Muscovy duck Q&A

[crandal]

for you. Incubating Muscovy eggs can be difficult.  Using and new incubator can be risky.   Did you get the one you asked about?  Best to have a back up.  Good luck.

x2

I built the incubator. Never thought of having a second on hand suppose I should have a couple more lights readily available just in case

 

[crandal]

Haha you guys jinxed me,. Woke up this morning now that light that usually over heats by a couple degrees won't raise temp past 95 degrees

 

[Ren2014]

Haha you guys jinxed me,. Woke up this morning now that light that usually over heats by a couple degrees won't raise temp past 95 degrees

We certainly didn't mean to do that

Maybe it was the ice

 

[crandal]

OK got a 90 watt flood light and lid open slightly it's holding 100 degrees all day fingers crossed, oh and I candled the eggs I'm on day 4 they are no longer see through

 

[crandal]

The yolk area is now dark and blocking some of the light and when I gently turn the egg I see some movement in them like something dangling in fluid. But can't see any blood veins yet

 

[CyndiD]

Haha you guys jinxed me,. Woke up this morning now that light that usually over heats by a couple degrees won't raise temp past 95 degrees

I keep the room warm where i keep my incubator. I use a small electric heater to keep the room at 70 degrees. and since it is cool this time of yr you may need to warm your room also? keeping your room at 70 or 75 will help keep your incubator at a steady temp also.
I personally would not add ice cubes; but you could spray the eggs w/clean room temp water to cool the eggs and to mimic mama duck going for a swim and coming back to sit on her eggs.
are you keeping a small bowl of water or wet sponge or paper towel inside your incubator? for humidity? i would re-wet my sponge w/warmer water to keep up the temp and the humidity. i would spray around the eggs, not on the eggs (with the warmer water) does this make sense?
I have only hatched pekins, buff O's and runners, not scovey's. my above experience is only for the mentioned ducks.
what day are you on?
we want pics of your ducklings...

hope i helped anyone in some way.

 

[crandal]

Great idea I'm def. Gonna do that. New question,. When u take the chicken and or ducks eggs do they stop laying all together or do they find a new place to lay or neither. Momma duck played 3 eggs the last 3 days and now that I took them she didn't lay one there today

 

[CyndiD]

Great idea I'm def. Gonna do that. New question,. When u take the chicken and or ducks eggs do they stop laying all together or do they find a new place to lay or neither. Momma duck played 3 eggs the last 3 days and now that I took them she didn't lay one there today

"Muscovy will lay up to 180 eggs a year and hatch about four sets of ducklings if they get lots of high protein feed. Muscovy ducks are great mothers and do a good job raising their young. Muscovy take longer to hatch than other poultry... an egg takes 33 to 35 days to hatch. A chicken, for example, hatches in 21 days."
This is a quote from this site.... http://www.moosemanorfarms.com/about-muscovy-ducks.html
another site was higher on the eggs per yr...

I have nest boxes for my ducks and they will lay their eggs in the boxes 90% of the time, I find 1 or 2 a week on the straw floor (outside the boxes) probably cuz they were ready to lay and another duck was in one of the boxes, maybe?? I collect my duck and chicken eggs every day and they continue to lay their eggs every day; sometimes they will move to a different box and then go back to the same box. They lay this way only when they are NOT broody. my ducks lay their eggs early; between 6-8am, once in awhile i will find one out in the yard or pool.

When they are broody a few ducks will lay their eggs in the same nest box every day and start building up the nest as i give them clean straw ea day. their nest will get huge. only 1 duck will sit on this nest of eggs (if i let them). if other ducks are broody they will collect eggs and make a nest also. Its a communication between the ducks that they are supposed to lay their eggs in the broody ducks nest (if the broody duck wants their eggs) its amazing how they pic and choose the eggs they want.

But scovy's are different, they will lay their eggs in a nest up high, if you provide this for them, i think.... @Miss Lydia can help you out with this information, if you need her help?

Hope this helps anyone.

 

[crandal]

"Muscovy will lay up to 180 eggs a year and hatch about four sets of ducklings if they get lots of high protein feed. Muscovy ducks are great mothers and do a good job raising their young. Muscovy take longer to hatch than other poultry... an egg takes 33 to 35 days to hatch. A chicken, for example, hatches in 21 days."
This is a quote from this site.... http://www.moosemanorfarms.com/about-muscovy-ducks.html
another site was higher on the eggs per yr...

I have nest boxes for my ducks and they will lay their eggs in the boxes 90% of the time, I find 1 or 2 a week on the straw floor (outside the boxes) probably cuz they were ready to lay and another duck was in one of the boxes, maybe?? I collect my duck and chicken eggs every day and they continue to lay their eggs every day; sometimes they will move to a different box and then go back to the same box. They lay this way only when they are NOT broody. my ducks lay their eggs early; between 6-8am, once in awhile i will find one out in the yard or pool.

When they are broody a few ducks will lay their eggs in the same nest box every day and start building up the nest as i give them clean straw ea day. their nest will get huge. only 1 duck will sit on this nest of eggs (if i let them). if other ducks are broody they will collect eggs and make a nest also. Its a communication between the ducks that they are supposed to lay their eggs in the broody ducks nest (if the broody duck wants their eggs) its amazing how they pic and choose the eggs they want.

But scovy's are different, they will lay their eggs in a nest up high, if you provide this for them, i think.... @Miss Lydia can help you out with this information, if you need her help?

Hope this helps anyone.

Thank u,. My ducks don't seem to want to go up high they always stay ground level and though I've made multiple nesting boxes,. They choose to lay in my flower bed out front

 

[CyndiD]

@crandal if you are ok w/where your scovy's nest then that is all that matters. if you are not maybe @Miss Lydia could help you change things up?
she will answer us soon or you could pm her. i would like to know the answers too, as im sure others would also.
do you lock your ducks up at night? do you have racoons or coyotes nearby? hope not. i read that ravens will steal eggs from nest, if they find them. i will ck out your pictures of your ducks.
take care

I saw your bator, it looks great!! where did you get the idea from? i have seen bators made out of coolers and large refigerators. do you put paper towels down when they are ready to hatch? are the rocks like a sauna, they steam when you pour water on them? cool bator.
ETA: text & fix typo