Need some advice please and thanks! (Muscovy + Ancona)

[MacDonald Farm]

I have a one yr old male muscovy and his female mate has gone missing now for quite some time. I am worried he is lonely and wanting to get him another buddy. A friend of mine has Anconas. My questions: if I get a male will the two males fight do you think? 2) if I get a female Ancona can the Muscovy and the Ancona breed? 3) if the two breed, will they make mule ducks? Thanks and a pre-apology for sounding idiotic... but I am new at this!

 

[coonhoundmama87]

Sorry about the loss of his mate. Did she fly off? I've had that happen. Always good to clip a wing with scovies. Also as far as I know anything that breeds with them will produce a mule. And more than likely the 2 drakes will fight. No shame in being new, we all gotta learn somehow

 

[jdywntr]

I have a one yr old male muscovy and his female mate has gone missing now for quite some time. I am worried he is lonely and wanting to get him another buddy. A friend of mine has Anconas. My questions: if I get a male will the two males fight do you think? 2) if I get a female Ancona can the Muscovy and the Ancona breed? 3) if the two breed, will they make mule ducks? Thanks and a pre-apology for sounding idiotic... but I am new at this!

If you had the ducks for a while, it is unlikely that she would just fly off. I would be more concerned about a predator if one of mine went missing because they know where food, the coop and safety are. 2 males may well fight. Regardless, a new duck will need to properly introduced, even a female. If you get a female they will breed and they will produce sterile offspring (mules).

 

[Rosepath Garden]

I can keep drakes together as long as there are no other female poultry around they might even fight over a chicken.

 

[MacDonald Farm]

Thanks so much. I chose to get another Muscovy hen - but in the mean time the original hen has returned. She was laying on a clutch of eggs this whole time in a very hidden spot. Silly duck!

 

[Valntyn]

Thanks so much. I chose to get another Muscovy hen - but in the mean time the original hen has returned. She was laying on a clutch of eggs this whole time in a very hidden spot. Silly duck!

I'm glad you got your original girl back, but also glad you got a second. While one drake/one duck can do just fine together, I think it's better to have more than one duck... come mating time, the one doesn't get all the attention, which can hurt/stress out/kill her.

 

[chickiecharmer]

I'm glad you got your original girl back, but also glad you got a second. While one drake/one duck can do just fine together, I think it's better to have more than one duck... come mating time, the one doesn't get all the attention, which can hurt/stress out/kill her.

What's that mean? Are you saying that one of the girls would stress out because a male doesn't like her? Because that is more unlikely, it might happen to a male, but otherwise I wouldn't see what could happen. The male might have a likening for the other duck, but at one point he will get around to fertile both ducks eggs, some what like chickens. And by the way, the thing about the duck going away for a while and laying eggs in a private spot happened to me! I think they just want a bit more privacy laying eggs. So they just go to a warm spot, where it may be a bit darker, and they feel comfortable. Sometimes after, before, or while laying an egg, they have there own little kind of song like noise they make. It's pretty weird. But not that bad, but ya even worst with chickens. If you interrupt them while laying the egg, they will make a load clocking noise that seems to go on forever.... If any help is needed, feel free to ask. But if you want to ask about incubators. I might know some stuff!

 

[jdywntr]

What's that mean? Are you saying that one of the girls would stress out because a male doesn't like her? Because that is more unlikely, it might happen to a male, but otherwise I wouldn't see what could happen. The male might have a likening for the other duck, but at one point he will get around to fertile both ducks eggs, some what like chickens. And by the way, the thing about the duck going away for a while and laying eggs in a private spot happened to me! I think they just want a bit more privacy laying eggs. So they just go to a warm spot, where it may be a bit darker, and they feel comfortable. Sometimes after, before, or while laying an egg, they have there own little kind of song like noise they make. It's pretty weird. But not that bad, but ya even worst with chickens. If you interrupt them while laying the egg, they will make a load clocking noise that seems to go on forever.... If any help is needed, feel free to ask. But if you want to ask about incubators. I might know some stuff!

No. It means that a single hen will most likely be overbred by a drake which is stressful and/or dangerous for the hen as she is constantly being bred. That is why a experts recommend a minimum of 3 females to 1 male but 4-6 is better.

Ducks don't need more privacy than chickens to lay. They do need a safe nest, which will make them feel comfortable. A nest of their choosing in an unprotected area often turns in to either a nice duck dinner for a predator or a loss of many eggs/ducklings to predation.