Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[theceltichorse]

Watch the 'Skovie Drakes.
Remember:
There is 2 kinds of ducks in the world, one is the Mallard type, and they pair off and mate & raise yound.
The second is the muscovy type, and these duck types horde females and build a flock of females (if they can) like an Elk bull tries to build a harem................in the process, Muscovie-type drakes will be extremely aggressive ! And they can maime the hens, so be alert for that. I always kept my Muscovie hens with "Mallard-type breed drakes, so they were not so maimed.
I have had friends insist their Muskovy drakes are just angels..........but they are loud, agrssive and intimadating in breeding season.

I have 5 drakes. Not a single one is like what you have described. I am not saying that there are not ones like that, but overall, from my experience as well as others that have had them for much longer than me, not the norm. Drakes that are abusive should never be bred. It continues those traits. We are very careful to pay attention to this when choosing our breeding stock. As I try to place all of my personal ducks and offspring into "pet" or "breeding" homes, this is extremely important. I won't have an aggressive one.

In addition to the noise? Muscovy do not quack. The males hiss, and the females make a warbling/trilling sound. The females can quack, when startled, but nothing like a mallard derived duck. I live in city limits, in a neighborhood. No one knows that I have them, as they are so quiet.

Most drakes, regardless of breed, tend to be incredibly "randy". But I have watched my drakes mate with the females, and it has never been brutal. Again, yes, there are males like that. The male that Tom got has been very kind to his females, as I know him (the duck, LOL) personally. I think having a natural habitat as well, allows females the opportunity to get away from males that are not "respectful". The females are MUCH quicker and more agile, and can fly much better, that the heavy males.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Geeze missed all the fun I was baking find it comforting and fattening
but what they hey

 

[TominWa]

NOISE: I always try and approach topics with others thinking about the same things. One thing I have learned around here in the last year is that the same issues come up again and again and again. I live right up next to the county line where I could make as much noise as I wanted. I don't even have any neighbors to speak of. That said, when i got my chickens I got a rooster too. I wanted a sustainable flock. He made a racket enough to wake people a block away. I found him a good home. It didn't bother me, but I try and be a good neighbor. These Muscovy breed Ducks are essentially silent as written in other posts. It allows us not able to have a real farm type situation to maintain a sustainable flock. Had I not talked to those up on ducks I never would have known. They lay like crazy, are fantastic mothers. The fathers, from what I read, even help raising and teaching the chicks. A very social bird that seems to well, just like people. I stood in a pen with over 50 of them yesterday and half of them wanted to come up and see me. No panic with the stranger in there. You know that one chicken you have out of all of them that jumps in your lap for pets when you sit down while the rest ignore you? They seem to be like that one chicken. As with anything, you get out what you put in. I have no doubt in my mind they will all be members of the family in no time. A kind word, a treat.

Again, I want to state for someone thinking about what I just went through, they aren't chickens. Going to the feed store and brooding may work well, but in every quarter of the state there are people who raise them. From what I have seen, passionate about their breeding. Selective breeding going on etc. Starting with a good breeding stock is important. If I want to add down the road for genetic diversity, I know the people in my area now, and when I have too many Muscovy .....I know what to do and who to call. Its my responsibility now to weed out any bad apples. I get it.

I now have a sustainable flock. As posted above......so quiet nobody would even know they were there. This is an amazing bird to keep in a urban environment where noise is an issue. I am lucky and have an extensive wild area on my property with a pond, but these guys would be happy with a kiddie pool from what I read.

I am sure other breeds of ducks are nice too, for me and others facing restrictions though, I just don't see how you beat them.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Well good morning everyone happy Wednesday hump day eggs in the hova bator
keeping my fingers crossed watching three sets of gauges one broody on two may run two or three marans from the incubator up to my broody

 

[pennyJo1960]

James had a free moment he took three marans from the bator out to Mud started sliding them under she adjusted herself to cover all of them see how good she is with a split hatch I even through goodies into her nest so she has no need to come out but poop and
water

 

[Leigti]

Just brought the chicken home from the vet. I think I now own the most expensive chicken in town Couldn’t find anything specific Lee wrong. Doesn’t appear to be merekes, doesn’t appear to be contagious, no broken bones, no tumors, no egg issues. She even laid an egg while she was there overnight. They said her legs are actually very strong. No respiratory issues. She doesn’t seem to be in pain. Doesn’t appear to have worms.
In other words, don’t have a clue what the hell is wrong. So just to try to cover some bases she was given a treatment for tracheal worms, will get another treatment in two weeks. I guess those don’t show up in the stool. And she has had gurgly sounds but of course she didn’t have them while she was at the vet. And I am supposed to put Albon 5% syrup in her water.

 

[mixedbreeds]

Just brought the chicken home from the vet. I think I now own the most expensive chicken in town Couldn’t find anything specific Lee wrong. Doesn’t appear to be merekes, doesn’t appear to be contagious, no broken bones, no tumors, no egg issues. She even laid an egg while she was there overnight. They said her legs are actually very strong. No respiratory issues. She doesn’t seem to be in pain. Doesn’t appear to have worms.
In other words, don’t have a clue what the hell is wrong. So just to try to cover some bases she was given a treatment for tracheal worms, will get another treatment in two weeks. I guess those don’t show up in the stool. And she has had gurgly sounds but of course she didn’t have them while she was at the vet. And I am supposed to put Albon 5% syrup in her water.

What a lucky chicken you have. At least you know that it’s nothing bad but I wonder what is making her act like that.

 

[pennyJo1960]

see that is where I sit but will say I do not give antibiotic unless it really calls for it
like shows it will do of some help ..I think that as I have been told she has done this since you had her if it really bothers you cull her and be done save the albon for birds that might be helped later

 

[Leigti]

see that is where I sit but will say I do not give antibiotic unless it really calls for it
like shows it will do of some help ..I think that as I have been told she has done this since you had her if it really bothers you cull her and be done save the albon for birds that might be helped later

If I was going to just cull her and move on I wouldn’t of taken her to the vet.

 

[pennyJo1960]

If I was going to just cull her and move on I wouldn’t of taken her to the vet.

I know I grew up in a farm life if it could not be fixed style