Questions about Muscovy ducks !

[Rachele anne]

I have a Pekin blue swedish and two ancona ducks thanks for your help

 

[Loveduck]

Hi! I am new to this site, and I'm soooo excited I found it! I was given a Muscovy drake, he's about 6 weeks now, but I need a female for him. I can't seem to find him a girl......My question is, if I can't find him a Muscovy female, will any female be ok? what if they try and mate, what would happen to the ducklings? I feel he needs a friend, if I can't find a female Muscovy should I just get a male of any breed duck?
Please help, I worry my little guy is lonely.
I am with him a lot so he doesn't feel alone.
Thanks so much

 

[Mercy4me]

Hi, I'm new here. I live in Florida. We have wild Muscovy ducks in the neighborhood. About a year ago a family of Muscovies (a male and 2 - 3 females) started hanging around my yard and I started throwing them bread (yes, I now know, bad!). A female who I named Lucy became like a pet to me. Back in the spring Lucy built a nest under an eave on my roof and hatched out 7 ducklings. When they were just a couple of days old, Lucy tried to figure out how to get them down from the roof, so I helped out by catching them one by one in a box as they fell, then placed them on the ground and away they all went -- Lucy and her seven little babies. I was sad to see them go because I didn't know if or when I'd ever see Lucy again. Two days later Lucy was back in the yard and she didn't leave again. I knew something terrible must have happened to her little ducklings. It broke my heart. Even worse, the male, Larry, and one of the other females, Wilma, didn't want her back. They wouldn't let her eat (I had now upgraded to organic feed!), they pulled her feathers, and tried to run her out of the yard. I felt so sorry for Lucy. But she persisted and eventually Larry accepted her again and before long I found a new nest in my fenced back yard in a corner up against the house. Lucy laid 14 eggs. Two weeks ago 12 eggs hatched. The folks at the feed store told me to feed them Purina Start and Grow, so I did. I also throw them some Romaine lettuce a few times a day, and they forage around in the (small) backyard. I bought waterers for them, and a kiddie pool for swimming. Lucy flies away a couple of times each day for 15 or 20 minutes, but she's never out of ear shot. A couple of days after Lucy's ducklings hatched, I spotted the other female, Wilma, with about 11 newly hatched ducklings of her own passing through the front yard. Wilma and her ducklings disappeared out of sight, like Lucy had with her previous ducklings. Sadly, Wilma came back a week later with no ducklings. Apparently Wilma's babies had also been killed. I had been planning on opening the gate to let Lucy leave with her new ducklings now that I felt they were healthy and growing, but I'm afraid they'll be killed, like her last ones and like Wilma's. Further complicating the situation, one of Lucy's ducklings has trouble walking. I can't tell what's wrong with him -- he falls down sometimes, even ending up on his back crying loudly, and has trouble righting himself. Except for his legs, he seems healthy. So here's the dilemma. I'm leaving in a few days for a 2 week trip. I need to open the gate and let Lucy leave with her ducklings because there will be no one to care for them. Will the duck with the bad legs fall behind or put the rest in danger? I don't know what to do. I'm afraid they'll all be killed. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[ondrea19]

Hi! I am new to this site, and I'm soooo excited I found it! I was given a Muscovy drake, he's about 6 weeks now, but I need a female for him. I can't seem to find him a girl......My question is, if I can't find him a Muscovy female, will any female be ok? what if they try and mate, what would happen to the ducklings? I feel he needs a friend, if I can't find a female Muscovy should I just get a male of any breed duck? 
Please help, I worry my little guy is lonely. 
I am with him a lot so he doesn't feel alone.
Thanks so much

He will be happiest with two or three ladies. Muscovys are best because if he mates with others and the eggs hatch they will be mule ducks. Which aren't breedable

 

[ondrea19]

Hi, I'm new here. I live in Florida. We have wild Muscovy ducks in the neighborhood. About a year ago a family of Muscovies (a male and 2 - 3 females) started hanging around my yard and I started throwing them bread (yes, I now know, bad!). A female who I named Lucy became like a pet to me. Back in the spring Lucy built a nest under an eave on my roof and hatched out 7 ducklings. When they were just a couple of days old, Lucy tried to figure out how to get them down from the roof, so I helped  out by catching them one by one in a box as they fell, then placed them on the ground and away they all went -- Lucy and her seven little babies. I was sad to see them go because I didn't know if or when I'd ever see Lucy again. Two days later Lucy was back in the yard and she didn't leave again. I knew something terrible must have happened to her little ducklings. It broke my heart. Even worse, the male, Larry, and one of the other females, Wilma, didn't want her back. They wouldn't let her eat (I had now upgraded to organic feed!), they pulled her feathers, and tried to run her out of the yard. I felt so sorry for Lucy. But she persisted and eventually Larry accepted her again and before long I found a new nest in my fenced back yard in a corner up against the house. Lucy laid 14 eggs. Two weeks ago 12 eggs hatched. The folks at the feed store told me to feed them Purina Start and Grow, so I did. I also throw them some Romaine lettuce a few times a day, and they forage around in the (small) backyard. I bought waterers for them, and a kiddie pool for swimming. Lucy flies away a couple of times each day for 15 or 20 minutes, but she's never out of ear shot. A couple of days after Lucy's ducklings hatched, I spotted the other female, Wilma, with about 11 newly hatched ducklings of her own passing through the front yard. Wilma and her ducklings disappeared out of sight, like Lucy had with her previous ducklings. Sadly, Wilma came back a week later with no ducklings. Apparently Wilma's babies had also been killed. I had been planning on opening the gate to let Lucy leave with her new ducklings now that I felt they were healthy and growing, but I'm afraid they'll be killed, like her last ones and like Wilma's. Further complicating the situation, one of Lucy's ducklings has trouble walking. I can't tell what's wrong with him -- he falls down sometimes, even ending up on his back crying loudly, and has trouble righting himself. Except for his legs, he seems healthy. So here's the dilemma. I'm leaving in a few days for a 2 week trip. I need to open the gate and let Lucy leave with her ducklings because there will be no one to care for them. Will the duck with the bad legs fall behind or put the rest in danger? I don't know what to do. I'm afraid they'll all be killed. Any advice would be appreciated.

all you can really do is hope for the best. I read not too long ago that the survival rate for ducklings can be under 10%. Unless you find them a babysitter it's best to just let them go

 

[QuoVadis]

I have a small urban flock of 15 bantam hens. I have been pretty successful in keeping the smell to a minimum, and they have a pretty nice sized coop and run. I also have two dogs and the rest of my back yard (that is not part of the chicken area) is pretty small. My problem is the flies in summer, not just because of the chicken but also the dogs. If eel like I keep it fairly clean, and I have tried fly strips, those jug traps, etc. but even so especially on a sunny day the whole yard and the chicken run buzzes with flies. It's gross, and I feel like it makes my whole "farm in the city" seem grosser to my neighbors. I have had my chickens a couple years and no one has complained (except when I had a rooster I didn't get rid of fast enough!) but even if they don't care I also hate being out in the yard with flies everywhere.

The city doesn't seem to have any prohibitions on waterfowl so I am considering getting two *female* Muscovys to put with my chickens, because I read a study that indicated they are one of the most efficient fly killers (chemicals included) out there. Is this true? Will they actually help more than they hurt? (If I do this I will build them a pool "deck" so the ducks don't make a worse mess in the pen with their water). I have always wanted Muscovys anyway, and their personalities, as well as the fact that they are quiet, and don't need water as much makes them appealing.

Thoughts?

 

[kawabungadude]

About what age do Muscovy ducks start getting their facial warts?

 

[loveMYbirds13]

Great just the page I've even looking for lol.
my ducks are a week old tomorrow and I'm wondering what foods I can start giving them now.
What did you start with and at what age.
Thankx

 

[loveMYbirds13]

Another question
I have another 3 duck eggs that were due 3 days ago (I'm not sure if the dates were right) my dues date cam up at 3 days ago but they are still in the Shell no pips at all and 1 egg looks to be red inside like blood.
what do you think of this?

 

[OSAFE]

I am applying for a permit for raising 2,000 Muscovy in Eastern part of Canada in a 25 acres farm and one of the neighbour criticizing me as it follows. I am wounding if you can help me answering his concern. Thanks, Bahram Rangipour

I understand from communication with Dr. Rangipour that he now intends to use Muscovy Ducks rather than Pekin Ducks to reduce the sound. If this is so I trust the Applicant will have to explain this decision given Muscovy ducks are first of all a tropical duck that can only withstand temperatures above -12 degrees Celsius. Also


this duck considered to be an invasive species in the USA and at least one study examining birds found the Muscovy duck to be more frequently infected with Haemoproteus and malaria (Plasmodium) parasites than chickens, domestic pigeons and domestic turkeys. Additionally, the excrement from the Muscovy duck have been known to spread disease.

I think this is a link to a website that is self explanatory and describes the Muscovy duck as a NUISANCE -http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/waterfowl/nuisance/nuisance-muscovies/

Surely the Department of Environment will not allow anyone to bring in a species that is not indigenous to our province and which is known to carry disease.