Muscovy-palooza
Songster
We got our first 3 muscovy's last summer. One female and two males. We never had a duck house prepared for them but they had plenty of places around the farm to seek shelter out of the weather. A barn, under the decks, under the house, under boxwoods, etc. This year we have have been blessed with two clutches of Muscovy ducklings this year. The first was May 31st and the second was August 11th. The first clutch, and the mamma, were watched closely by both the males, and hung out near the house enjoying the spring bed and now they love to hang out by our pond. Just a few weeks later mamma was ready to sit on more eggs so she left the 1st batch of 6 to the daddy's to care for. (Prior to her ditching the babies, we lost 6 of the 12 that were hatched). We aren't positive but think that the remaining ducks of the 1st hatchlings are all boys(not positive but they are all much larger than their mom). Since the second clutch hatched Mamma muscovy has kept them very close and away from the other ducks, all boys, I think. We cleaned out an old chicken house and trained the momma to take the Aug 11th babies in there to eat, drink and stay the night. One night I had to be out and got home after dark. Momma and the babies were down next to the pond bedded down for the night. The other 8 ducks, all males we think, were next to the pond as well. Over this past week Momma duck does not appear to want anything to do with the duck house other that to just eat. I have had a difficult time trying to wrangle them up the ramp and into their accommodations, out of the elements. I was not successful tonight! The bigger boys were interested in going in but I didn't allow that.They went in and ate then they were ready to come back out and headed toward the pond, again where the other ducks are hanging.
Now to my questions........Should I allow all of the ducks to go into the duck house together? I am concerned that having so many Muscovy males together could pose a problem. Is my concern valid or overprotective?
Should I worry myself if they want to stay outside by the pond rather than go into the duck house? It is obvious that they feel safe by the pond.
I was hopeful that mamma would lay her eggs in the duck house so that I could begin collecting her eggs. The first nest that she made this spring was under the house but she abandoned that one. The second laying was done in the barn stall located in our front pasture not too far from the pond. Once the first batch hatched, she would take the babies to bed down in the barn until she finally just left them with that dads by the pond while she went back to the barn to begin laying again. (We did lose 4 of these babies, I think maybe to a Hawk)
Should I let mamma duck just do her laying in the barn and just go down there to collect her eggs?
If I remove her eggs as she lays them, is she likely to nest somewhere else or to stop laying?
What can I expect with more than half of the flock being boys?
Now to my questions........Should I allow all of the ducks to go into the duck house together? I am concerned that having so many Muscovy males together could pose a problem. Is my concern valid or overprotective?
Should I worry myself if they want to stay outside by the pond rather than go into the duck house? It is obvious that they feel safe by the pond.
I was hopeful that mamma would lay her eggs in the duck house so that I could begin collecting her eggs. The first nest that she made this spring was under the house but she abandoned that one. The second laying was done in the barn stall located in our front pasture not too far from the pond. Once the first batch hatched, she would take the babies to bed down in the barn until she finally just left them with that dads by the pond while she went back to the barn to begin laying again. (We did lose 4 of these babies, I think maybe to a Hawk)
Should I let mamma duck just do her laying in the barn and just go down there to collect her eggs?
If I remove her eggs as she lays them, is she likely to nest somewhere else or to stop laying?
What can I expect with more than half of the flock being boys?