when do muscovys start flying?

[aleciasayshii]

mine is a little boy, and ten weeks old, so his wings are developing slowly and he has angel wing, which is almost gone by the way
I'm curious.

 

[jessica117]

It was my understanding that they were incapable of "actual" flight. We had a couple females a few years back and they never flew more than a few feet and never got more than a couple feet off the ground.

Hope this helps

 

[NewHopePoultry]

The are natually a wild duck, so muscovies can fly, but its usually just the smaller females, it depends on the body size.
They can begin trying to fly about two months old

 

[goosedragon]

Do you have any birds that fly? believe it or not that can make a big difference. It may be instinctive to run across a field flapping your wings but what happens when you get a couple feet off the the ground? Its like a young child that steps into the deep end of a swimming pool, they tend to panic and if rescued at that point they may fear water for the rest of their life. If parents are swimming near them they might get the ideal that it does not hurt to get their face wet and if they move their arms and legs like their parents do they can get around in the water ie swim.
Getting back to the ducks they are two feet off the ground, not sure how they got there, and no clue how to land. if they just fold there wings and fall they are unlikely to do that again! If by luck they figure how to land without getting hurt there is a good chance they will do that again, its fun! If other ducklings see them doing something and enjoying it they may try it themselves and learn how to land without getting hurt. They are likely to stick close to the ground at first but the brave ones will go higher and get used to it. I remember when my geese first started to fly, they would race around the house at all of 4 feet off the ground and I would give a treat to the winner. One of my slower geese learned he could take a short cut by flying over the house. Within 2 days they were all flying over the house.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I don't know when they start flying but they do fly!

We had an adult Muscovy drake land in our pond and stay for a few days. I know he wasn't dumped because I was packing our car for a trip, and the sucker buzzed me flying out, up, over the trees and on his way.

He was a big fellow too! Probably on his way to Florida. He must of heard that's where all the wild 'scovie gals are..

I suggest keeping their wings clipped, since it's a bit late to pinion(without surgery). If you don't or can't keep his wings clipped, may need to look into a covered pin. Even if he is incapable of flight just yet, it wouldn't hurt to keep those wings clipped. Better safe than sorry!

-Kim

 

[conny63malies]

I forgot to clip my females earlier this year and one of them took a trip over the neighborhood. She easily cleared two story houses. My drake just plunges down with style. he hops up the back stairs and spreads his wings and glides down until the old fence post stops him. But he is a big old drake and just to heavy to fly up.