Muscovys in the back yard?

[conny63malies]

My scovies ate all my maters and peppers. Jumping wise they will climb my backstairs and more or less elegantally glide 10-15ft until the land. They just jump of the stairs and flap their clipped wings off.

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
We always thought the mothering made her calm down and want to stay at home.

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Mine flew more at a really young age also, but I think some of that is their weight. As they get full-grown, it is more difficult for some of the more domesticated ones to fly. I have some strains that are bigger than others. The smaller they are, the better they fly.

 

[conny63malies]

Quote:
Its the girl scovies that fly well.Back in germany we had one on the roof once and the duck was from way the other side of the village.

 

[Cottage Rose]

I have my garden fenced off with one of those 2 foot rabbit guard fences and my Muscovies and geese don't cross the barrier.
As long as they have plenty of forage they won't try to get in.
You certainly could put them in your garden once your plants are established but keep an eye on them because even if they don't eat the plants, seedlings could get stepped on plus ducks rootle through the soil with their beaks looking for bugs so they could disrupt things but they certainly aren't as destructive as chickens that scratch everything up.
Scovies tend to go for the bugs first in my experience.
Even when they're little tiny babies they're on the hunt.
Its fun to watch them stalking through the grass with their heads going back and forth looking for bugs to snatch up.
Muscovies are superb when it comes to eating flies, mosquitoes and slugs.
My fly and mosquito population is kept nicely under control thanks to the scovies.
If you have trouble with them going over fences or flying/roosting where you don't want them, simply clip their wings annually.

 

[jvls1942]

let us know how they do in your garden,,,,what they eat,,,,what they do not eat... I would like to use mine in the potato field ...

I have a chocolate drake who is huge.. he has no trouble getting airbourne when ever or where ever.

they do not like to walk in the deep snow so they fly from their yard to our deck for treats..

I have found that if you have a really large area fenced in, they will stay in.. I have a half acre fenced around the orchard..
however, I might just be lucky about this.. it is a four foot high fence..

 

[streemers]

as far as gardens go... mine ate all the leaves off my peppers, tom's, cucumbers and slept in my bush peas. i dont think they ate my potatoe leaves though

 

[emsevers]

Were they able to be in the garden whenever they wanted or did you have it fenced off and they broke in. I'm hoping to put them in the garden for short amount of time to do the pest control so I'm hoping they can't do that much damage if they're only in there for a short while.