Muscovy Coop Questions

[angiebean]

I'll be getting some muscovys in about 4 months and I'm currently refining my coop for them + other ducks and really want to make sure I have everything they need. For reference, we will be keeping 1 drake and 2 hens to start, with the idea of breeding them for meat/selling offspring. I will also be getting 1 female runner, 1 female cayuga and then 1 drake and 2 hens of Ancona or duclair for meat (haven't decided yet).

Where I live, they'll be able to free range just fine in the spring and summer and up until it get's very cold in the fall. Once it starts to get cold where I live, we have bobcats, foxes, racoons and a few black bears who do rounds on our property. For winter, they'd have access to a coop and covered run + uncovered area with electric fencing during the day. Right now, we have a bobcat and her young stalking my turkeys so for the past few days I've had to sequester them into their coop/covered run on days I'm not home to monitor them. This only happens for a short period every few months, so it's not an every day thing

With this in mind, I've been trying to make sure I have enough room for everyone. My original plan was to make two coops, each with an 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' unit. Each would feed into their own 6'x10' covered run, which would then either feed out to free ranging or an area with an electric fence. Ducks would be secured at night in the coops and, if there is crazy bad weather or a stalking predator then they'd be confined to the coop+covered run. For the coops, the idea being that the upstairs are for the adults and the bottom for babies/grow outs. However, I'm seeing mixed things about muscovys and roosting. I'll put some roosting bars in the coop just in case - but are 2x4" or actual branches better? I have access to both. Also - will they roost only if it's a certain height above the ground?

Also - how much room for the grow outs for meat? Online, it seems like they reach processing age anywhere between 8-12 week. Also when do they start to roost? I'm more familiar with chickens and some of my chicks didn't roost until closer to 16 weeks, while some roosted as early as 4 weeks - but only if it was close to the ground.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Muscovy roosting is hit and miss. Sometimes mine go way up in the shed rafters, and other times they just lay on the floor. I personally recommend 2x4's with the 4 up.

Young muscovy don't often go too far, especially the males who often lay down more because they are heavier. I would give each one at least 10x10 to move around in. Most don't start to explore higher up until all the wing feathers are in. Than you will see them flying about at times, and going higher up.

They do free range and forage well during the warm months, and are happy staying inside during the winters.

 

[angiebean]

Muscovy roosting is hit and miss. Sometimes mine go way up in the shed rafters, and other times they just lay on the floor. I personally recommend 2x4's with the 4 up.

Young muscovy don't often go too far, especially the males who often lay down more because they are heavier. I would give each one at least 10x10 to move around in. Most don't start to explore higher up until all the wing feathers are in. Than you will see them flying about at times, and going higher up.

They do free range and forage well during the warm months, and are happy staying inside during the winters.

Thank you! For the 10'x10', is that including both coop+run space? Right now I have each of the units in the coop being 4'x10' with a height of 3'. There would only be 5-6 ducklings in each one at at time until they reach butcher weight and would have access to the 6'x10' run and eventually the area with the electric fence once they are a bit bigger