Muscovy I.D

[dean26]

Hey to everyone, you all have such handsome Muscovies!, I have never actually kept Muscovies here in UK, but will definitely in the future as have wanted to since I was a child. I have posted a couple of pics of the sad muscovy ducks at my local farm. There are 4 drakes and 2 ducks, the two ducks and one of the drakes have been put into a small aviary for breeding with an elderly chicken. As the local foxes have killed all the domestic ducks apart from the muscovies for some reason. Im not sure why.

The main reason I posted was to ask people if the three they are useing for breeding are likely to have fertile eggs and raise ducklings in that aviary. I dont have any poultry myself at the moment and really miss keeping waterfowl, so im a member at my local farm. Sadly they dont take good care of the ducks and foxes usually kill off any ducks that they introduce sooner or later. But I do hope the girls manage to have some more babies for my sake at least!

Wondered if anyone knows if the Muscovy without red facial markings is a Mule cross?
if she is then its down to the one duck to repopulate the world!

 

[bribre]

Wow those are some really nice looking blue muscovys. The one without the mask is a juvenile duck.

Bre

 

[Going Quackers]

The drake looks just like mine! i think the girl is a lavender, now the girl with the minimal facial flesh is interesting. Even as a juvenile there should be more than that.

I do own a Muscovy(she's pure) with a min amount of flesh, this is lilly



but to show a juvi this is chocolate ripple she won't be 1yo till June, you can still see some there.



They have had access to non muscovy so quite possible the one with the least flesh is a mule(meaning she will be sterile)

 

[dean26]

Hey to both of you and thanks for replying! The ducks are all the same age, 8 Muscovies where hatched and 2 ducks were killed by a fox, leaving 4 drakes and 2 ducks. I wasn't sure if she was a mule or not. In reply to "going quackers" your duck Lilly is awesome! such a beauty! I'm really hoping these ducks can hatch eggs in there less than hospitable surroundings, then afterwards they will be released into there Huge enclosure which has a massive pond at the farm. And then there only challenge is Mr. fox! I have mentioned to the farmer that all poultry need a shed to roost in at night but I think he is too lazy to clean a shed out and it would seem he would rather just let them take there chances! Some people don't deserve ducks! On a separate note, how much time do muscovies spend in water? When I had domestic ducks they spent so much time in water, but I never see muscovies using water except perhaps once a day bath and they never go into deep water.

Dean

 

[Justus Farm]

I have 2 Muscovys but no drakes. The girls have been laying in the same nest for about month, laying an egg and leaving for the rest of the day. We have been taking the eggs since we knew they weren't fertile. This past week one of the ducks has become very broodie, hardly leaving the nest, covering it up when she does leave for a short amount of time. I even found one discarded egg 20 feet from the nest, the rest all warm and in the nest. Any idea what's going on? Could she have a fertile hatch? We haven't seen any Mallards on the pond, could one have passed by and moved on? : )

 

[Going Quackers]

I have 2 Muscovys but no drakes. The girls have been laying in the same nest for about month, laying an egg and leaving for the rest of the day. We have been taking the eggs since we knew they weren't fertile. This past week one of the ducks has become very broodie, hardly leaving the nest, covering it up when she does leave for a short amount of time. I even found one discarded egg 20 feet from the nest, the rest all warm and in the nest. Any idea what's going on? Could she have a fertile hatch? We haven't seen any Mallards on the pond, could one have passed by and moved on? : )

They can go broody without having a drake. Now i don't think a wild duck would mate with them, but i couldn't say with 100% accuracy, more likely she's just trying out the common trait of 'scovie girls.. brooding lol

 

[Going Quackers]

Hey to both of you and thanks for replying! The ducks are all the same age, 8 Muscovies where hatched and 2 ducks were killed by a fox, leaving 4 drakes and 2 ducks. I wasn't sure if she was a mule or not. In reply to "going quackers" your duck Lilly is awesome! such a beauty! I'm really hoping these ducks can hatch eggs in there less than hospitable surroundings, then afterwards they will be released into there Huge enclosure which has a massive pond at the farm. And then there only challenge is Mr. fox! I have mentioned to the farmer that all poultry need a shed to roost in at night but I think he is too lazy to clean a shed out and it would seem he would rather just let them take there chances! Some people don't deserve ducks! On a separate note, how much time do muscovies spend in water? When I had domestic ducks they spent so much time in water, but I never see muscovies using water except perhaps once a day bath and they never go into deep water.

Dean

That's a shame this person doesn't appreciate what they have. Thank you Lilly is a lovely duck, a fantastic mother! Muscovy are more bathers than bob about on a pond type and some are not fans of water much, my oldest drake is like this and you guess it a white. I can count on one hand how often i have seen him bathing, he does a head dunk and rub...

My one the chocolate i showed you is obsessed with water, she sneaks into the horse trough since it has a de-icer and bathes.. she's been covered in ice twice this week! generally though, a kiddy pool, rubber livestock bowl etc is all they need, i have read some saying they don't need water at all, i disagree, they do need to clean and most will enjoy a dive or quick dip.

Here some of my hatch from last year at less than a month enjoying a tubby!

 

[petjem]

You have some very beautiful muscovies there! I don't think the duck with the less facial skin is a mule. She looks like a pure muscovy to me but I'm no expert.

 

[Justus Farm]

...

They can go broody without having a drake. Now i don't think a wild duck would mate with them, but i couldn't say with 100% accuracy, more likely she's just trying out the common trait of 'scovie girls.. brooding lol

I have 2male Pekins, is it likely that could they have breed her?

 

[Justus Farm]

I have 2 male Pekins, is it likely that could have bred the Muscovys?