Scovies now breeding!

[jmc]

Surprised.

I am not yet able to separate the drakes from the hens; so one has already mated with two of the birds, the other drake seems to be getting fired up--but the king drake dominates him to fear..........

Anyway, I really don't think either hen is going to start laying and setting on eggs now anyway.

Do you agree or not.........?

 

[Cottage Rose]

Ya never know but usually they don't set this early in cold climates.
Do you have an incubator?

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

are they young its kinda late in the year depending where you live

 

[jmc]

Drake is 7 mos. old, so is one of the hens; the other hen he mated with is actually his foster mother--she is an August 2007 bird.

If any eggs appear, I'll just swipe 'em and cook 'em............

thanks for replies

EDIT:

But I would like to add

at the matings I've seen, both hens were basically 'captured' by the king drake and pinned by him. They couldn't do much about getting free at that point, so they more or less quietly submitted.

FOR SCOVY KEEPERS, do you usually find that the hens are ready and willing to mate without any fuss, or is what I have seen so far (with the hen--at least at first trying to escape/quacking, etc.) normal?

Perhaps both are normal and happen at various times for unknown reasons??

All very interesting, nature is......

 

[conny63malies]

I had mine breeding weeks ago but no eggs here. I guess it was just a practice run. I wouldnt want ducklings in the next two month anyways, wayyyy too much snow here.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
Duckmonk...what you described above is classic Muscovy breeding behavior. The hens rarely cooperate and the boys have to chase them down to breed them.
If you have an incubator theres no reason why you couldn't save up some eggs and set them in the bator (all at the same time) if you don't mind having ducklings this time of year to care for.
Do keep in mind if you allow a hen to go broody and set she will stop laying and who knows when she will start up again. Muscovies really don't lay that many eggs and seem to do it sporadically during the late spring - fall.

 

[jmc]

Rosie:

So glad to have your reply about the breeding behavior. So 'normal' things are happening--if only earlier than I would've expected!

Keeping eggs in bator at this time not an option--I'm eating anything that appears, though I don't expect even much in that area.........

 

[DuckLady]

Scovy drakes are mashers, cads and ungentlemanly.

When I see one of my boys chase down a duck, I go and rescue her because I can't stand how brutal they are.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Muscovy ducks have survived generations of be stalked and pounced on so I doubt they're in any danger or being traumatized by the necessary ordeal.
My ducks backs are hardly ravaged compared to the bareback chicken girls.

 

[DuckLady]

Quote:
I realize that.
However the ducks get bare necked and sometimes scraped and scabby, so I do what I can.