Week by week photos of a Muscovy duckling...weeks 5, 6 and now week 7 included

[Miss Lydia]

Well.. I know its going to sound crazy but these will be working ducks. We have a pond about an hour and half away from where we live. My husband and his family have built a bunkhouse/cabin and we go up there at least every other weekend. The pond doesn't hold water well but has a well that pumps water to it 24/7. Because of this the water weeds and algae have taken over and the fish are getting over populated due to the fact that the water weeds are making it hard to fish. I had read somewhere that duck feces could help create a seal for the pond to hold water better and that they would eat the fish, algae, and hundreds of bugs. Cattle are ran behind our property, but the ducks will have about 10 acres to roam, forage, and live. I dont want to clip their wings since I want them to be able to fly away if a fox or coyote gets close. They will have plenty of buildings to fly up on to get up high, as well as trees, and we are also building them a fly in roost that would protect them from the weather/predators. I do worry about leaving them down there when we are not there but this is why we bought them and from everything that I have read and researched, they are extremely hardy. I just didnt think in my wildest dreams that I would have ended up with so many drakes!

Well with lots of drakes you'll have plenty of ducklings. and with 10 acres they will have plenty of room to stay out of each others way. Plus even though hardy and can fly you'll most likely lose some to preds, especially if the females nest where they haven't any protection. As for their poop filly up holes making a seal that I haven't heard of that.

 

[muscovymomma]

Well with lots of drakes you'll have plenty of ducklings. and with 10 acres they will have plenty of room to stay out of each others way. Plus even though hardy and can fly you'll most likely lose some to preds, especially if the females nest where they haven't any protection. As for their poop filly up holes making a seal that I haven't heard of that.

Yes I had thought of losing a broody female and I think I will try grab her clutch before she sits and just incubate them at home. The babies wouldn't do well out there anyways and I could raise them at the house like I am doing now. At least until they are big enough to fly and fend. I know I may lose a couple but hopefully it wont be too bad. LOL who knows, if I lose one I may freak out on my husband and bring them all back home. haha (he would kill me)

 

[theycallmechickmagnet]

Haha I get what you meam with the "it doesn't look like the same duck" my muscovy Miss Ducky was light yellow with black on the tip of her tail when she was born, and now she's black, green and brown with barred b&w underside coloring, and has little white speckles on her face

Edit: Here's some pics of her

 

[Chapel Oak Farms]

Week 5:

Some sign of feathers on tail.
Still peeping like a happy duckling...no sign of any hissing.

Oh, she's so pretty. We hatched a muscovy and noticed the thick legs from the side, similar to what you mentioned. Makes me wonder if our Ollie is a drake but I guess time will tell. She's only two weeks old.