Those who keep muscovies.....

[chickentracy]

I need to know...

1) How well do they fly?
2) Will they try to find their previous home?

See this is what's up...

This morning I purchased a pair and they were dropped off here by their previous owners as they were driving by.

I settled the pair in my poultry free range area behind a heavy gauge 6 ft chainlink fence. I just went outside to check on them and the female (who arrived in a big box with a nest of 7 eggs she was supposedly sitting on) was missing! Vanished...My family and I have looked just about everywhere back there.

I hope she will be ok. Crossing my fingers she'll return this evening to the "nest".

 

[chickentracy]

Also at what age do muscovies begin laying anyway? The folks I got them fromdidn't know how old they were just that the female is laying eggs.

 

[spectrumranch]

Muscovies can fly really well, except for adult males they tend to get to heavy to fly any distance. We have young muscovies that once they start flying will do circles around the whole farm. over the tops of buildings and trees.

Depending on how far they are from their former home she may wander off in search of it. But I don't think they have a long range homing instince.

Ducks (unless quite tame) would abandon the nest if you tried to move them.
So I doubt she would even care about the nest.

 

[chickentracy]

Thanks for the reply!

Okay well BOTH can fly real well! lol

This afternoon the duck appeared out of no where. She was just fine.

She headed straight to her nest of eggs and got cozy with them. Yay!

Here's a couple of pictures of them.....

 

[Birch Run Farm]

They are very pretty!

 

[chixie]

she was just exploring

 

[neverbdone]

Im so glad you got her back. I got a trio about two months ago and when I let them out the older drake and hen flew away down the hill.

The hen came back the next day, not the drake. A neighbor found him in their back yard about a mile away. I got him back three days latter. All wings are now clipped.

 

[neverbdone]

Opps, didn't mean "All" wings - Just the left side

 

[bossynbella]

Your ducks are beautiful. We just picked up some 6 week olds last week. We wanted one of the black and whites but she didn't have any available. We kept ares penned for the week and let them out yesterday. Of course ours are young and don't fly yet. They are sticking around fine but don't stay together like our call ducks do. They all go about there own thing hissing at our chickens when they come to near. So much fun to watch.
Melissa

 

[chickentracy]

Thanks!

Well the duck hasn't left since that first "adventure" and has been on her nest of 7 eggs ever since!

She just may end up with ducklings! I'll keep you all posted....