Will my muscoveies ever stop being a-holes?

[Quackattack717]

Hi there! So I have a small flock, my first two ducks were muscovies (although we bought them under the impression they were Pekins) we love them. We love their personalities and how unquie they are. But they’re so so so so mean to our lone Rouen (or mallard, we aren’t sure what she is now), her sister was taken by a hawk a little over a month ago so she’s all alone besides the chickens and Muscovies, who are really mean to her. We have two WH moving outside this week but Shadow (the lone duck) is really mean to them. This week will be their first week in their new enclosure since the hawk attacks. They been cooped up everyday while we worked since Spunky (shadows sister) was taken. We built them a 32ft by 25ft enclosure. It takes up most of what was left of our yard. We have 7ft post and bird netting over top! I’m worried they’re going to be even meaner to Shadow & possibly hurt her because they area is going from total free-range, to a smaller area they can’t escape from... but they’ll be safe from flying predators but they don’t understand that! We plan to have multiple sources of water and food to help keep them separate. It’s a pretty large area. Will my muscovies ever quit being huge assholes to everyone? Mostly to shadow but they are assholes to the chickens too! They just reached mating age, I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. Sometimes my female Muscovy is meaner to shadow than the male. I just don’t know! It worries me, we love all of our flock, we just want them to be a flock and get along with each other!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had to separate my Muscovy to one room in the coop my Runners and Buffs in another for sleeping last night. Too much chasing and carrying on in there.

 

[sourland]

Will they ever stop ? Probably not. They can be as single minded as Guinea fowl once they get something in their tiny little brains.

 

[FortCluck]

My female muscovy hasn't been an ahole... So far. Maybe getting the lone breed her own friend might help. I have Pekins with my Muscovy and they don't take her bs. She is usually by herself or hanging with Pants (black Cochin).

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

This is a question I’m currently asking myself multiple times per day. I have two 1 and 1/2 yr. old Muscovy hens and one almost 4 yr. old Rouen. Not counting broodiness, everything had been great until this past week or so. Now, my smaller Muscovy hen has turned highly aggressive, and the other two ducks have been reacting aggressively to her attacks.

Now, my Rouen is missing feathers, and I’ve been threatening everyone with the stew pot! I think, in my case, that It is mostly due to molting and being unable to free-range due to weather and increased threat of predation. I’m trying to find ways to keep everyone occupied when they’re stuck in the barn, and kicked everyone out of the barn today and made them exercise and take baths.

At any rate, I very much understand your frustration. I’m almost at a point where I would consider making changes to my beloved little flock. It’s one thing when everyone is laying and foraging and enjoying life, but I currently have 3 non-laying, sulky, mean birds!

That being said, my Rouen and my white Muscovy are still very bonded and still cuddle at night despite their differences.

Spring can not come soon enough!

 

[Pigpye]

In my experience muscovies tend to be pretty scrappy birds! Id suggest getting your other breed of duck a few friends and having a muscovy flock and then your other flock

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Muscovy Buffs and Runners do fine together they mostly hang in their own group but I do have one female Muscovy who likes to hang out with the Runners an Buffs she is miss congeniality she is liked by both groups even the geese like her (tolerate her) like might be a stretch, and they don’t like the other Muscovy. My female Muscovy scrap among themselves. They do like a good cat fight. But just since molt began with my scovy they have been really temperamental.

 

[Quackattack717]

So we were outside all day together with everyone finishing their enclosure. Today it appeared that our female Muscovy is the one who has the biggest issues with Shadow. Our male and Shadow were down in the creek for most of the day together foraging and swimming without any issues AT ALL! The male does go after her sometimes (like my husband said that he tried to drown her the other day in the creek) but I think it’s mainly our female who has an issue with her and when the two are together the male follows is mates lead of bullying Shadow.

Our mallard/Rouen mystery is solved! She’s missing one of her back toes which means MALLARD! Right?! We would love to get her some friends of her own breed but it’s about to be the dead of winter here and our WH are just moving outside from the brooder. We are done with brooder babies for the winter until Spring but will definitely be looking into getting her some mallard friends in the Spring.

 

[courtsmarans]

In short (and in my experience), no. I have heard that getting them a few more duck friends could help.

 

[Going Quackers]

I do agree with the suggestion on getting lone duck a friend, def a mallard derived so she can speak and hopefully bond with someone of her own kind.

Muscovy themselves are unique and sometimes can be difficult with other birds because of this.

My first birds ever were Muscovy, i was an oddball and started into ducks vs chickens(those followed later lol) at one time i had a huge scovie flock i did pepper it with some Pekin and some buff ducks but overall scovies stick with scovies... they have their own habits and language that differs from mallard breeds.

Not saying they cannot get along, as i have had it happen. My two buff duck females were raised with two scovies(who turned out to be drakes) and they grouped together for years actually breeding resulting in 10 x's.

Also had a pekin egg get in a scovie nest and she raised that baby just fine... funny enough that scovie raised pekin paired up with a scovie drake down the road.

My point is i have not had massive conflict between the breeds but i won't say for the most part they are "friends" nor associate with the mallard birds.

Since you have a large pen can you separate and area off? this may reduce conflict.