Need a Muscovy translator

[aee96]

I have 4 muscovy boys (my first ducks) and I have a question. When they are wagging their tails and hissing, are they happy or mad? They are going thru puberty right now (chasing and mounting each other) and I just wonder when I enter the pen and they start wagging and hissing are they happy to see me or is it a warning? They never come after me - usually they are following me - they are very curious. So I'm inclined to think they are happy to see me - but I thought I'd ask.

I also see them hissing and wagging at each other (especially around the duck pool) so it may also be a sort of "whatch out - I'm tough - don't mess with me".

So are they happy or giving me a warning that I'm ignoring?

Thanks,

aee96

 

[Pidgey104]

No I think they get over happy. My do that when I feed bread or when I throw a new duck in with the flock.

 

[okiechick57]

I have one huge drake.and 2 hens....my drake has one huge attitude......he wags his tail and hisses constantly if anyone is around.............he has been known to attack my dog over my dogs food bowl.......chasing my one dog around the yard daily.........

but now attacks less....he has never attacked a person.........pecked at me when I got to close to his girl though...... They are hilarious to watch, I imagine with all boys you will have tailwaggin hissing all the time.......enjoy them.......hopefully it will stop at that.........watch you dogs though

seems not to matter if they are happy or mad.....hiss wag hiss wag hiss wag

this is my drake chasin my dog...she tries so hard to ignore him.

 

[DuckLady]

Ours come up to us and just stand in front of us and wag and hiss and clack their bills. We hiss and clack and wag back. They are just telling us about their day and chatting....at least that is how I treat it. They are so curious and downright nosy up to and including supervising us in the yard and even inspecting trenches we dug last year to make sure they were deep enough for the pipes we were installing. They also protect us from worms by eating them.

If they were being aggressive, believe me, you would know it! LOL

 

[Dodgegal79]

Yes they are just talking to you. The males can't make any noise except for hissing. The females make nice little cute cooing noises and some can quack. They wag their tales when happy.

 

[AhBee01]

That is how they talk to eachother and they are greeting you. If they wanted to be mean you would know for sure. My females make a hiccup sound when they are broody, it is a cute sound but if I try to go near their nest they let me have it! Not to bad cuz they know I'm feeding them but let me know I'm not to touch their nest! I do anyway, I just wear arm gards and gloves!!!
Even though they nip at me if I have a treat they will eat it out of my hand and then try to nip me when I'm out of treats! LOL.
I have a broody hen right now, she doesn't have eggs in her nest, but acts like she does! Silly sovies!!!!
Brenda

 

[Wildsky]

Awwwwwwwwww I want a couple to hiss and wag at me

 

[bobbieguyette]

I love when the Muscoveys talk to me!!

they are talking to you!! great protectors of the worms too!!

 

[sgray136]

A muskovy wagging it's tail is much like a dog. They seem to do it when they are greeting you, inspecting somthing or just comfortable.

 

[micky Jay]

Hi,

I have four muscovy, three females, and one male called napoleon ( the clue to attitude is in his name) Generally when the male wags his tail and hisses its not that much of a problem, however watch if the comb on his head is raised that tends to show they are not happy. I find that when the female are broody he becomes aggressive, and has attacked on a couple of occasions, which is not pleasant, they dont flap their wings they almost hook them forward to grab you, you then have the beak and the claws to deal with,, I have heard [eo[le say just give them a slap, and they will back off, it my boys case,he just says ok make my day and come back for more.