Muscovy duck Q&A

[crandal]

Don't beat yourself up, that may not have made a difference either... I have not had success opening any air cells up before an internal pip, j/s...

You learned and can move ahead... don't let it discourage you from trying again, just try to plan for no long trips during the incubation timeframe...

Thank u. I'm also going to get an automatic Turner before I try again and fine tone my heat source. It was so much work this time around because I always had a heat lamp bulb with to many watts so had to constantly monitor the temp and at night, the house was always to cold for the heat lamp so at night I was always way under temp. And the constant manually flipping,. It was just way to much attention so I need to get my homemade incubator working like a professional store bought one first

 

[Ren2014]

Nope,. It died :,-(

So sorry to read this.

Don't beat yourself up, that may not have made a difference either... I have not had success opening any air cells up before an internal pip, j/s...

You learned and can move ahead... don't let it discourage you from trying again, just try to plan for no long trips during the incubation timeframe...

X2

 

[crandal]

So sorry to read this.

X2

Thanks guys

 

[purtybyrd]

HELP...I live in west central FLORIDA..I have a wild Muscovy duck who has so far laid about 6 eggs in the bushes by my front door...its going to be 36 tonight and 45 the next night...after b that nights will be 54-59..so then she should be fine...will the eggs hatch after these 2 cold nights...we are going to get her some feed and water...what else can I do to protect her...I have a large plastic dog coop...should I set that up near her area, would she move the nest in there if I put some hay in it...please give me some tips on this ...and what to do when they hatch...and what all happens...I want her to stay wild...but don't mind feeding her right now I feel like a fussy new gramma

 

[Miss Lydia]

HELP...I live in west central FLORIDA..I have a wild Muscovy duck who has so far laid about 6 eggs in the bushes by my front door...its going to be 36 tonight and 45 the next night...after b that nights will be 54-59..so then she should be fine...will the eggs hatch after these 2 cold nights...we are going to get her some feed and water...what else can I do to protect her...I have a large plastic dog coop...should I set that up near her area, would she move the nest in there if I put some hay in it...please give me some tips on this ...and what to do when they hatch...and what all happens...I want her to stay wild...but don't mind feeding her right now I feel like a fussy new gramma

@purtybyrd is she sitting on them? if she is they should be fine she'll keep them warm. She will not move her nest once she has set it up you could try putting the dog house over top of where she is but unless your willing to secure the house she would be better off in the bushes so she can get away if and when a predator comes looking for a meal.

If you decide to feed her put the food close enough she doesn't have to go too far from her nest but be sure to take it up before dark so it doesn't draw preds and mice and rats.

When they hatch she will take care of them ducks have been brooding and hatching and caring for their ducklings alot longer than us. If she is already sitting then from the day you saw her sitting all day you count 35-37 days from that. Then over a period of a few days the eggs will hatch. Sounds like she has made a good decision making her nest close to you I hope it all turns out good for her and you. and Welcome to BYC.

 

[Ren2014]

HELP...I live in west central FLORIDA..I have a wild Muscovy duck who has so far laid about 6 eggs in the bushes by my front door...its going to be 36 tonight and 45 the next night...after b that nights will be 54-59..so then she should be fine...will the eggs hatch after these 2 cold nights...we are going to get her some feed and water...what else can I do to protect her...I have a large plastic dog coop...should I set that up near her area, would she move the nest in there if I put some hay in it...please give me some tips on this ...and what to do when they hatch...and what all happens...I want her to stay wild...but don't mind feeding her right now I feel like a fussy new gramma

@purtybyrd is she sitting on them? if she is they should be fine she'll keep them warm. She will not move her nest once she has set it up you could try putting the dog house over top of where she is but unless your willing to secure the house she would be better off in the bushes so she can get away if and when a predator comes looking for a meal.

If you decide to feed her put the food close enough she doesn't have to go too far from her nest but be sure to take it up before dark so it doesn't draw preds and mice and rats.

When they hatch she will take care of them ducks have been brooding and hatching and caring for their ducklings alot longer than us. If she is already sitting then from the day you saw her sitting all day you count 35-37 days from that. Then over a period of a few days the eggs will hatch. Sounds like she has made a good decision making her nest close to you I hope it all turns out good for her and you. and Welcome to BYC.

X2
How exciting for you to have found her in your bushes. Food and water close by will really help her. I've had mamas not get off the nest to eat until I put something with in feet of them and then they eat like crazy. Good luck and keep us posted if you can

 

[jholtz3944]

I have a large male muscovy duck about 1 yr old. My female muscovy just started laying eggs for the 1st time and later 1 a day for 5 days. She has 5 eggs and only sits on them in the early morning for 2 hours at the most. After she gets up, for the past 5 days, my male muscovy always messes with the nest and pulls all the hay out of the nest and uncovers the eggs. He then with his beak, moves the eggs all sporadic around the nesting box and leaves them bare and uncovered. I don't know what's happening and why he's been doing this. Hes making me nervous! He also used to be a very friendly pet and I can't go near him anymore or he will charge at me and bite the step out of me. He's real mean and defensive now. Someone please help. I record everything happening I have a camera on the nest so I see everything happening.few pictures showing him moving them.

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[WVduckchick]

I have a large male muscovy duck about 1 yr old. My female muscovy just started laying eggs for the 1st time and later 1 a day for 5 days. She has 5 eggs and only sits on them in the early morning for 2 hours at the most. After she gets up, for the past 5 days, my male muscovy always messes with the nest and pulls all the hay out of the nest and uncovers the eggs. He then with his beak, moves the eggs all sporadic around the nesting box and leaves them bare and uncovered. I don't know what's happening and why he's been doing this. Hes making me nervous! He also used to be a very friendly pet and I can't go near him anymore or he will charge at me and bite the step out of me. He's real mean and defensive now. Someone please help. I record everything happening I have a camera on the nest so I see everything happening.few pictures showing him moving them.[IMG
][URL='https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/7682948/'][IMG]https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/7682948/width/200/height/400[/URL]

Neat pics! But if she just started laying and isn't sitting on them, I would remove the eggs. Doesn't sound like she is broody, she is just doing her daily thing!

 

[Miss Lydia]

@jholtz3944 I wouldn't worry too much about what the drake is doing right now. Once your female starts to brood full time he won't be able to mess with the eggs she'll be on them. She just isn't broody yet she'll keep laying until she has enough eggs to suit her then she'll commit.

As for your drake acting afraid of him isn't going to help you. When you go outside and he comes towards you take the broom and put it between you and him if he tries to go around it stop him with the broom. He cannot touch you aggressively. Your going to have to show him you won't put up with him being this way. When my drake became aggressive I even went after him with the broom not to hurt him just to push him out of the way and let him know I am dominant over him. I'd make him move out of my way and when he would come over to me and begin biting me hard I would hold him down on his belly with his head pointing away from me and hold him there till he stopped fighting then I would let him go if he started again I held him down again. You have to be consistent with this so he gets the picture. My drake is now going on 6yrs old and he is an awesome drake I would not put up with one being hateful. It's not an over night fix but it can be fixed and you'll have a much better relationship with your drake.
I have had many drakes over the years and this one was the only one I ever had to show tough love to. He's the love of my life now.

 

[BiophiliaDJT]

I have read that muscovites are relatively quiet compared to most duck breeds, is this true?