Muscovy keepers share your pics!

[RichardKutz]

Ok Hamilton can now jump out of his crate!!! I think he is 3-4wks old!!! He grew over night! He is now outside on the screened in porch! We live in south Florida at what age can they be outside????

It's okay for him to play outside at that age if it's warm. You still need to keep him inside where it's warm or in a brooder with a heat lamp at night until he's grown in all his feathers though. Also don't let him outside when you're not able to keep an eye on him unless you have him in a cage that's secure from top to bottom that can keep him from being grabbed by predators in the sky or on the ground.

 

[MandyJ]

Ok Hamilton can now jump out of his crate!!! I think he is 3-4wks old!!! He grew over night! He is now outside on the screened in porch! We live in south Florida at what age can they be outside????

My 5 ducklings outgrew everything I could come up, with so I moved them outside in our 10 x 10 enclosure (we cut it in half so the other 2 ducks could be in the enclosure at night as well). The ducklings were about 7 weeks old they had 98% of their feathers. The first 3 nights I kept their heat lamp on but they didn't sleep under it so I cut it off. We live in Texas, our nights have been in the 60's. They are thriving fine, they have been outside for a week. It has been a rough week for them what with bad weather and us finding a snake out there trying to get one of the ducklings, but they have made it and are free ranging all day with the adults. Yea!!

 

[hamiltonducky]

It's okay for him to play outside at that age if it's warm. You still need to keep him inside where it's warm or in a brooder with a heat lamp at night until he's grown in all his feathers though. Also don't let him outside when you're not able to keep an eye on him unless you have him in a cage that's secure from top to bottom that can keep him from being grabbed by predators in the sky or on the ground.

 

[hamiltonducky]

Thanks for all the advice! Looks like my lil ducky is traumatized from being out side! He was crying loud and made a huge mess and won't let my daughter put him down!!

 

[Ren2014]

So sorry to hear that!

Thank you.

 

[MandyJ]

Very sad news to report. Lost my broody last night. Something got her eggs and killed her. I'm not finding any tracks so I'm guessing big rat snake?? She was intact, head tucked under as if asleep but up against the fence. 9 of her eggs were missing and one looked like it had been cracked during a scuffle. So sickening

If it had been a snake wouldn't it have killed her by strangling her? If that happened she wouldn't have her head tucked under her wing.

I had a snake go after one of my pekin, but I intercepted it before he could do more than get a mouth full of feathers. He was biting her tail!!! Needless to say, the snake is dead!

 

[Ren2014]

If it had been a snake wouldn't it have killed her by strangling her? If that happened she wouldn't have her head tucked under her wing.

I had a snake go after one of my pekin, but I intercepted it before he could do more than get a mouth full of feathers. He was biting her tail!!! Needless to say, the snake is dead!

I really don't have a clue. This is just sooo baffling.

So glad you were able to saver your Pekin. We had a Pekin rehabilitating in our backyard and one night she started fussing terribly. I went out to find a snake with one of her eggs in its mouth. It was disgusting. I thought I had time to get my husband and a gun out there. While I was waiting for him (his nickname is Speedy because he's soo slow, lol) I literally watched the snake spit the egg back out and then he took off. Snakes can slither VERY fast. That one got away.

 

[MandyJ]

I really don't have a clue. This is just sooo baffling.

So glad you were able to saver your Pekin. We had a Pekin rehabilitating in our backyard and one night she started fussy terribly. I went out to find a snake with one of her eggs in its mouth. It was disgusting. I thought I had time to get my husband and a gun out there. While I was waiting for him (his nickname is Speedy because he's soo slow, lol) I literally watched the snake spit the egg back out and then he took off. Snakes can slither VERY fast. That one got away.

This one got scared when I approached it and the duck. It turned loose and hid behind a dog crate I had in the enclosure for the ducks. I waited until my husband got the pistol before I moved the crate. But between a hoe and a pistol the snake is history! Sorry to kill it, they DO do a service to us by getting mice and such, but DON'T MESS WITH MY DUCKS!!! LOL

 

[RichardKutz]

This one got scared when I approached it and the duck. It turned loose and hid behind a dog crate I had in the enclosure for the ducks. I waited until my husband got the pistol before I moved the crate. But between a hoe and a pistol the snake is history! Sorry to kill it, they DO do a service to us by getting mice and such, but DON'T MESS WITH MY DUCKS!!! LOL

I had to kill a snake before it strangled one of my ducks last year because they wouldn't stop messing with it. My ducks are too curious for their own good sometimes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Off to find Fred some friends. Thank you.

Did you get Fred some friends?

Sorry I haven't been checking in much I have a pinched nerve in my arm which is making computer use hard.