Muscovy keepers share your pics!

[Crazy Birdlady]

The meal worms are dehydrated, so not as bad as live. They get so excited when I sprinkle them in the pool it's worth it! But yes, ick!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My flock excluding my gander love dried meal worms..

 

[EdenCamp]

Whooot! Another chocolate drakelett bringing up the rear there!
Just feathering in so awkward phase.



And I know these aren't scovies - but isn't that the sweetest family picture?

 

[EdenCamp]

Whooot! Another chocolate drakelett bringing up the rear there!
Just feathering in so awkward phase.



And I know these aren't scovies - but isn't that the sweetest family picture?

 

[Going Quackers]

The meal worms are dehydrated, so not as bad as live. They get so excited when I sprinkle them in the pool it's worth it! But yes, ick!

Yes, a bit better but nah, my stomach flips when mine eat worms.. just yucky.

 

[Going Quackers]

Whooot! Another chocolate drakelett bringing up the rear there!
Just feathering in so awkward phase.



And I know these aren't scovies - but isn't that the sweetest family picture?

How fun a chocolate drake! i only have ducks in that colour. The geese are nice, did they only have one?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Whooot! Another chocolate drakelett bringing up the rear there!
Just feathering in so awkward phase.



And I know these aren't scovies - but isn't that the sweetest family picture?

beautiful pics Eden,

 

[EdenCamp]

How fun a chocolate drake! i only have ducks in that colour. The geese are nice, did they only have one?

Chocolate is a sex linked recessive gene. Females only have a single gene for it - so if she has it, it can show.
Males have a double gene for chocolate and both parts have to be the recessive chocolate to show it. If one is chocolate they carry it and can pass it to offspring. So a chocolate duck can have chocolate ducks and drakes that only carry it even if mates are not even carriers. Since ducks only need the one chocolate to fall into place they are far more common than chocolate drakes. To get a chocolate drake the duck has to be chocolate and her mate must at least carry it. With both a chocolate drake and duck pairing you pretty much get all chocolate offspring. I had a chocolate drake - now I have at least 2!

Just one. Had trouble with egg eating LGD's....Now I have to smash eggs in front of them for them to eat them. My girl got it first. She would fight and take a egg away from the boy and bring it to me. Yesterday I was feeding and collected a few eggs that I set on a low feed bin to go turn the faucet on or something. When I came back she was laying next to it and keeping everything away from those eggs! Good dog got a biscut for that.

 

[EdenCamp]

How fun a chocolate drake! i only have ducks in that colour. The geese are nice, did they only have one?

Chocolate is a sex linked recessive gene. Females only have a single gene for it - so if she has it, it can show.
Males have a double gene for chocolate and both parts have to be the recessive chocolate to show it. If one is chocolate they carry it and can pass it to offspring. So a chocolate duck can have chocolate ducks and drakes that only carry it even if mates are not even carriers. Since ducks only need the one chocolate to fall into place they are far more common than chocolate drakes. To get a chocolate drake the duck has to be chocolate and her mate must at least carry it. With both a chocolate drake and duck pairing you pretty much get all chocolate offspring. I had a chocolate drake - now I have at least 2!

Just one. Had trouble with egg eating LGD's....Now I have to smash eggs in front of them for them to eat them. My girl got it first. She would fight and take a egg away from the boy and bring it to me. Yesterday I was feeding and collected a few eggs that I set on a low feed bin to go turn the faucet on or something. When I came back she was laying next to it and keeping everything away from those eggs! Good dog got a biscut for that.

 

[gaitngirl]

So he really has no idea on hatching durations or anything, okay... would he even know if they are pure?

I'm pretty sure they are pure. There is another muscovy duck that was laying in the nest, too. And there is a huge, handsome chocolate drake that comes over and keeps checking on her. He and the other duck will sit right outside the goat shed, like they are just waiting for her to get done in there. I'm moderately sure they are a trio. I'm going to swing by and check on her again tomorrow. I keep forgetting to take pics (and I'm not sure if it will upset her). She's much larger than my other 2 girls. Or maybe she just looks bigger because she's trying to spread herself over all those eggs!
There are still a few ducks hanging around the neighbors - and many are muscovies. I have a pen area set up for the duck and ducklings once they are hatched. I will quarantine them all from my flock. Even though they look healthy, who knows . . .