Muscovy Drake won't mate with one of the Muscovy hens

[Kwyjibo]

Hi there,

I've combed the threads looking for someone with a similar problem but haven't come across it yet.

I have one young Muscovy drake--Jiminy, and two Muscovy hens--Blossom and Xochitl (So-chee). that are just a year older than the drake. He is all over one and never the other. I can't figure out why not. We got this particular hen as a sort of rescue from another person's flock. The rest of her flock was ostracizing her--not allowing her to nest or brood and trying to starve her out. And she had flesh wounds on her shoulders from the other hens picking on her.

When we picked her up, the couple selling her offered us her sister (Blossom) and a duckling (Jiminy now full grown into a Juggernaut) so we took the whole lot and everyone is very healthy and happy. However, Jiminy shows absolutely no interest in Xochitl. I've seen her try to entice him to mate but no success. He and Blossom are at it every time I turn around but poor Xochitl is off by herself. To make matters worse, Blossom and Jiminy have a duckling now and they hang out together and Xochitl just stays away. She did go broody back in February but we were trying to have a look at the eggs to see if they were fertile but the next day she abandoned the nest. Before this, they were all a happy little group that did everything together.

I've thought about getting either some fertile eggs or days old ducklings for her but not sure if that would work. What do you think?

If anyone has had experience with this I'd love to hear from you. Thanks

 

[PetesMom]

I have a male muscovy and 2 hens, I have yet to see him mate with either of them....but my Pekin drake on the other hand is about ready to get his little arse kicked out of the duck house! He won't leave them alone!

 

[rainplace]

Most likely he's infatuated with one, but also doing the other. Open up a few of her eggs and see if they are fertile. I had two muscovy hens that made nests away from their homes. One in the cattle manger, and the other up in some rafters. If you don't see that she has eggs, you may want to see where she goes in the morning as she may have a nest elsewhere.

 

[Kwyjibo]

She stopped laying after the nest she abandoned. I have them locked up at night and she stays around the coop and the large enclosure even tho' she can free range during the day if she wanted. I'm outside alot so I keep an eye our for her. We have about an acre of property, but I think she stays close by because she's had a couple of scares with predators--eagles and raccoons . So I'm 99% sure she doesn't have a nest somewhere.

When and if she lays eggs again, how can I tell if they are fertilized when I open them? What do you think about getting some days-old ducklings for her to mama?

PetesMom---you cracked me up about your Pekin drake!! Sounds like he's really dedicated to his job

.

 

[rainplace]

Here's a picture I found on the internet. This is what is called a bullseye, which means it is fertile. Sometimes it is off more to the side. BTW just because one egg is infertile doesn't mean they all are!

 

[rainplace]

Oh, and I don't know anything about giving ducklings to duck. Someone else would have to answer that. It's still pretty early early in the season. I had muscovies hatching out ducklings all the way till September last year.

 

[Kwyjibo]

Thanks for your help, Rainplace.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for your help, Rainplace.

I would not give a duck ducklings Unless she has been sitting on eggs and you know they are not going to hatch, There is a big possibility she would kill or injure ducklings that didn't belong to her. If she was to go broody again and you know her eggs are infertile, when it would be time for her eggs to hatch go in at night and slip all the eggs out from under her and put the ducklings under her then. There is still a possibility she may not accept them, I don't know if ducks are as willing as chickens to adopt. I have Muscovies but have never tried this. Maybe try to find her some fertile eggs?

 

[rainplace]

I would not give a duck ducklings Unless she has been sitting on eggs and you know they are not going to hatch, There is a big possibility she would kill or injure ducklings that didn't belong to her. If she was to go broody again and you know her eggs are infertile, when it would be time for her eggs to hatch go in at night and slip all the eggs out from under her and put the ducklings under her then. There is still a possibility she may not accept them, I don't know if ducks are as willing as chickens to adopt. I have Muscovies but have never tried this. Maybe try to find her some fertile eggs?

I've always been afraid to do it with waterfowl because they don't shutdown in the dark like chickens do.