Muscovy duckling gender??

[Rysktal]

Following! I currently have 20 muscovy of varying ages, I have no idea on their genders. We do plan on eating most of them and I'm also not sure at what age is best to butcher.

They are so cute but so messy!

 

[Laura p]

With my Mallards I think I have a higher female rate. It’s been a while since I’ve hatched any so I’ll see next month or early next year in summer.

These are all my muscovies I have at the moment:

In the video the two white drakes (not including Mammoth) were hatched at the start of the year in summer. That maybe why I have more drakes because it’s very warm. And the two young ones I am yet to find out their genders. I think I may have a drake and duck possibly.

Thanks for sharing the video! And that is interesting about the incubation temperature. Mine were hatched in July in the south, with 2 hens sharing the same nest, so I don't doubt they were kept nice and warm!

 

[Laura p]

Yeah, it's hard to hear the huff/hiss with the males at times. It's usually if another duck gets in his way and then it gets irritated, or when they peck at each other. The females also get in their honks (for me) about the same time, and it can be easier to hear the 'adult' chirp in them, so that's another good way to tell.

No, I do not butcher them. So I'm sorry I can't answer your question. They're kept as pets and also for eggs. (We don't want hundreds of little ducklings around--even though it'd be cute! )

Ours started out as pets and for eggs (and to help with bugs), and then we decided to let them sit on the nest when 2 hens went broody...here we are 15 ducklings later! They sure are cute, but SO much duck poop...

 

[Laura p]

Following! I currently have 20 muscovy of varying ages, I have no idea on their genders. We do plan on eating most of them and I'm also not sure at what age is best to butcher.

They are so cute but so messy!

I've read a bit on other posts on here, people prefer anywhere from 13-20 weeks? But we haven't gotten that far yet, so I have no first hand experience. Just lots of cute ducklings and SO much duck poop!

 

[Skye'sDucks]

Ours started out as pets and for eggs (and to help with bugs), and then we decided to let them sit on the nest when 2 hens went broody...here we are 15 ducklings later! They sure are cute, but SO much duck poop...

Ahaha, sounds like what happened to us. I felt weird taking the eggs, (I'm sort of a first-time duck owner; I've only had them for about a year) and then we decided to let them hatch out the nest. Except instead of 15, we had 25... TOO much duck poop. (Probably should have taken some, but we did what we did lol)

 

[Rysktal]

Whoa how many hens were sitting to get 25 ducklings?!

 

[Laura p]

Ahaha, sounds like what happened to us. I felt weird taking the eggs, (I'm sort of a first-time duck owner; I've only had them for about a year) and then we decided to let them hatch out the nest. Except instead of 15, we had 25... TOO much duck poop. (Probably should have taken some, but we did what we did lol)

What did you end up doing with your 25?? Did you keep them all or sell/give away? We don't want to keep all of ours, but we do want to keep several females for eggs down the road...but I'm afraid I'm no good at telling the difference, especially early on!

 

[Skye'sDucks]

Whoa how many hens were sitting to get 25 ducklings?!

My one hen laid them all, actually. Three did not hatch of all the eggs she laid. Three ducks were taken by a hawk a few weeks ago, so now I have 22 babies. She's been quite the busy mama, lol.

What did you end up doing with your 25?? Did you keep them all or sell/give away? We don't want to keep all of ours, but we do want to keep several females for eggs down the road...but I'm afraid I'm no good at telling the difference, especially early on!

So far we've kept them all, minus the three that got taken by a hawk a little while ago. But I'm trying to sell eleven males because I currently have fifteen males and nine females...Not a good ratio. I'll be keeping all the hens that hatched and then two of the males and my original male that is their father.
The area they live in is big and I was informed that more than one male could work, so I'm going to try that with my flock.

Before the time your ducks start laying/breeding, you'll definitely be able to tell who's a girl and who's a boy. Mine apparently won't start laying until next spring, possibly this fall.

 

[Laura p]

At what age do you expect yours to start laying? And do you know when the hens start laying again after hatching and raising babies?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine usually start laying about 4 weeks after they hatch. Mine have always been about 8-9months old before they began to lay. Probably different depending on where your located in the world.