Muscovy care

[dumb_cluck]

Question: how much shelter and warmth does Muscovy ducks require? I have a chance at 2 males and 5 females that the owner says he does not have adequate "shelter". help anyone?

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I live in a cold winter climate and I've never provided winter heat for them. They huddle together on the roosts during the night to keep warm. I keep lots of straw in the pen because its built on a concrete floor to keep their feet warm and its draft free. Its been a pretty mild winter so far but they're all doing fine.

 

[AKCub]

I have 3, 5 month old Muscovy's that have been outside from almost day one. No supplemental heat and we have seen temps to 15 below (F) this winter so far.
They definetly slow down when it gets colder out. I had to put a log across half of their heated water bowl to keep them from swimming in it. I don't care so much about them bathing but the water freezes on them in little balls and makes them look like duck shaped xmas ornaments.
If you get much snow they really like to have some straw to hang out on rather than stand on the bare snow.

 

[iajewel]

I live in Iowa and have what I would call "adequate" shelter however my ducks I dont' think have ever been in it. <y old drake will hang out in the dog house that's in the shelter, but for the most part they hang out in the yard. If they have a place to get out of the wind they are happy pretty much anywhere.

To add to the above post about the straw. I agree, they may not like to go into the shelter, but I do put bales of straw down where they hang out at night. Their dog sleeps with this and this way both the dog that protects them and they ducks and curl up off the cold ground at night. They really like that.

 

[Garrisonkidsduo2]

I just got 2 Muscovy ducks gave to me, well a friend of mine dropped them off in my chicken coop while I was gone. They sleep in the coop at night and I put a board up against the wall and put a bunch of hay under it so the female could nest but I have had them for 3 and a half weeks and no eggs yet. I live in Northern Arkansas and today is December 28 but it is about 68 degrees at 11 a.m. Which is right now. I was told that she would start laying in a couple weeks after she was settled. They seem to be settled they come to the fence with the chickens when I go to feed them and they follow me around and for ducks that are a year old that is pretty good because they are in a new place. i to keep straw on the floor of the coop even though the floor is raised off the ground due to where I live it may flood and this way they can get off the roost and still stay dry, but my yard only gets about 3 inches under water because I live further away from the river i still wanted to make sure they stay dry. I will give the a kiddy pool in the spring to swim in but right now it freezes at night and warms up during the day and I am afraid they will get sick. I would like for them to lay some eggs and set so I can get some babies, I just don't know when they are suppose to lay. My friend said that she had 2 nest this year and about 2 months ago they scared her moving some stuff and found her nest but when she ran it scared them and they dropped something on the eggs and broke them, so she was nesting in November.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
What age do they start roosting? My muscovy stays on the ground. She is 3 1/2 months old now.

 

[Garrisonkidsduo2]

Quote:
What age do they start roosting? My muscovy stays on the ground. She is 3 1/2 months old now.

My friend said the ones she gave me are a year and a half old and mine still stay on the ground

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
What age do they start roosting? My muscovy stays on the ground. She is 3 1/2 months old now.

Mine started as soon as they started flying, I don't remember how old they were, sorry

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
What age do they start roosting? My muscovy stays on the ground. She is 3 1/2 months old now.

Mine started as soon as they started flying, I don't remember how old they were, sorry

I just googled it and it averages between 2 - 6 months old. Just in case anyone else was wondering. Thanks though!

 

[Going Quackers]

I have a "mini barn" that we built for ours.. they were going along fine till we hit -30 and now i have a heat lamp in there.. i had no choice.. despite having a floor with rubber stall mats and straw/shavings.. i had a hen shivering yesterday. I have found so far they are pretty hardy only when the temps went to extreme did i have a problem.