Will my Muscovy Ducks fly away?

[FathertoFeathers]

I just got some Muscovy Ducks. I know that they're able to fly but I don't know how well they're able to. Can they fly long distances like wild ducks do or do they fly few inches or feet off the ground. I ask because I don't want them to fly away and there is a small pond in the woods behind my house and there are a few massive snapping turtles in there that could do some pretty heavy damage. I clipped their wings today just to be safe. Once their flight feathers come in will they try to fly away or will they understand that this is home? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Viksceeks]

In my experience, I had a few discover the river about 1/8th of a mile from my house. Most stuck around though. I feel like as long as they feel safe from predators, good water source and constant food- they will likely stick around.
Also, mine were WELL fed, and rarely 'flew', mostly fluttered (similar to pheasants)

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@Miss Lydia has a lot of experience with (wild) Muscovy ducks.
Afaik they can fly rather large distances but if they like your place they may decide to stay for a while.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Muscovy love to fly and will roost in trees on top of your roof even land on your car. I clip wings of my females my drake has no reason to leave an in the 8 years he’s been here has never even tried to fly. Females will though and I would rather clip than add to a feral population that is already hated in most places. Some don’t clip others do. Your preference. Till they get use to where home Is i’d keep them up though.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

I do not clip my girls’ wings, but only because only one of my two Muscovies can fly, and my third duck is a Rouen. My littlest Muscovy hen can fly extremely well, but she has no wish to be a flock of one. So, she just flies recreationally (from the barn, down the long driveway, over and around the house, back to the barn). If my situation happened to be different, I would trim.

 

[Raenh]

I clip mine ever since speedys first flight around the house to the neighbors yard. I was late clipping Sugarbabys and she took off, scaring me half to death, comes back and flies into neighbors garage door and stuns herself <it was dark>.

 

[Gray Farms]

My trio of whites got out of their pen a few years ago. They flew about 1/4 mile down the hill to the neighbors pond. I ended up swimming to catch them. This was in late October...that was fun. Now they are penned up tight and I pinion all my ducklings now.

 

[Kiwibird]

If they can fly, they can sit on your roof with their butts hanging over. We all know that this could end badly. Clip those wings! And I have had a boy fly onto the roof, not just girls.

 

[Claires Poultry]

I've heard that if Muscovies are unhappy with their living conditions or they're not being fed to their liking then they will fly away.
However, as long as you take good care of them and feed them well, they shouldn't fly away.
Mine in particular like to take short flights around the property, but they always come back.
If you're worried about them flying away you can clip their wings.
Make sure that you keep them locked in their coop for at least a week after you get them so they understand where home is.

Happy Muscovy-ing!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My trio of whites got out of their pen a few years ago. They flew about 1/4 mile down the hill to the neighbors pond. I ended up swimming to catch them. This was in late October...that was fun. Now they are penned up tight and I pinion all my ducklings now.

Yep learned that lesson the wet way too we have a mountain river down below our home and at the time there were 2 Muscovy drakes living on it fast forward one came to visit I didn’t close the back gate all the way an he duck napped my 3 girls we tried everything to get them home an one had 10 eggs she was sitting on,after getting soaked and still not catching them (at least it was summer)I had to leave them there over night. They were white too and I am sure glowed in the dark I had to get the eggs place them under a lamp no incubator here. And hope for the best. Next morning I am standing at the window looking down at the river trying to figure out how I am going to get these girls home when I see the drake coming up the path with 3 girls following him, I grabbed the eggs ran down stairs put them back in the coop opened the gate they came in Alice the broody calmly walk over to her coop went inside an got back on her eggs. Just like she’d only been out for a short R&R .Honest I am not making this up lol. And all 10 duckling hatched. This was in 2005 always clip wings now and even though they walked to the river, They knew it was there after that episode. Oh an that drake came to live with us too he was here almost 12 yrs before he died. Such an awesome drake too.