. I have other questions as well...

The mama duck hasn't laid a single egg since November. I've wondered if Mama is actually female at all. Should she have started laying eggs by this point?

The four littles - one has heavy carbuncling around the eyes, the other three do not. I've also tried to tell by their tails and feet, but nothing seems definitive. They are around 15 weeks at this point. How can I tell?

I have five ducks (Golden 300) all female that are kept in a different area. I'd love to combine the two groups together. The Muscovy ducks are in a pen that isn't very suitable for ducks. I have a large dish in there with water that they drink and one can get in at a time, but the other duck area has a kiddie pool that is changed 1 or 2 times daily along with a lot more room (but no ceiling, so they could fly away I suppose). How do I blend the two groups?

Let them meet and free range together.

 

[AquaDuck]

There's quite a size difference between the sexes in Muscovies, so the difference will become apparent when the babies grow up. If one has a lot of caruncling and the others dont, they're probably one male and three females. The males' feet are bigger also, but they can fool you at that age.
Females hiss when they're upset or feel threatened. Males ONLY hiss, they make no other sound. So if mom trills, it's a girl. Muscovies lay eggs in clusters of 10-30, then takes a break for weeks or months.
Good luck with your duckies, and THANK YOU for saving them!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can you get some pics posted?

 

[sourland]

Muscovies tend to be seasonal layers and will never lay like your Golden 300's. As @the cluck juggler has stated they generally tend to lay a clutch and then go broody and hatch and raise ducklings. I have had them do this as many as 3 times in a season. Size and caruncling are secondary sex characteristics.

 

[barnyardblast]

Sorry, one of them posted three times...The Mama is a bit larger and three of the 'littles' resemble her. The one with the extra red features is also a 'little' that is probably male?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Right now I don’t really see any male characteristics. Beautiful Muscovys. Maybe @oldhenlikesdogs can take a look.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The one in the top left first picture looks to have a bigger flatter bill, that may be a male. They are gorgeous muscovy, I can't believe someone was dumping them. My hens will generally lay between May and September.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe so on the one top pic. Hard to say for sure maybe a pic of that one full body.

 

[barnyardblast]

The first pic has 'Mama' and two littles. (I have no confirmation that 'Mama' is actually female - she came with the ducklings.) The third pic has the same duck with three littles if that helps.