Muscovy Ducks

[Miss Lydia]

If I may ask a question as well, from what I am learning here, I wanted to get two females and one drake should I go for three females?

3 would be best, when we went and got females for our drake we got 3 and it has worked out great, he knows these girls are his and rarely goes after the other girls even though there are 7 more which belong to 2 other drakes. Now if the younger drake would understand which girls are his, he wants them all.

 

[miquwid]

Thanks that helps we want a small flock. I will probably get next year at this rate with all the storms over here I can't build anything in time, probably will have to build much of it during winter like I did the chicken coop. But I will at least have the pond part built before then.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks that helps we want a small flock. I will probably get next year at this rate with all the storms over here I can't build anything in time, probably will have to build much of it during winter like I did the chicken coop. But I will at least have the pond part built before then.

Well it's nice to have the plan in order so when the time comes you know what you want and get it, sorry about all the storms, it has been a rough year hasn't it.

 

[miquwid]

Yeah it has been rough but all is well!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah it has been rough but all is well!

good to hear.

 

[Jay Angler]

Is there a way of telling when a female Muscovy duck is "mature". We just got two girls born "this spring". We had already rescued two adult males earlier in the year, and I knew I would have to keep groups separate to keep things under control, but I haven't found a "weeks to maturity" for muscovies and don't want to make assumptions from Campbells or geese.
Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is there a way of telling when a female Muscovy duck is "mature". We just got two girls born "this spring". We had already rescued two adult males earlier in the year, and I knew I would have to keep groups separate to keep things under control, but I haven't found a "weeks to maturity" for muscovies and don't want to make assumptions from Campbells or geese.
Thanks

if your talking breeding age then usually around 5-6 months for ducks. Usually the drakes will not mess with a duck till she is mature.

 

[learycow]

if your talking breeding age then usually around 5-6 months for ducks. Usually the drakes will not mess with a duck till she is mature.

Agreed And that is from my experience with the breed as well.
I have one group, 1 drake and 2 hens, and they stick to themselves. These two hen do most of the hatching for me but the drake tends to only stay with these two.
I have 1 other drake with 4 other hens. This group is much younger than the others but the drakes never fight (at least not while I'm watching). They all free range together during the day and get cooped for safety at night.
I have heard of others having HUGE fights between males but over the past 4 years that I've had this breed, and several males, I've never seen two go at it or fight over hens. They tend to establish dominance if you put them together at a fairly young age (before they mature) so I think by the time they are ready to breed they already know who not to mess with

 

[Going Quackers]

if your talking breeding age then usually around 5-6 months for ducks. Usually the drakes will not mess with a duck till she is mature.

THAT i have found depends on the drake, i have some fools here who try to mess with younger females.