Pure Muscovy or mules?

[AlleysChicks]

Alright so I bought this 2nd batch a week after the first. They were very small and a week old. So not only did I find out that they were fed just cracked corn but the advertised pure Muscovies were in with other ducks. So these are potentially mules which I don’t want.

So what are some signs to tell the difference? They are pretty young still, born at the beginning of July.

These were taken when I first got them and then 2 weeks ago, I can get new pics tomorrow.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

They are all muscovies and you can tell by their bill.

 

[AlleysChicks]

They are all muscovies and you can tell by their bill.

how so? How are they different than other bills?

 

[dotporter]

Technically, if yours are a cross then they'd be hinny's, not mules. Mules have Muscovy fathers. Hinny's have Muscovy mothers. If it were a hinny, the females would look far more like the other breed of duck. Mules sometimes look a lot like a Muscovy. Hinny, not so much.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Technically, if yours are a cross then they'd be hinny's, not mules. Mules have Muscovy fathers. Hinny's have Muscovy mothers. If it were a hinny, the females would look far more like the other breed of duck. Mules sometimes look a lot like a Muscovy. Hinny, not so much.

I do not know who the parent were. She had several breeds of both genders in one pen. (Muscovy, Pekin, buffs, khakis) The hen who hatched them was a Muscovy but I don’t know if she was their biological mother or not. There were eggs laid everywhere, there wasn’t a nesting area.

 

[dotporter]

I do not know who the parent were. She had several breeds of both genders in one pen. (Muscovy, Pekin, buffs, khakis) The hen who hatched them was a Muscovy but I don’t know if she was their biological mother or not. There were eggs laid everywhere, there wasn’t a nesting area.

The markings are consistent with siblings. They are also consistent with a blue duck breeding to a black duck. I think you can safely bet that your ducks are Muscovy.

 

[dotporter]

p.s. chick size is usually an indication of the parents health. Muscovy who are lacking in nutrients (as in fed corn) have small babies. Make sure the little darlings get plenty of nutrients and they may catch up.

 

[AlleysChicks]

The markings are consistent with siblings. They are also consistent with a blue duck breeding to a black duck. I think you can safely bet that your ducks are Muscovy.

She didn’t have any blues. Her scovies were black/white and chocolate/white. And the chocolate/white was a drake.
So do you think these babies will be all 3 color varieties?

p.s. chick size is usually an indication of the parents health. Muscovy who are lacking in nutrients (as in fed corn) have small babies. Make sure the little darlings get plenty of nutrients and they may catch up.

oh yes they are getting a good amount of food. They are about the size of when I brought my others home. They don’t like dry food so I make a duck “slop” for them. They are getting tail feathers and have doubled in size since I got them.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I have a Muscovy duckling which I think is blue (grey) and white. But I have no blues, one of my blacks or whites must carry it.

 

[AlleysChicks]

These are my older ones. 2 were supposed to be blue and white but I think 1 is actually Barred.