Muscovy keepers share your pics!

[burgandyrae]

She is pretty I had 3 solid whites with blue eyes but they all have gone on now from old age.  She looks pretty roughed up so I am wondering if your Pekin is over mating her she def needs a few Scovy's [they speak the same language] but she maybe afraid of your drake too.

And could be why your not seeing eggs.  @burgandyrae

Actually she was pretty beat up when I got her, that's why I picked her! I felt bad for her. That picture was when I brought her home a few weeks ago. She looks a lot better now! She's just hard to get a picture of lol. I wondered if maybe that's why I hadn't seen any eggs! Thank you

 

[Miss Lydia]

Actually she was pretty beat up when I got her, that's why I picked her! I felt bad for her. That picture was when I brought her home a few weeks ago. She looks a lot better now! She's just hard to get a picture of lol. I wondered if maybe that's why I hadn't seen any eggs! Thank you

It's wonderful you took her home I just don't know why some people have animals they are of much more worth than just a few dollars. I'm sure she is so happy to have a home where someone cares about her, they know.

 

[burgandyrae]

It's wonderful you took her home I just don't know why some people have animals they are of much more worth than just a few dollars.  I'm sure she is so happy to have a home where someone cares about her, they know.

Well the lady lives on a farm and mostly raises Muscovies. All of them looked really good except for this poor lady. She must have just been at the bottom of the pecking order. I wish she would let me get closer to her without freaking out though. She needs her toenails clipped badly! And how am I ever going to clip her wings again lol

 

[tmorgan46]

I have some pics to share, but first a question.

Has anyone had problems with their Muskovies refusing to use a ramp into their house? I just build a new, improved house for my drake and hen, but even baiting them with scratch hasn't worked to get them to check out the new digs.
The hen nests right next to one leg of the house, and is giving me 1 egg a day for the past 2 weeks. But even during a recent severe thunderstorm they hid UNDER the house rather than go inside.
Any hints or suggestions?

Our Muscovies and geese took right to the ramp that I put in place for their very first coop. It was a temporary situation, so the ramp is no longer used. I trained them originally with a trail of meal worms (bread crumbs) from bottom to top and then again going down. When one or two took the first steps, the others just simply followed. It was like watching lemmings...
Steepness might be hard to overcome, and is there any traction on the ramp? I stapled old worn out bath towels onto ours so they could grip the fabric as the ascended and descended.

 

[MandyJ]

I have some pics to share, but first a question.

Has anyone had problems with their Muskovies refusing to use a ramp into their house? I just build a new, improved house for my drake and hen, but even baiting them with scratch hasn't worked to get them to check out the new digs.
The hen nests right next to one leg of the house, and is giving me 1 egg a day for the past 2 weeks. But even during a recent severe thunderstorm they hid UNDER the house rather than go inside.
Any hints or suggestions?

I don't have Muskovies, only "ducks" (Pekin, Cayuga and Black Swedish), we had to remake our ramp it was too steep the first time. To go up 3 feet our ramp ended up being 9 feet long, maybe your's is too steep? We also had to but poultry netting up the sides so they didn't jump off the ramp. I had to herd mine for a few weeks up the ramp now they come and go. Hope this helps!

Good luck!
Mandy

 

[MandyJ]

This picture doesn't have the railings on it, but you can see the steepness of the ramp and the little cleats that we put on the ramp for traction (they are 6" apart). We put the poultry wire railings on there because they would jump off when I was herding them up into the enclosure the first couple of times. We also put a plywood "fence" in the shape of a "V" at the base of the ramp to funnel them into the ramp. Sorry I don't have a picture of it all, I'll try and get one later to post.

Good Luck!
Mandy

 

[Old Philosopher]

This picture doesn't have the railings on it, but you can see the steepness of the ramp and the little cleats that we put on the ramp for traction (they are 6" apart). We put the poultry wire railings on there because they would jump off when I was herding them up into the enclosure the first couple of times. We also put a plywood "fence" in the shape of a "V" at the base of the ramp to funnel them into the ramp. Sorry I don't have a picture of it all, I'll try and get one later to post.

Good Luck!
Mandy

Most helpful! From your measurements, we're looking at a 20 deg slope. That means for my duck house I need a ramp only 30" long. Mine is 24" right now. It's a panel of cedar siding, so it has groves (not cleats) on it, but it's rough and should give good traction. I'll try the herding method once I get the proper slope, and make it a bit wider.

 

[MandyJ]

Most helpful! From your measurements, we're looking at a 20 deg slope. That means for my duck house I need a ramp only 30" long. Mine is 24" right now. It's a panel of cedar siding, so it has groves (not cleats) on it, but it's rough and should give good traction. I'll try the herding method once I get the proper slope, and make it a bit wider.

Could the cedar be giving them splinters? Some people have put indoor outdoor carpet (the green grassy stuff) and someone even suggested old shingles.

If you walk behind them with a stick in your hand (it makes your arms wider) they will talk amongst themselves and move in front of you. Just go slow. You may need to put up sides to the ramp to keep them on it for a while. If you put something on the end of the stick (I use marking tape on the end of my cane pole), it seems to help them see the stick better. The first few times may be a "duck rodeo" but they will get the hang of it. If they freak out, just back off and wait a few minutes and try again. If you continue after they are freaked, they will just get more freaked and it won't work.

Hang in there, you'll get it!!

Mandy

 

[Old Philosopher]

Here are the promised pix.

This is one of my "boys" giving his best impression of a Velociraptor.



This is the duck house in question. Based upon the advice you all have offered, I'm widening the ramp and decreasing the slope to 20 degrees.

 

[MandyJ]

Here are the promised pix.

This is one of my "boys" giving his best impression of a Velociraptor.



This is the duck house in question. Based upon the advice you all have offered, I'm widening the ramp and decreasing the slope to 20 degrees.

I agree, it needs to be wider and the slope needs to be less. You'll get it! You are on the right track!

Mandy