Muscovy keepers share your pics!

[Buck Oakes]

What exactly does "retardiation" mean in this context? That their development is slower than usual?

Yes and also it means the males will bob their heads randomly , there eyes might not match up, they will run into things etc.

 

[TherryChicken]

Nature has a way of looking after itself.....

no kidding

 

[TherryChicken]

Last egg oof batch 2 hatched. Bad navel as well

 

[MuscovyLover]

@Alice28 was it at all possible that Kristof is a girl and the pinning was a dominance thing? My girls do this to each other all the time.

 

[MuscovyLover]

@Alice28, is it at all possible Kristof is a girl and the pinning is just a dominance thing?
My girls do this to each other all the time.

 

[Alice28]

@Alice28, is it at all possible Kristof is a girl and the pinning is just a dominance thing?
My girls do this to each other all the time.

I am still holding out hope. But the more time that goes on the more I think Kristof is a drake I only ever hear hissing and he will chase off the other male away from Ana. It hasn't been as aggressive lately, so I am keeping them all and still hopeing I'll see Kristof lay an egg.

 

[MuscovyLover]

I am still holding out hope. But the more time that goes on the more I think Kristof is a drake I only ever hear hissing and he will chase off the other male away from Ana. It hasn't been as aggressive lately, so I am keeping them all and still hopeing I'll see Kristof lay an egg.

Oh no. It doesn't sound promising :-/
Fingers crossed for you though!!!
I remember reading posts and seeing the pics of Kristof as he/she was growing. It must be sad for you :-(
Could you re-home him if he doesn't lay an egg?

 

[Alice28]

Oh no. It doesn't sound promising :-/
Fingers crossed for you though!!!
I remember reading posts and seeing the pics of Kristof as he/she was growing. It must be sad for you :-(
Could you re-home him if he doesn't lay an egg?

I don't think so. Trying to find someone here who wants a drake and won't eat him isn't looking promising my husband wants to eat him and honestly, I'd rather know that he is happy and well loved until his last day then give him to someone and have Kristof be all stressed out just to have the person butcher him. I just was in the mind set that these ducks would be pets for eggs, so wasn't in the mind set to eat them.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Maybe you could find a breeder that's looking to introduce new bloodlines to their flock?

-Kathy

 

[MuscovyLover]

I don't think so. Trying to find someone here who wants a drake and won't eat him isn't looking promising my husband wants to eat him and honestly, I'd rather know that he is happy and well loved until his last day then give him to someone and have Kristof be all stressed out just to have the person butcher him. I just was in the mind set that these ducks would be pets for eggs, so wasn't in the mind set to eat them.

I completely understand what you're saying. It's so tough. It would be awesome if we could determine the sex of a fertlie egg and thus decide to hatch or discard/eat the egg if we so wished. Ahh the perils of not being god lol.
Sounds like you've got a good plan though. Keep on loving the 'shim' until you know one way or another and deal with it then. It's all you can do xo