Muscovy keepers share your pics!

[poult]

High protein doesn't show on the outside, but can cause fatty liver. Great if you are going for foie gras though! Most game bird finisher is around 18%, which is plenty of protein. Your winter feed consumption drops with scratch grains because they provide more energy, not protein. The scratch grains give them the extra energy to stay warm! In a sense, you made your own 18% mix. Scratch grains are quite low in useable protein, so you are essentially diluting your 21% feed down to a healthier protein level. That's why it works so well! Just don't feed them exclusively 21% feed, and they will keep on thriving! You may also want to consider adding a little extra calcium into the mix for your layers.

Oh my gosh thanks! I really needed that information that's very helpful I am glad I know that! Awesome ok that makes sense now! e

 

[Miss Lydia]

Are your scovies friendly? What would you do if you wanted a trio but didn't want any babies?

You take the eggs and eat them, bake with them they are great for both. My Muscovy's are very friendly but most don't want to be picked up and cuddled. I only have one that will let me do that and he is am imprinted drake my dh and I had the joy of having inside because his mama didn't want him. Since we don't eat our ducks we have to limit how many we can have so last year we didn't let any hatch just took the eggs and enjoyed them I'll have to do the same this year.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We have been doing our own, but it's just too much. Market weight ducklings have those nightmare half grown in feathers that are downright tedious to remove. Fortunately, the butcher a friend of mine uses for her birds just set up shop about 15 minutes away.
Plus, my daughter is lining up restaurant sales for my quail, which, although easy to process, have to go to a state certified processor for commercial sales. She will just have to adjust her pricing for shipping them out, but she will still be undercutting the store prices for non organic meat downstate.
Apparently a lot of local butchers won't do waterfowl because they are "greasy". I don't know what those birds are eating to be greasy when processed, but we've never had that issue!! Most people where I am raise organic chicken and turkey, but not ducks and geese, so we are in a niche that most butchers don't usually get...

Interesting, I wish I could even consider processing any of ours I have 1 drake I'd like to do. lol But I just don't have the heart for it, we process our extra roos when we have them but I just can't bring myself or let my dh do my Muscovy's they are my retirement therapy. Them and the geese. That's another reason why I practice birth control any who hatch here stay here. How do you separate your feeling for them and look at them as food? I't get harder as the years go by too. I've had some of my Muscovy's over 10 yrs

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ms lydia, posted 2 pics on goose thread. Will have to get better ones. (Goose pics)

I'll go look now, thanks

 

[BunnyStyles]

jet and lucky just chilling under my bed and them in water training

 

[Miss Lydia]

jet and lucky just chilling under my bed and them in water training

Very sweet pics Bunny

 

[BunnyStyles]

Very sweet pics Bunny

thank you

 

[Julie Birb]

Opie now thinks my boot is the enemy.

oh, Opie, he is cute and such a super tough bird.

 

[Julie Birb]

jet and lucky just chilling under my bed and them in water training

adorable little ducks. how is Lucky? has he fully recovered?

 

[Miss Lydia]

oh, Opie, he is cute and such a super tough bird.

He thinks he is anyway.