Muscovy keepers share your pics!

[btwhitaker]

I was never really a huge muscovy fan. Just weren't my type but many weeks ago a female white muscovy came waddling up our driveway (we joke that our house has a neon "sucker" sign above it. She is all white with very small caruncles, no clue where she came from but since she was a girl we agreed if she wanted to stay she could. She quickly learned the routine for feeding time at our place and likes to park herself under my husbands truck that is hardly driven during the days. Weeks pass, she's still here hubby goes out to feed and notices her at the end of our driveway coming up (driveway is a 1/4 mile long). He's watching her and keeps thinking that something looks weird. Well lo and behold she's got someone following her up the driveway... her fellow mate! Male muscovy with no caruncles. He has been trying to breed our other females so I'm assuming he's old enough to have started developing them already but I'll be thrilled if he never does. His coloring is gorgeous though, white and black with the black having the green metallic sheen. So far he's been somewhat decently behaved with the other females (trying to even out the ratio and another male isn't helping) So it looks like we are the proud home to 2 sweet muscovy mates whether we wanted to be or not lol. My daughter has named them Candice and Jeremy. Not a clue on age though.

Hi FC,

The white one is definitely a muscovy but from the looks of this picture I don't think your dark drake is. Do you have any closer pics?

Best

 

[FCFarms]

Sure do, I can get better ones tomorrow morning if you need. These were photos I took on the day he showed up. She must of told him the routine here because he picked up the feed schedule immediately lol. He is at least muscovy cross but I really have no experience with them soooo

He has the right hissing type chatter, the correct legs. No clue where they came from so just more of a guessing game on everything lol.

 

[gaitngirl]

Hi all,
New to Muscovies here . . . I just picked up a drake and 2 hens today. I was told they were quite friendly but they are still freaked out by the move, I think. I have 2 Pekins, 2 Indian Runners, and 4 Rouens currently but they are all very young (7 weeks - 3 months old). I tried penning the Muscovies but the monster sized drake immediately flew out of the pen I had set up. They are a bit too large to go in the coop with the rest of the gang. Guess I'll be investing in bird/poultry netting . . . or clipping one of his wings. I have enough land to have chickens, ducks, horses, etc. but I don't think my neighbors will appreciate these ducks flying over to their properties.
Does anyone have tips on acclimating an adult Muscovy male (about 15 months old) and his 10 month old girlfriends to a new home? All of my others free range and stay on my property.

Thanks!

 

[RoyalT]

Sure do, I can get better ones tomorrow morning if you need. These were photos I took on the day he showed up. She must of told him the routine here because he picked up the feed schedule immediately lol. He is at least muscovy cross but I really have no experience with them soooo

He has the right hissing type chatter, the correct legs. No clue where they came from so just more of a guessing game on everything lol.

He looks like a Mule duck to me (Muscovy X mallard-based duck). If you want to see for sure, isolate him with a few girls (unless he's your only drake) and when they lay eggs, incubate a few from after the first couple eggs. If he's a Mule duck, the eggs won't be fertile and won't develop

 

[RoyalT]

Hi all,
New to Muscovies here . . . I just picked up a drake and 2 hens today. I was told they were quite friendly but they are still freaked out by the move, I think. I have 2 Pekins, 2 Indian Runners, and 4 Rouens currently but they are all very young (7 weeks - 3 months old). I tried penning the Muscovies but the monster sized drake immediately flew out of the pen I had set up. They are a bit too large to go in the coop with the rest of the gang. Guess I'll be investing in bird/poultry netting . . . or clipping one of his wings. I have enough land to have chickens, ducks, horses, etc. but I don't think my neighbors will appreciate these ducks flying over to their properties.
Does anyone have tips on acclimating an adult Muscovy male (about 15 months old) and his 10 month old girlfriends to a new home? All of my others free range and stay on my property.

Thanks!

Once they get on a feeding schedule with you, they won't leave. I have 4 scovies now, and they can all fly off- but they don't because I feed them the good stuff. You could try clipping their wings at first to train them to walk instead of fly, that might work. I don't think you'll need to keep clipping though! Would love to see pics of your ducks!

 

[Going Quackers]

Hi all,
New to Muscovies here . . . I just picked up a drake and 2 hens today. I was told they were quite friendly but they are still freaked out by the move, I think. I have 2 Pekins, 2 Indian Runners, and 4 Rouens currently but they are all very young (7 weeks - 3 months old). I tried penning the Muscovies but the monster sized drake immediately flew out of the pen I had set up. They are a bit too large to go in the coop with the rest of the gang. Guess I'll be investing in bird/poultry netting . . . or clipping one of his wings. I have enough land to have chickens, ducks, horses, etc. but I don't think my neighbors will appreciate these ducks flying over to their properties.
Does anyone have tips on acclimating an adult Muscovy male (about 15 months old) and his 10 month old girlfriends to a new home? All of my others free range and stay on my property.

Thanks!

I would try and fence them where they can be with the flock but not loose with it, this is what i did when i brought in a trio of 6-7mth ducks. usually, the drakes can't fly that well, their mass almost ceases that ability often by 1yo and then becomes non existent as they age more. You can certainly clip though, it will take time for them to become accustomed to new surroundings and a new flock.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sure do, I can get better ones tomorrow morning if you need. These were photos I took on the day he showed up. She must of told him the routine here because he picked up the feed schedule immediately lol. He is at least muscovy cross but I really have no experience with them soooo

He has the right hissing type chatter, the correct legs. No clue where they came from so just more of a guessing game on everything lol.

Beautiful ducks!

 

[Going Quackers]

The Drake just turned a year, the Ducks are around 9 months old.

Nice pair! their still young, i would bet by some point in this year you'll see something... is there appropriate area in which to nest?

 

[FCFarms]

He looks like a Mule duck to me (Muscovy X mallard-based duck). If you want to see for sure, isolate him with a few girls (unless he's your only drake) and when they lay eggs, incubate a few from after the first couple eggs. If he's a Mule duck, the eggs won't be fertile and won't develop

I assume mule as well since it is 100% that he is a male but with no caruncles I figured he may not be full muscovy, plus he's not huge like I've seen with other muscovy males. I wouldn't be able to isolate him with any other girls right now but the one that he's currently with since unfortunately my male to female ratio is awful right now. We have young females that we just added but aren't of "interest" to the boys yet. I have seen him mount my other ducks but not the muscovy female he is with. Doesn't mean he hasn't I just haven't seen it, I would assume as with any male fowl he has to be mating her lol. I would have to try and collect her eggs but I haven't found any laid yet so either she's laying and I'm not aware of location or she's not laying (don't think that's the case) If I can find her location I will look at her eggs and see. I'm hoping he's a mule since I really don't care to have more ducklings that aren't female lol.

 

[EdenCamp]

Smart ducky girl. Went and found her a "toy" boy for the fun part but no ducklings to raise!