We have always had Muscovies and have enjoyed them a lot. Great mothers if you are looking for them to hatch their own ducklings. As of about 14 hours ago we also have Welsh Harlequin(8) and Saxony (9). I was drawn to both of those varieties because they are not seen a whole lot in our area. The Welsh Harlequin are great layers and the Saxony are just a great dual purpose duck, as well as pretty neat looking. I'm forced to provide a picture of the new little ones here
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As far as a brooder...I built mine. I should say... I am in the process of building mine. I built it in what used to be the tack room of our barn. It is still a work in process but I do have the section where the ducklings are very secure. When finished the full brooder will be the entire length of the tack room, about 16 feet and 3 feet wide, 30 inches tall. I made it so you can section it off into different smaller brooders and then open it up to larger sections when the little ones need more room. I have the outer wall all framed up and covered. I still need to finish the shorter, inner wall and the top covers. I just used a lot of 2x4's and 1/2 inch plywood. The lids will be hinged and covered with hardware cloth. The tack room itself is not 100% secure but I have intentions to make sure it is. This is their first night out there so I hope I did a good job. Here's a few pics to help show what I meant...
The finished section where the ducklings are with the lid propped up.
The soon to be finished other half.
That was long winded but I hope it helps give you some ideas.
As far as a brooder...I built mine. I should say... I am in the process of building mine. I built it in what used to be the tack room of our barn. It is still a work in process but I do have the section where the ducklings are very secure. When finished the full brooder will be the entire length of the tack room, about 16 feet and 3 feet wide, 30 inches tall. I made it so you can section it off into different smaller brooders and then open it up to larger sections when the little ones need more room. I have the outer wall all framed up and covered. I still need to finish the shorter, inner wall and the top covers. I just used a lot of 2x4's and 1/2 inch plywood. The lids will be hinged and covered with hardware cloth. The tack room itself is not 100% secure but I have intentions to make sure it is. This is their first night out there so I hope I did a good job. Here's a few pics to help show what I meant...
The finished section where the ducklings are with the lid propped up.
The soon to be finished other half.
That was long winded but I hope it helps give you some ideas.
