Raising Muscovies for meat. Incubating eggs?

[thoeffel1994]

I finally separated my Muscovy pair from the khaki Campbells last week. I am up to 8 Muscovy eggs today. I know oftentimes they'll lay huge clutches of eggs and hatch them all out, but other times they'll stop laying at around 13 eggs.

I would really like to hatch out more then that, so I can have some to fill my freezer, to expand my Muscovy flock and to sell ducklings to other. I was considering getting an incubator and trying to hatch some because I know once the Muscovy decides to start incubating I'll not have eggs for quite some time. I've never incubated Muscovy eggs is there anything different I should know about them and do they have a high hatching rate?

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I finally separated my Muscovy pair from the khaki Campbells last week. I am up to 8 Muscovy eggs today. I know oftentimes they'll lay huge clutches of eggs and hatch them all out, but other times they'll stop laying at around 13 eggs.

I would really like to hatch out more then that, so I can have some to fill my freezer, to expand my Muscovy flock and to sell ducklings to other. I was considering getting an incubator and trying to hatch some because I know once the Muscovy decides to start incubating I'll not have eggs for quite some time. I've never incubated Muscovy eggs is there anything different I should know about them and do they have a high hatching rate?

I don’t have muscovy ducks but do know they take a week longer then regular eggs

 

[Canadian Wind]

I finally separated my Muscovy pair from the khaki Campbells last week. I am up to 8 Muscovy eggs today. I know oftentimes they'll lay huge clutches of eggs and hatch them all out, but other times they'll stop laying at around 13 eggs.

I would really like to hatch out more then that, so I can have some to fill my freezer, to expand my Muscovy flock and to sell ducklings to other. I was considering getting an incubator and trying to hatch some because I know once the Muscovy decides to start incubating I'll not have eggs for quite some time. I've never incubated Muscovy eggs is there anything different I should know about them and do they have a high hatching rate?

Incubation for Muscovy is 35 days compared to the 28 for domestic ducks. That being said, I've read that Muscovy don't do as well with artificial incubation compared to being hatched out by a mom, and that there are higher losses as newborns-to-one week old.

I've found mine tend to lay communally, until one of them finally settles down to brood. You may even have more than one female in a nest.

What are you using for nesting boxes? In the wild, Muscovy tend to nest in tree hollows. What I did for mine is use large storage bins and cut out a hole for entry. They seem to really like these. They are deep enough for them to feel secure in.

 

[thoeffel1994]

I would certainly recommend getting more females! I have a terrible ratio right now too, but I'm loathe to rehome any of my drakes for either colour reasons, or personal attachment. I still have one I'm trying to sell though but there's no interest.

I'd love to see a pic of your nesting set-up, both because try as I might I couldn't figure out what you said, and the parts I did figure out make me curious.

Here are some pictures from when I was using it as a brooder. I moved it down to the chicken and duck run and turned it on its side, so the door swings horizontally. The only problem that I've had now is that it's been very rainy and either the rain water is blowing in at an angle or it's running down from the top and falling into the bottom. It gets the wood shavings wet so this design is probably better to keep as just a brooder unless I can add a gutter on the inside.

I have access to an unlimited number of these bins from work. Another option would be to just pull the plastic out front he metal frame and cut it in half, flip both sides upside down so the open side is against the ground, cut a small hole in the side and make a smaller door that can be shut, that would probably make a great nesting area. Honestly keeping the metal bars on the sides is probably excessive and they're sort of a pain to move.

 

[thoeffel1994]

Incubation for Muscovy is 35 days compared to the 28 for domestic ducks. That being said, I've read that Muscovy don't do as well with artificial incubation compared to being hatched out by a mom, and that there are higher losses as newborns-to-one week old.

I've found mine tend to lay communally, until one of them finally settles down to brood. You may even have more than one female in a nest.

What are you using for nesting boxes? In the wild, Muscovy tend to nest in tree hollows. What I did for mine is use large storage bins and cut out a hole for entry. They seem to really like these. They are deep enough for them to feel secure in.

With my old flock of Muscovies that I had 8 years ago I had two that hatched eggs out together like you said. Right now I only have a drake and a duck though, perhaps I just need to find two more female Muscovies to hatch eggs out naturally for me.

I'm actually using an ibc bin the a home cut in the top with a door I made from plywood and 2x4s

 

[thoeffel1994]

Send me some?? I'd love to get my hands on some of those!!!

I like the idea of cutting them in half. They'll feel more secure inside that way. Very clever idea.

If you lived in south Carolina they'd probably tell you take them all!

I just went out to my coop this morning and found the eggs all over the inside of the bin with two of the eggs cracked. Maybe I need to separate the drake and maybe this design just isn't great for a nest.

 

[Yardmom]

Incubating Muscovy eggs can be done with no more issues than other poultry eggs. Use humidity levels like a chicken (the higher levels some use on ducks can cause sticky ducklings).
Muscovy eggs do take longer than other ducks. 35-37 days. Also the time it takes to go from internal pip to external pip is longer than chickens.

 

[thoeffel1994]

That's if the male is a scovie. If it's the female there isn't that much difference from what I've read/heard.

Here is my Muscovy laying on her nest. I added some extra eggs from my khaki campbells a few days ago. I'm so excited!

 

[thoeffel1994]

Just pan fired, like any other liver, lol.

With the Foie Gras, I don't know exactly how it's cooked but it's a pate, a spread. Too rich for me, too fatty.

I'm not interested in foie gras after hearing about it. But normal duck liver I might try. I've never had any liver. Not sure if I'd like it.

 

[Canadian Wind]

With my old flock of Muscovies that I had 8 years ago I had two that hatched eggs out together like you said. Right now I only have a drake and a duck though, perhaps I just need to find two more female Muscovies to hatch eggs out naturally for me.

I'm actually using an ibc bin the a home cut in the top with a door I made from plywood and 2x4s

I would certainly recommend getting more females! I have a terrible ratio right now too, but I'm loathe to rehome any of my drakes for either colour reasons, or personal attachment. I still have one I'm trying to sell though but there's no interest.

I'd love to see a pic of your nesting set-up, both because try as I might I couldn't figure out what you said, and the parts I did figure out make me curious.