Muscovy ducks - what pairing would be best?

[emilyrose]

Hi everyone! I'm new here and would just like to say, I love reading all this information! Such a great site!
Anyway, I have been waiting three weeks and today I am finally getting two muscovy ducklings. I've had ducks before but not muscovies. I'm stuck on deciding one thing though - two females or one female and one male? Obviously having one male and one female would mean ducklings one day, which I have no problem with. I just want to know which is best in regards to personality etc. I know drakes can be aggressive and I don't want that, but I've also seen some very friendly drakes too. I'm just so stuck with deciding!
Any help is appreciated, I am getting them in a few hours so I hope you guys can help me quickly!

 

[Alaskan]

Well, are they related? Like siblings? Then get just two girls, and get a boy later that isn't related.

 

[emilyrose]

Honestly, the place of getting them from has a bunch of different ducklings all in one coop so some are related and others aren't. The old man who owns them isn't good at keeping trrack of those kind of things, perhaps I am better off with two girls. Don't want to inbreed them!:/

 

[Alaskan]

With that said.... If they aren't related......


Just one female to one male....might be a little tough for the girl...depends on the male, but I think they do better with at least two girls per boy.

But I LOVE my boy! He is two, he is never mean to us, he is a perfect gentleman, I love him!

I have heard that maybe if you totally human imprint the drake, he maybe has more of a chance to be mean, but I don't really know.

All I know is that my drake is very nice, he doesn't let me pet him, but he isn't at all aggressive, even with my kids (my youngest kid is 5). He is very sweet with his girls.

 

[Alaskan]

Then I would go with two girls now...see how you so with them, and how you like them...and then later on, get a boy. That will work better anyway, since you will then have two girls for the one boy.

 

[emilyrose]

Okay! I have my babies now. absolutely adorable. I asked for two females and the man said he can't guarantee their sex but it was his best guess that these are girls. He also didn't tell me how old they are but I think they're just over one month. They've still got a lot of their fluffy duckling feathers but they're getting some adult feathers on their tails and wings. Any help with figuring out their age and sex would be lovely!

 

[Shikoba70]

Pics needed

 

[Miss Lydia]

Pics needed

 

[emilyrose]

Sorry, I know these aren't the best photos but the poor things are terrified of people. Turns out the man who bred them mainly breeds them for meat so they aren't used to humans being so close to them. They are improving very quickly though! I'm in love with them already.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sorry, I know these aren't the best photos but the poor things are terrified of people. Turns out the man who bred them mainly breeds them for meat so they aren't used to humans being so close to them. They are improving very quickly though! I'm in love with them already.

Sorry, I know these aren't the best photos but the poor things are terrified of people. Turns out the man who bred them mainly breeds them for meat so they aren't used to humans being so close to them. They are improving very quickly though! I'm in love with them already.

They are adorable, but to early to tell especially by photos. around 5-6 weeks draklets begin to out grow the ducklets by leaps and bounds. Drakes will have longer bodies thicker legs and their legs are set farther apart under their bodies than the ducks. Ducks have American football shapes to their bodies and their legs are slimmer and set closer together so when they walk it looks like they are going to step on their own feet. Post pics over the next couple of weeks and beyond so we can keep up with them and hopefully be able to help you tell. It's very easy to fall in love with them and they will warm up more and more as you treat them with love and they realize you mean them no harm, and peas and dried meal worms help too. LOL