OK, get your sniggering out of the way. This is what a handsome, red blooded Muscovy Drake should look like.
What Makes a Muscovy Duck Special?
Muscovies are not related to any other duck, in fact some believe they are descended from geese rather than ducks. They originate from South America where their name is believed to come from their insatiable appetite for mosquito’s and their larvae. How great is that – a critter that turns mosquitos into tasty protein! They also have a penchant for flies, small slugs, snails and even frogs & newts.
The most obvious difference between them and ‘other’ ducks are the carruncles (the red stuff) on their faces which is more predominant in the males. Interestingly, in females the bright red dulls to a deep orange when they’re broody, right through to raising their ducklings. A blatant visual warning to the males to stay away!
Another difference is they have long, sharp claws which are used to attach to tree branches at night when they roost. Due to these claws there’s a right and wrong way to pick up a muscovy and the wrong way will end in blodshed – yours that is. Put your carrying arm over and around its body, pinning both wings in place and taking hold of one or both legs (depending on the size of the bird and the size of you) gently but firmly. This needs to be done pretty quickly. as if they start to struggle with you they’ll lash out trying to find their feet, and you’ll have first hand experience of those claws.
Always an idea to do this manoeuvre with the duck facing backwards, as if they decide to relieve themselves whilst being carried you’ll end up wearing it down your back.
Yep, sadly I speak from experience.
Muscovy Duck Eggs
Ducks eggs are the richest, creamiest, smoothest eggs going. Actually, I feel so passionate about them that I’ve written an entire post on why duck eggs rock. However, as wonderful as the Muscovy duck is, this isn’t the breed to get if you after an egg laying machine. You may want to consider a Khaki Campbell or an Indian Runner as they lay far more per year.
Muscovies as Meat Birds
This is where the Muscovy excels, the meat is dark and very lean. If you’ve ever bought a supermarket duck (in the UK Aylesbury’s are the most common meat bird sold) to roast at home you can almost watch the bird shrink in the oven, as the inch or more of fat under the skin melts. This is all very well if you want to roast a gazillion potatoes to accompany the meal, but if you are striving for a healthier diet then the lean meat of the muscovy is definitely the duck of choice. If you do grow your own to eat, I can highly recommend this recipe for Happy Duck Pie.
It’s worth knowing that the boys weigh in much heavier than the girls, and if you’re not sure of the age of the bird I would recommend a very slow roast to tenderise the meat as it can be tough on an older bird, and baste frequently as it is so lean.
Feeding a Muscovy Duck
In the summer months our birds will require very little extra food as they forage plenty, but in the colder months they’ll need feeding a duck or unmedicated chicken feed twice a day. If you are growing them to eat, put them on a growers ration, but if they are just for laying or for looking pretty a layers ration will be fine. Make sure they have plenty of clean water close at hand as the dry food alone will make them poorly.
Muscovy Ducklings
Muscovies make fantastic mothers and the most eggs we’ve had hatch is 15, which is pretty amazing as the girls aren’t all that big. We have had them hatch chicken eggs too, although that can lead to problems when the mamma duck wants to teach her chicks to swim!
The Quiet Breed
One of the many reasons I am so smitten with my flock, is that they are very quiet. They don’t ‘quack’ which if you’ve had the misfortune to meet a Call duck or an Aylesbury duck you’ll appreciate (I’m sorry for offending all you Call & Aylsebury fans but seriously – HOW do you live that noise???!) Instead these guys nod their heads and have a gentle kind of hiss as a greeting. Oh, and they wag their tails. Seriously they are really cute to watch.
Left to their own devices, they would be far happier sleeping on a tree branch safely out of harms way than on a pond or in a hut, and they are the one duck breed not so in need of a large area of water. We’ve raised birds here with just a 4 inch deep tray of water, a cat litter tray is good and pretty hard wearing. So long as the water is deep enough to get their nostrils and eyes under then it’s fine. It will need changing twice daily as they will drink, clean, and probably poop in it, and everything around this area will get very, very muddy.
If you do venture into the world of duck keeping, I’m sure you won’t regret it for a moment. Please, do let me know how you get on!
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They are adorable. A bird very much on top of my wish list. :)
Think we’re gonna have to start a Muscovy fan club! Thanks for dropping in x
We’ve just got a garden, live in the suburbs and keep hens – currently 16 including the younger ones, the middleaged ones and the OAPs. Do you think that the muscovies would be ok in a garden? How much space do they need?
We’ve been saving to move out of the city but can’t seem to get enough money together to buy a place with a field withing visiting distance of the family and grandchildren. Now all these cutbacks look like my husband will be taking a big cutback on his pay and therefore pension and the field looks like it will just remain a dream. I’ve always wanted ducks so if they can’t live in a suburban garden, then I can’t have them. I envy you your fields!
Don’t misunderstand me please – I’m being positive about the situation and just trying to work out if we can realise some of the dream here in the city. Your advice – from someone who keeps muscovies – would be helpful.
thank you!
Hi Jo, how big is your garden? Muscovies don’t need huge amount of space to be honest, some grass and dirt to scrabble round in – they love freshly turned soil – and an area where they can get as wet and muddy as they like and they’ll be really happy. If you are really short on space then maybe just a couple of girls as they are almost half the size of the boys.
Of all the ducks out there they will probably be the most suited to being in the ‘burbs as they are fine with just a tub of water to splash in rather than a pond. They’ll all live together perfectly well, the ducks may get a little hen pecked initially and that’s why I’d recommend getting at least 2. Good luck and please let me know if/when you get them! xx
Another couple of thoughts, they are really good flyers so you may want to clip their wings if you want them to stay put. Also, the biggest downside is they will turn a confined area to mud, especially over winter. It’ll be very well fertilised mud, but mud all the same!
The hens have 3 moveable runs in an area about 40 foot by 12. I would hope the ducks could have a large run within that. My husband has ideas about fencing in that whole area including roof at our head height – bit like a giant fruit cage. The sides would have to be buried deep because we get foxes through quite regularly. There is not a single blade of grass in this area – the hens have seen to that. I have to admit that the cost of this leaves me in need of a restorative :) but it would restrain the ducks. We tend to fill their runs with leaves or bark chippings to keep their feet off the wet and it also keeps the ground sweeter – and fills our compost bins. Ducks would not happen until we leave work either next summer or the summer after although that depends on just what changes to our income the government makes (education changes/cutbacks). We have “grown” young cockerels to go in the freezer (just once ) but they probably didn’t get to grow quite as much as they could have because as soon as they tried to crow, they had to go. It took a lot of persuasion for the neighbours to accept that hens would not wake them up at dawn by crowing so one squawk and it was curtains for the cockerels. The ducks, being of a quieter variety, might help as we’d really like to be as self sufficient as we can in as many areas as we can. If we stay where we are, I can’t see meat being on the menu much and I can also see eggs being a main source of protein… Besides, I’ve always had a fondness for muscovies ever since I first saw them, years ago. Reading your replies has made me quite hopeful so many thanks!
The longed for fenced run sounds just perfect for the chooks and ducks to live in together. Muscovies will certainly provide you with good quality meat through out the year and although you don’t get masses of eggs from the girls they are such a treat when you do!
Please let me know how you get on and if you need any ducks let me know :D
I’ve always loved raising Muscovy ducks! I have a pair in my backyard here in the Philippines. Thank you so much for those wonderful pictures of this kind of fowl. For me, these ducks are wonderful to take care of, not for their meat, rather as a pet.
We live in Las Vegas and its Summer now. Very hot at 107. We’re surrounded by two man-made lakes and 6 Muscoveys have adopted me. There’s Darth, as in Vador, and he’s huge with black body and red face. He likes to strut his stuff and tries to intimidate the other males. Then came Princess, a small white one. She’s very timid and very sweet and just wants to stand on my feet while being fed. Molly is very white with a little curl on top of her head. She too is a bit timid and she likes to ‘talk’ to me. Lucy is a miniature of Darth. Gee, I hope Lucy is a she! Lucy squeeks ‘me too! me too!’ if she doesn’t think she’s getting her fair share. Jake is basically brown and white and is loving and follows me like a puppy. He lets me stroke his white feathered chest. He tries to nibble my hand like little kisses, and lastly comes Renny, as in renegade. He’s still a bit new and is easily scared off by Darth. Renny is gray and white.
I feed them lettuce in the mornings along with corn flakes, popcorn in the afternoon and bread at night. Now when I feed them I sit on a tiny stool so I am at their height. It’s the most amazing and loving relationship I have ever had with animals or birds.
Pamela, I felt like I was sitting at your lake with you as you introduced them all! I love that little nibble on my hand too, so adorable!
I’ve read that in the US they are so prolific they are treated as vermin. It’s lovely to hear how you have bonded with them and get so much pleasure from them. Did they have any young this year?
Thank you so much for popping in, your message made my day! xx
hi some of the most amazing and fullfilling relationships have been with animals.
Hey dave, I totally agree!
Janie x
We have been in our house 3 years and because we have 2 ponds, I was pining for ducks. After much research I decided on Muscovy ducks for their hardiness and ability to fly to roost. We have coyotes, foxes, racoons, hawks, possum, etc. We got a drake and 2 hens a month ago and love them! I was attempting to gather the eggs to keep them from starting to sit on a nest for fear they would become “sitting ducks” for the predators but they got very good at hiding them in the woods and other places. They are now sitting on a nest under a bush right against our foundation and so far, so good. Do I need to provide the hen with food and water or is she leaving the nest for that? I haven’t seen her leave in several days. I am concerned about having any food smell around her for fear of attracting predators. Also, if she successfully hatches them, should I get a new drake, or is “inbreeding” not an issue of concern for ducks. Thanks for any guidance!
Hi Leisa, thank you for stopping by!
I do understand your worry re predators – the only predators our clan have are foxes and badgers and we have sadly lost several over the years. I wouldn’t be able to leave a duck out with her nest at night here, she’d have to be shut up in a house so I wish you good luck! She will come off the nest generally once a day, will have an almighty poop (the smell is like nothing you’ve ever smelt!) and will eat, drink and wash.
If your ducks are used to being fed by you then you will need to put food down for her, and she does need a bucket of water close by to drink and splash her face in.
Don’t forget they take much longer than hens to hatch their eggs, off the top of my head I think it’s 35 days for a muscovy egg. As for inbreeding, I guess in an ideal world you’d have a fresh drake every season but I figure in nature inbreeding happens continuously so I have kept the drake for 2 – 3 years. Trouble is, he has become one of the family now and I’d hate to lose him!
I wish you the best of luck with your brood, Jane x
Thanks so much for your thorough response and words of encouragement! By my calculations we have a little less than a week before the eggs hatch and we are all holding our breath hoping no predators discover her clever hiding place. Then we will have to worry about the safety of the ducklings. If necessary I will complete the enclosure I started for them to keep the 3 adults and ducklings in at night until the ducklings can fly.
Our pond and her food bowl are just a couple of hundred feet away from her so I have not taken food or water closer to her for fear of attracting attention.
We are fond of our “Elvis” too so I think we will just let nature take it’s course as far as the inbreeding goes.
hello, we have just go our 3 female muscovy ducks,there at the fledging stage at the moment.would you advice to have there wings clipped as we have been told there good flyers and we don,t want to loose them,i don,t want to keep them in a pen,just roam around the garden.
thankyou
Hey Steve, that’s a tough one.
If your only reason for wanting to clip their wings is to stop them flying away I don’t think you should worry. I feed mine twice a day and they are always waiting (not so patiently!) for me even though they are free to fly wherever they want. I think they know when they’re onto a good thing!
We leave ours unclipped as we have a real risk of foxes round here and I like to think that my girls have a fighting chance of getting away from one if cornered.
I have seven bantam chickens. Two silkies, two araucanas, one polish, one barred rock and a wyandotte. Do you think that I would be able to keep a couple of muscovies in the same yard? I have about a quart of an acre.
I’ve kept them in the same barn as chickens before and there was no problem. They will find their own place in the pecking order, but just let them all get on with it. So long as you have more than one they’ll keep themselves to themselves mostly.
The only downside to housing them together is the mess that the ducks make. Our barn is dirt floored, so the water from their unavoidable splashing turned the floor to mud. However, it’s even worse in a floored house as their big feet, messy poop and need for water 24/7 turns any dry, pristine chicken coop to yuk pretty quick.
Hope I haven’t put you off! x
I am not put off quite yet, but am concerned. I was more worried about having 1.6 to 2lb chickens with 8plus lb ducks. I have heard they can be aggressive. I have also heard that they can be kept outside of the coop? I live in the Willamette Valley and it is mostly rainy with not so much snow or super cold temps. What is the minimum amount of Muscovies I can keep. Would one girl be ok with my bantams to start or would I need more? Do I need a drake or can I just keep a girl? Will .25 acres be enough for them?
Thanks,
Julie
Hmm, we’ve never had an aggressive Muscovy. They will nip the feathers of a hen that’s in the way of a food treat, just as a hen will do the same back. No blood is drawn or harm done. I wouldn’t say they were best friends with the chickens but they all seem to cohabit quite painlessly.
Do you have much in the way of predators where you live? Our only real problem is with foxes and we have lost many ducks to them. Nowadays however, they keep themselves safe by roosting at night on an island on our pond. Great for us as it’s one less job to do, and since we’ve given them that freedom we haven’t lost any to foxes.
The reason I suggest no less than 2 ducks is for the same reason that you wouldn’t put one goat in a field or one ferret in a cage. It just feels nicer if they have a friend! 2 girls will be very happy together, you only need the drake if you want little ‘uns. 1/4 of an acre sounds ideal, they are pretty hardy birds and not in the slightest fussy.
Why do you like the idea of Muscovies in particular?
I actually see that you said I need more than one. Is two enough? Am
I better raising them until they are larger myself or letting the chickens act as nannys?
. I was thinking about some call ducks, because they are so darn cute and they would go with my banties… ;-) But I hear that Muscovies are a bit quieter I also read that they are very, very good at controlling fly populations. I haven’t been able to find mention of any other ducks controlling flies. The people behind us graze cattle and we had a terrible fly problem last summer. I am not sure if two Muscovies would make that much of a difference…but I am willing to give it a shot…I have seen videos where they looked like fun pets. I also saw a whole flock of them yesterday and they weren’t quite as scarey looking as I thought they would be. ;-) The only things that really concern me about them are that I don’t want them to completely decimate my garden next spring and I don’t want them to hurt my little hens… ;-)
The musovies are awesome for catching flies. We have a huge fly problem where we are and I can sit and watch our muscovies catch about 30 flies an hour. They are the best duck for around the yard. At times we tie up our dogs and let a couple of the young drakes out for the day, when no foxes are around. They just go crazy cleaning up all the bugs, lizards, frogs etc they can find. (sometimes they snack on the veggies garden too the little buggers.)
Help! can you mix different ducks together???????????
Hi Louise! Yes, you can! There will be a hierarchy in any bird grouping, so there will be quarrels but yo’ll get that when keeping just one breed. So long as they have plenty of space to escape from each other they’ll be fine!
Help ! can you mix different ducks together ???????????
I have a hen sitting on several eggs. We are very new to raising Muscovy’s, but have had chickens a while. I’m concerned when the eggs hatch the hens will kill them. Do I need to separate them once they are born or maybe even before?? Thanks, Julie
Hmmm. I said hen. It’s a female Muscovy.
Ah ok! A Muscovy sat on Muscovy eggs, within a hen enclosure – have I got that right? x
Hi Julie, don’t worry – a hen will hatch any egg as her own. Leave the babies with her as the hen then does all the work for you (keeping them warm, safe & teaching them to feed etc) The ducklings must have enough water to be able to duck their head under.
Also, if you have mixed duck & hen eggs under your hen, the hen eggs will hatch several days before the duck eggs, and the mother will abandon the duck eggs and they won’t hatch.
Good luck Julie! x
I realized I was plain as mud. I have the ducks mixed with chickens in a electric netting large area enclosure within my yard. The coop(within the enclosure) is where the duck is sitting on her eggs. My concern is the other hens (chickens) or rooster will kill the ducklings when the are born. I’ve never hatched anything before. What do you think? Thanks for replying I found your site last night as I was searching Muscovy info. We live in Southeast Texas in the US. Yes, Texan. Thanks, Julie
Ah, OK! If the Muscovy is lowest of the entire chook/duck pecking order the hens may attack the babies, but she will generally see them off.
However, the ducks energy reserves will be pretty low after sitting on eggs for so long, and she ideally needs to be in a pretty stress free environment for the first few weeks to regain her strength. By then of course the babies will be bigger and more independant.
As the ducklings will need constant access to clean water in a shallow bowl (the hens will drink & poop in it!) and they need constant access to chick crumbs (the hens will eat it!), can you create a small run & coop inside the bigger run designed to keep the duck & babies in? They won’t like being confined so much but it’ll keep them safer and in better condition.
One thing I also found useful was 2 water bowls in with the babies. One tall, narrow tub that the babies can’t reach but the mummy can duck her head in and drink & wash with, and the shallow bowl as above. Trying to keep that shallow bowl clean is a nightmare and it won’t be deep enough for the mum.
I hope that helps Julie, please let me know how you get on! Janie x
ive been raising moscovies for about 5 years now but i still cant find information on how long a drake is able to produce progeny. i need to thin my stock by 3 more drakes and would like to keep the original 2 who are 5 years old now but will put them in the pot if they are to old to procreate can you give me any idea how long as in years that i can use them as breeders
Sadly I have no idea of the answer Laureen, good luck!
Dear HedgeCombers,
Your photos are truly beautiful! I’d be swept away with duck envy if I weren’t torn between having chickens instead and wondering if I could handle both. We visited Cornwall a few years back while homeschooling our son. It’s absolutely breath-taking and we dream of retiring in the UK. Thank you for sharing your lovely home and delightful critters. If we go for the ducks, I’ll try to document the adventure. Continued happiness to you and yours — Warm Wishes, Ellen — San Andreas, CA, USA
Ellen, what a lovely message to wake up to! Thank you for taking the time to write.
Cornwall is indeed a little piece of heaven, I truly feel blessed to live here.
As for the chicken/duck dilemma – good luck with whichever you choose (and don’t worry, as soon as you start, you’ll end up getting more, and more… and more!!!
:)
Have a great day Ellen x
Hi, I have a Mascoy hen who as be on her nest for what seems a long time . Worried that shes sitting there for nothing. How do I know for sure?
Hi Kerrie, the only way you’ll know for sure is candle an egg when she next leaves the nest to eat.
If this isn’t her first brood, I would imagine she would know by halfway through if the eggs weren’t viable and abandon them.
Muscovies do take a real long time (I think it’s 35 days off the top of my head) but sooo worth it!
Good luck, hope they make an appearance soon!
Janie x
Wonderful post on Muscovies… I’ve had mine for over 2 years now.
Hi Jen, and thanks for stopping by. They are a great breed aren’t they, if I could just get a few more eggs a year they’d be totally perfect!
hey those ducks are just fabulous………….one question though, do you think they are better to raise for meat or eggs???????????
Meat and/pets, they don’t lay enough eggs in a year to cover their feed costs! Enjoy Crystal, Janie x
I have 14 Ducks, 3 females and 2 males Muscovy, a few runners, 2 male pekins that I raised from babies, (they are just 4 mos old…and 3 male mallards, I bought them all full grown from an auction accept for the 2 male pekins… and their wings were all clipped… My husband built an awesome inclosure huge pen for them and we put two kiddie size swimming pools in the inclosure for them… we also put a big dog house inside this pen.. I just noticed 3 weeks ago that the two Muscovy females were in the dog house sharing a huge nest with atleast 30 eggs and both of the female Muscovy ducks are sharing this same nest… Everyday I look in the house to see if they have begun to hatch but nothing yet.. Im not sure how long ago they had laid them.. but the 30 or more eggs have been in this nest for atleast weeks now… I open the pen door every morning and let them all out and they head to our horse pasture and small running creek to play…I have one tan huge duck (looks like a pekin) that always picks on a very small runner or mallard (Im not sure what the one small duck is) Other than that they all get along and hang with their own groups of kind.. Is it ok that the two Muscovy are sharing this huge nest of eggs? And ONE of the eggs in their nest is HUGE… Should I separate the mother Muscovy’s and their nest of eggs from the inclosure pen of the other 12 Ducks? The other ducks never go into the dog house where the 2 mother Muscovy’s stay all day/night.. with their nestings.. and when I open the door in the morning to allow them to roam freely until dusk.. The mother Muscovy’s do not leave their nest and follow the others to the creek… I allow them to stay in the dog house where they rather be.. What will happen when the babies all hatch and come out of the house into the huge inclosed pen with all of the other big ducks? Will they be ok? I want my Muscovys to be friendly like I have been hearing on here that they are.. But I just bought mine from an auction about 2 months ago and even though I go out and feed them treats.. They run from me like the other ducks do… Will the hatching babies grow to be more friendlier then the others once they are hatched?
Hey Patti, good to meet you!
The only problem I foresee, is that the eggs are likely to be at different stages of incubation. The ducks turn the eggs and the 2 batches will, in time get mixed together. Also if any other ducks get into the nest to lay, there could completely different staged eggs.
However, I’m sure that some (I’ll be interested to know how many!) do hatch. If they’ve been sitting for more than a few days I’d leave them as they are for now.
When the babies hatch, you may need to separate them from teh other to keep them safe and as they need access 24/7 to clean water and chick crumbs (the big ducks will poop in and eat it!). Depending how many hatch I would probably take one mother away from the babies after they’ve arrived. She’ll then start laying again and you may get another clutch from her this year.
The ducklings seem to learn their response to human from their mothers, so if they are tame so will the youngsters, if they run from you, the same.
The only way to ensure they are tame as adult is to raise them yourself :)
Hope that helps!
Janie x
Hi Janie, je suis une Anglaise living in France. I’ve had an abundance of Muscovy chicks which I have advertised for sale (at a budget price) in my local paper. They are only 9 weeks old and already half as big as their Mum. Anyway, just wanted to tell you that I REALLY enjoyed your “write-up” on the ducks. You’re completely right about all the attributes that the Moscovies have, that I have never really “remarked” on (French word for “noticed”). I’ll appreciate the ones that I am keeping even more now. Thanks
Jean, I’m so glad you commented! Thank you for your kind words, and I’m glad you can see a little more of their character now :)
I sadly think my drake is past his prime if you catch my drift, I’ve had no eggs hatch so far this year. Very sad as he is my only original bird and I do adore him. I’m torn as to whether to keep him as a pet or not. Not sure bringing in another male is fair so I’m really torn.
Shame you’re in France, I might have had a few babies from you! Janie x
Thank you for replying Janie,
The eggs started to hatch 2 weeks ago.. I had 4 babies hatch and the one mother Muscovy started attending to just the 4 and she no longer sits on the other 15-20 eggs that are still in the nest with the other Mother Muscovy. Just today 3 babies have hatched and I noticed one more peeping thru the eggs, (should be born very soon) BUT…. The 1st mother that followed her 4 babies two weeks ago from the nest to take care of has been starting to attack the new babies being born today… She is chasing them and attacking them as the waddle close to her 4 babies that are weeks older… I thought she may kill these new babies that are just starting to hatch so I removed her from the pen enclosure that has the nest with babies hatching, I left her 4 babies in this pen with the Mother Muscovy that remains on the nest hatching the new babies.. But it looks like the ducklings that were born a few weeks ago seems to be pecking and attacking these new babies being born…. Should I have released these few week old babies into the huge pen where I put their mother Muscovy duck? Its just that this huge enclosed pen has 13 grown adult ducks of many kinds.. as I listed above and I didnt want the babies to be attacked by the older ducks or drown in their kiddie pool.. But for now I just removed the one mother who I did see attacking the babies that were only just 1-2 days old when they would come near her older (few weeks) babies. hope this all makes sense
Sorry it took me so long to respond Patti, I guess you’ve got them sorted by now. I will add though, that there is no perfect answer for any breeder. Each situation is different and you’ll learn from any mistakes that happen this time round. In nature it’s rare that a full clutch of eggs survive to adulthood, so we find ourselves trying to control something that is pretty much uncontrollable! xx
I just wandered outside to check on all of them and another baby was just born a few hours ago… 3 new babies in 2 days….. and I see peep holes in 3-4 eggs more moving around.. should be born very soon… The older ones that are 10-12 days old are fine…even though i moved their mother back into the big pen with the other big ducks… I found one of the 4 bigger babies under the mother in the nest and the other 3 older ones laying very close by…
How many ducklings did you get in the end Patti? Aren’t they adorable :)
I have/had two muscovy ducks but just this morning they got out of there pen and one flew into my backyard and the other is gone…. missing and I wonder if she will come back, if not where should i look for her? I’m not near any parks and I live in Phoenix AZ so body’s of water do not exist except peoples backyard pools….. will she stay in the same area or fly far away? :’(
Hey danielle, how sad for you. I’m not sure how far a duck would travel to be honest, ours are free to fly away and we’re in an area with loads of ponds/lakes etc but they never stray far from home. I may not see one for a day or two but, in my experience they always come back when they’re hungry!
Do let me know if/when it returns.
Janie x
How much does it cost to raise a meat bird to slaughter?
im doing a project for school on the benefits of muscovies vs. beef. i have a lot about health, bugs and eating, but not enough on cost, time and sustainability. Help please?
-BF
Hi Bobba, not one I can answer off the cuff I’m afraid, but I will endeavour to cost it up soon (although it’ll probably be too late for your project – sorry)
Janie x
Thanks. for the reply
-BF
What a wonderful site! A friend who raises muscovies gave me a two year old pair two weeks ago. I so love watching them float, splash/make waves, and rise up and flap to dry their wings. I have 11 acres and a pond. I kept them in a pen for 5 days at first in hopes they would get to know me. Now that I have them out, they are seeming to get used to me but there is no way I can get them back in the pen at night. I am afraid my chances of them surviving are not good as we do have foxes, etc. around. I do have a perch for them too but have not seen them use it. We also can have cold winters in Pennsylvania and I read that they can get frostbite if they will not go in shelter. Do you have any words for me? I was hoping for a nest in the spring that would make it as I also read that if you bring the chicks in to the pen you can get them to imprint on you and be able to get them to go in at nite. Also, If they make it over the winter and start to brood should I move the nest into the pen? Any help you can offer would be so appreciated!
The best way to make Muscovies like (no, LOVE!) you is to train them to come to ‘sweeties’. This’ll take patience, depending how wild yours are, but the fact that your friend raises them I am guessing they are pretty used to human contact.
Find yourself a metal tin with a lid, one that when you shake the contents, it’ll make a lot of noise. Half fill it with corn and spend time with the birds feeding them and gently shaking the tin. The will quickly realise that you mean food, and mine come now even if I’m empty handed.
Once they trust you, it should be relatively simple to get them to go into a run or pen at night. You can clip their wings to prevent them flying away if that seems appropriate too (just remember they will not be able to escape predators if you do this though).
Hope that helps Shannen, please let me know how you get on!
Janie x
I have never written in about anything before but I have such affection for these birds that I had to share some of my experiences. I live in South Florida where the government officials want the Muscovies to disappear.The local code enforcement woman isisted that I remove all groundlevel water containers and put catch pans under my birdfeeders so that nothing would reach the ground and “feed” the ducks. When I told her I had a mother on eggs her reply was that I should put the eggs in my freezer to destroy them. Long story short- that night I caught a mom with new hatchlings and later the brooding mom, when her eggs hatched, fostered them in my bathtub for the first two weeks and then hid about 27 ducks in my backyard where I could take care of them until they could fly.
Frozen eggs my @#%&!!! P.S. you did know that there are duck diapers (nappies?) available if a special friend needs to go out in public?! Love to all
Hello Daria, lovely to hear from you! You deserve a medal for putting up with a family of ducks in your bath tub for a fortnight! They are adorable creatues aren’t they. and your were pretty lucky to have you fighting their corner!
Does the local government class them as vermin in Florida? Are they a big problem over there?
Janie x
Thank you for the great idea! I am going to start it right away and will let you know how it goes. So if I get a nest in the spring do you think it will be wise to move it or if I am able to get them inside eventually do you think she will make the nest inside?
I have given myself so much stress over the years, moving broody’s and eggs, trying to get them to lay where I want them to (and where is safe) and generally I tend to just let them get on with it these days. Mind you, that’s why I didn’t get my first brood until August this year!
You could try making a dark, quiet, secret nest area inside & perhaps try popping a ceramic egg in it to tempt the girls to lay there, but don’t get too stressed if she invents her own highly inappropriate nesting area! Try and make that bit as safe as possible and let her get on with it (far easier said than done at first, I know!)
Janie x
hi there. was brilliant reading your page. we live in the uk and i have just got 2 two week old muscovies. iam tottaly besotted with them. we have called them nibbler and strawberry. one of them always nibbles my fingers and the other is so laid back. im handling them every day and i bring them in the livingroom so they can get used to our other animals ( i also run a rabbit rescue) when i found out they eat mosquitos after id already brought them home i was delighted, they would help keep the bug population down around our rabbits. luckily enough we dont have to worry about predators as we already have 3 chickens and the neighboorhood cats are the only threat and they dont bother, neither do my own. i cant wait untill these cutie pies are bigger and able to go out in the garden. but one thing i would love to know is do i have boys or girls. one seems slightly heavier and is the one that will happily nibble at you hence his name. the other looks the same size but doesnt feel as heavy. the feet seem pretty similar in size. do you know when i will be able to tell what gender they are? there isnt really much information online about these gorgeos birds and in the first few days of having them i got really frustrated but since watching their behaviour and handling them as much as possible they are now coming upto me and falling asleep on my leg and if i place them on my chest they will sit there for hours, ive even fallen asleep a few times with them on me lol luckily they didnt go poopy on me. there need for water amazes me, its hilarious how they waddle their heads through the water then dart around. luckily enough we have a few old blankets that can be thrown away so they can come and join us when its time to chill out for a bit. what does it mean if they nibble at your finger? even if i dont give him my finger he tries to find it and nibble it anyway
paigen
a first time muscovy momma :)
Paigen, I love your message! Nibbling just seems to be their way of interacting, they grow out of it to a point, but when they are little (and if you are their mummy) they will nibble for hours! Older birds will stand together and ‘nibble the air’ so I wonder if they have some way of tasting the air maybe? Not sure, but it is very cute whatever!
As for male or female, they can be sexed at day old but I have never even tried as it is easy to permanently hurt them, so I just wait till it becomes obvious (around 1 – 2 months I guess). The 2 I am currently raising are only 2 and a bit weeks old, and one appears longer, lower to the ground and heavier than the other so I can convinced it is a boy. We’ll see!
Enjoy your little ones Paigen, and do let me know how you get on with them. (Are you on FB? If so, please pop some pics on the Hedgecombers wall!)
Janie x
I have muscovy ducks 3 girls and 1 boy.The three girls are sitting on their eggs and some of the ducks eggs have hatched but she is still sitting on the ducklings.Is this supposed to happen???
If the eggs are still viable (ie if she can feel/hear movement from them) she will sit for maybe a day or two after the first babies hatch. However, at some point she will leave the nest to focus on the hatched ones, even if the eggs are still viable (see this post http://hedgecombers.com/2012/09/01/finally-we-have-some-muscovy-ducklings/ )
Also the mother will sit in the nest for several days, keeping her babies warm under her wings & belly and just coming off to eat & poop. Each day she’ll come off for a bit longer as they get bigger and stronger.
Good luck Gabrielle!
Janie x
Sadly, I’ve never had a duck egg. TALU.
Quick, get round here you poor malnourished thing! Seriously, ‘Duck Egg Eating’ needs to be on your bucket list!
Janie x
They are beautiful little duckies. I would definitely be a fan of the non-quackers.
I know right? Way too cute :)
This is fascinating! I’ve always thought these were the ugliest things going, but never knew the first thing about them. Thanks for the efucation! And thanks for linking up with the TALU.
Anne, my work here is done :)
Everything you posted above is new to me! Love learning new things. It’s fascinating to me how the chicks look so different from their mommas. TALU
Hi akl, thank you for taking the time to visit & comment :)
The babies are real cute huh?
Janie x
Loved the educational aspect of this post. I definitely learned sometime new :) thanks. TALU
Cheers Debbie, and thanks for popping by!
Janie x
Wow! I wish I knew about these guys when I was a kid … I would have had a whole flock of them! I was EXTREMELY allergic to mosquitoes, and my back yard was basically a forest, so you can imagine how miserable my summers were – between all the scratching and being chased around with Benadryl! Very interesting and informative post. :) [#TALU]
What a bummer that must have been. Are you still allergic Chris?
Thankfully no! They’ll still pick me out of a crowd. If I’m with 100 people, everyone else will be bite-free and I’ll be covered form head to toe, but as a kid, I would get HUGE welts with every bite. It was awful.
Chris at Hye Thyme Cafe recently posted..Pumpkin and Sausage Penne
I’ve had the occasional mozzie bite get infected which was horrid, glad you don’t suffer so badly now.
x
You make me really want that organic farm I keep dreaming about. :)
(over from TALU)
Hehe, let me know when you’re there and I’ll send you some fertile Muscovy eggs as a gift :)
Janie x
My Son recently rescued a baby Muscovy that was the runt of the family. Mother Muscovies seem to have a trait of killing babies from other families by breaking their necks or pecking them badly. The one we rescued had all his tail feathers plucked out and he was slightly bleeding. We have been nursing him back to health with peroxide and ointment and there is much improvement in the few days we have had him.
I have two questions:
1) How much do we feed him? He is on a diet right now of canned peas and fruit baby food, but I am going to try to find the chick crumbs or chick starters you have mentioned.
2) We want to eventually release him back into one of the many lake areas near our home (SW Florida) at what stage will he be able to defend himself enough to do that ? Will there be any problems reintroducing him to the outdoors because of him being handled by humans ?
(I guess that is 3 questions. lol.
Thank you for all the information this site provides, you do a very good job with it.
Don
Hey Don, thanks for stopping by!
Firstly, a duck won’t eat more than it needs so it is important, esp when they are little, that they can eat whenever they want. Leave a bowl of crumbs out and another of water at all times, and they’ll sort themselves.
When he is released he will become part of the pecking order/hierarchy of the flock he joins, and as he comes with no social status or experience, if he joins a flock with one or more males, he’ll likely be at the bottom. You may find this hard to watch, but it’s all part of nature.
The fact that he’s been raised by humans shouldn’t make much difference to his future, with females it can lessen their maternal instinct and ability but I haven’t seen it affect drakes.
Aren’t Muscovies seen as vermin in parts of Florida? Be aware of releasing him back into the wild if this is correct, as you may be breaking the law.
I’d love to know how you get on with him, we have a Facebook page if you’d like to share photo’s! http://www.facebook.com/Hedgecombers
Janie x
Thank you for the information. I don’t do facebook but I have a couple of pictures………he is a cute little guy.
I think in Florida the breed is not encouraged but not illegal. There are tons of them on every lake down here and we have a lot of small ponda and lakes. This duckling was right here at the apartment complex where we live and we are keeping him in a big plastic tub in my shop office.
I have been looking everywhere for chick crumbs and can’t find them. I did find corn meal, is that ok ? I plan to suppliment it with the peas and baby food for more nutricion.
I also plan to move him to a very large dog cage I have, as soon as I see he is big enough to not hurt himself. He isn’t a real young duck, not sure how old but not like some very little ones I have seen in pictures.
Thanks again for the help. We are more familiar with cats so ducks are new to us.
Don
Ah, OK. Here in the UK, it is illegal to release some ‘vermin’ back into the wild if caught (Black rat & grey squirrel for example).
Not sure about the corn meal. In the wild they eat grass, grubs, worms snails etc if that helps! Otherwise find an agricultural dealer online to order some chick crumbs (of course it may be called something else on your side of the pond!)
He’s a very lucky duck to have found you Don! Good luck
Janie x
Thanks Janie. We just have a soft spot for all animals and feel so sorry for the ones who are at the mercy of the outside world.
I bought some cracked corn tonight and filled a dish wih it and he ignored it, but then I started giving him canned peas and he came to life and gobbled them right down. Then I filled our laundry tub (after scrubbing it clean) and put about 6 inches of water in it for him. He loved splashing around and dunking his head under it.
His wounds are healing pretty well and he seems healthy and alert, so it is just a matter of getting him bigger and more able to take care of himself before we find a new pond for him.
Thanks again for all the great info.
Don
Janie, need some more information on something. We have been hearing from people that we may be harming this duck by keeping it from it’s natural habitat. He is living in a big plastic tub and we let him swim a couple of times a day in our laundry tub. But we are afraid he isn’t getting the exercise he needs and also not getting the education on how to be a duck in the wild.
Our fear is that if we release him back to our community the other ducks will want to harm him now that he has been handled by humans. We thought we would take him to a totally new pond and release him there, but would that be any different?
What would you do ?
Don
I think the important thing to remember Don, is that he would be dead if you hadn’t intervened. Whatever happens to him, his future is brighter than it was if it’d been left to nature.
You say he wasn’t tiny when you found him, so he’d have spent some days or weeks learning ‘duck stuff’ with his mum, and he will certainly survive when back out in the wild (depending how harsh your winters are?).
I’ve got 2 ducklings that I hand reared that have never seen a pond, they have only ever swum in a sink or a plastic tub in their greenhouse. So long as he can wash & drink, he’ll be fine.
The main problem will be integrating him into a flock, but please remember, if he’d have gone back to them injured he wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Just reading back over your first message, you referred to him as the runt, so the behaviour he has learnt so far is as a low down member of the flock. This is what he’ll go back to being. He may well get attacked by the others, but there’s no way of knowing until you put him back. If his siblings are still with their mum, she may recognise his call if he’s returned to the same pond, but at a certain age, the mothers turn against the offspring to push them out into the world.
It is sad, but unless you choose to keep him in your backyard, or give him his own little pond and a female or two, there’s not much else you can do.
Is there a sanctuary anywhere near you that could take him, or a batty animal lover (just like me!) that has land and could home him?
I hope I have taken the pressure off you a little, good luck
Janie x
i have muscovy ducks and now they are grown they fight alot,is this normal i dont know anything about them. there is 3 females 4 males.2 of the males fought so much that one was bleeding from the wings,please help if there is anything i can do.
I would say you have 3 males too many Julia. 1 male and 3 females is the perfect family, any more males than that and they’ll continuously fight for the ‘top dog’ status. Your life, and theirs will be far more pleasant if you remove the extra boys x
Hello,
I live in South Florida and this morning after dropping my son off at school I came home to find a muscovy duck had layed her eggs in my front yard in the corner of my house. The mother was sitting on them when I came home and dad seemed to be standing guard. I went in the house and called the FWC and they told me to just let them be, so after a few hours I looked out my window and noticed dad and mom were both gone, the eggs are still there and I’m just worried because I have not seen mom or dad in a few hours and I don’t know much about the ducks. I really dont want anything to happen to the babies but I’m not sure what to do. Any advice would be very helpful, thank you.
Hi Jamie, how many eggs are in the nest? I’m guessing that she’s still in laying mode rather than sitting.
A duck will lay an egg a day until she has enough (around 15 or so) and then she’ll sit to incubate them. So you might have just seen her visiting your house to lay another egg. The day you notice her sitting and not leaving the nest, is day 1, on day 35 they will start hatching.
Good luck, enjoy the show!
Janie x
Hi,
Love your site. I was wondering if you’ve had any experience with Muscovies attacking humans. We’ve raised our two since they were little. They’ve been handled all their lives and suddenly they’ve started attacking all of us. I’ve tried holding their beaks closed gently and telling them no in a firm voice. I’ve tried shooing them away. I’ve tried picking them up and holding them for a short time. Nothing is working and they are starting to terrorise our 3 year old. I would be grateful for any tips and hints. They have the run of the yard and two ponds. Many thanks for any advice.
Hi Emma-Leigh, I’ve never had this happen with Muscovies, but I have with a rooster I hand raisied. He decided that he needed to dominate me and started attacking me. Like you, I was worried if he went for a child, so he ended up in the pot.
One possible thought, are they both boys? If so, I’d recommend getting rid of one and getting the other one a couple of lady friends (that may direct their testosterone in a more beneficial direction!)
Hope that helps, do let me know what ends up working x
Janie x
I have a batch if ducklings now that I am trying to move to a safer area away from crows and the mother duck will not sit on them to keep them warm unless they are at the spot they hatched. What should I do?
Hi Julian, I’ve always found it easier & less stressful (for you and the ducks) if you make the area the ducks wants to nest in safe, rather than trying to move her and her brood. The only other thing you could do is take the babies away from her and raise them yourself.
Good luck
Janie x
this is my story :
I used to have muscovy ducks, the first one i got was when i was seven years old i am 14 now.
her name was pepper, the most gorgeous duck ill ever know, i got her at 2 days old, she only cost $5, ill never forget the day i got her, she was the runt of the batch and as white as snow by the time she reached 6 months. and with her i got coco, coco was very shy. she was black and white. and she was beautiful.
by the time they were 5 months.
one day i woke up to give them fresh food and water, but i came to a horrible sight, saw Coco’s wing on the front lawn, she had been taken by a fox, i was crying my eyes out, pepper was ok
all about pepper.
after a while without coco, pepper got lonely, so we got a big white male, we named him salt. but he was rough with pepper so then we got two more girls both white,they were 6 months. we only had them for 3 months before my stupid, stupid, stupid brothers dog kaylah killed one duck, and seriously hurt the other, she had to get put down, there was nothing the vet could do to save her.and salt was fine she didnt touch him and as for pepper she was no where to be found. we looked every where, my mum told me to look behind the house, but it was dark and i was to scared to look.
the next morning she was behind the house, still alive but the flys got to her wound, so we took her to the vet to get the maggots out. but she passed away on the operating table.
i blame my self for her death, if i had just looked behind the house she would still be alive.
she would come when she was called, she would tap on the front door with her beak if she wanted to come in to the house. and the same to the fridge if she wanted lettuce and would sleep on your lap when you watched TV
i miss her so much.
i blame my self
Hi Chelsea, how lovely of you to write.
My Dad was a wise old fella, he’d been involved in farming since getting evacuated to a farm in the second world war when he was only 4.
One of his favourite sayings about farming (and if you keep ducks, that makes you a farmer too) is ‘if you’ve got livestock, you’ve got deadstock’. In other words, there are too many variables, too many things that can go wrong. You can only fix what you know, and learn from mistakes so they don’t happen again.
Some of the mistakes I’ve made whilst keeping animals make me blush. Some of my mistakes have led to an animal dying too, but I learn from them and make sure I do better next time. The key is whether you stay angry and quit, or whether you learn from it.
It’s not your fault Pepper died, it’s not even your brothers fault. Thinking about it, it’s not even your brothers dog’s fault. Animals are animals, and will do what nature breeds them to do.
Try not to be angry or mad with yourself, your brother or his dog. If you get another duck (which I really hope you do!) she won’t be Pepper, but she’ll be a great little duck who you can have a new friendship with.
Janie x
PS how did you stop Pepper pooping on your floor or lap when she came in the house?
i all ways wish on a star every night for her
Chelsea anderson recently posted..Vanilla Coconut Muffins
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Hello,
We (Sandra & Graham) are retirees in Australia and in January we inherited a baby muscovy because the other ducks were going to kill the new born which they had already done to 2 others.
We travel Australia in our caravan (see our website http://www.gypsyrovers.com.au) and are currently stationed on our sons farm South Australia (Barossa Valley wine region) until end of February when we will travel to the east coast for a year or so.
Now, this duckling named “sooky” has taken over our caravan and our lives. Sandra is the mum and sooky get cuddles every few hours and surprisingly does not poop until put down on the floor. Sandra can cuddle for ages without sookys pooping.
Incidently your site is great, loved reading the posts.
Sookys sleeps in the kitchen area of our van and every morning is put out for a run.
If sookys is left alone she (we think) gets upset and chirps quite loudly until one of us goes outside and sits with her.
Sookys gets anything and everything to eat and a bath twice a day. She is getting bigger and the feathers are just starting to develop so baby fluff is slowly going.
When we head off on our travels sookys will go with us.
She has a character all of her own and keeps us entertained for hours. At the moment she is asleep on Sandras feet.
If any retiree wants an entertaining and lovable pet we can fully recommend a duck. First one for us and love it.
Sandra and Graham
Downunder.
I live in the British Virgin Islands, and decided to raise a few ducks at my home, which is beside the sea.
I bought one Drake and six females in December last (three months ago) and now I have 29 ducklings, and another 9 on the way. Two of the original ducks laid 29 eggs together in one nest, and took turns sitting on the eggs, with both sitting together at night.
They are all free to roam but come back to their roost at night. The chicks were able to float and swim from day 1. They make me laugh out loud every day and I do not regret for one minute having them but no more chicks for now – just eggs. Michael
How adorable! I’ve seen girls sharing a nest, but never with that many eggs – that is remarkable!
Thanks for getting in touch Mike, keep enjoying them!
Janie x
Hi iv just got two Muscovy duck’s they are wonderful iv got a small garden & they come from a plot of land with only mud & yes i bet they love that but they are doing so much better with me i love to watch them as there so funny ,I had a lovely hut made for them with lots of room & when they think its bed time they waddel of to bed & as its cold in Engand at the moment i close the door & put a tarpoling over it to keep it warmer for them .
On the morning i cut up all there veg spinich. colly, cabbage ,carrots, green beans, witch they love sweetcorn & they love it i also have 4 big bowles for fresh water which i refill all day ,Iv had a pond put in & a big pool for them they love to splash all the time as you can tell im over the moon with them & my 3 dogs love to be in the garden with them all getting on very well .
Iv left a place in the garden that they can dig in with there beaks as iv got artafishal grass put down so i can get the hose pipe out & clean it . Summer is hear so this is where all the fun starts .
Awesome Shelley! They are such lovely gentle birds, I’m so glad you are enjoying them so much :)
Janie x
what a brilliant site!! so glad I found you. very informative and such lovely pics too!!
I have 3 muscovys girlies,2 pekin, 2 big black orpingtons and 12 mixed bantams all living together very happily in our now mud pit of a used to be a garden!! lol
its been quite a while since we had any eggs from hens or ducks alike but as the hens have now started laying Im eagerly awaiting our first duck eggs of the year!! seems odd though as last year we had three sessions of eggs every day but don’t know what could have stopped them from laying??!! the chooks had to be treated for mites but I don’t see why that should affect the ducks?? ((by the way how much do you sell your youngsters for usually please??))
thanks again for a great read !! x
Hey Terrie, thanks for stopping by!
Your garden sounds familiar, my poor hens have scratched up every blade of grass around their barn. Here’s hoping it comes back soon :)
Janie x
PS I don’t normally sell my Muscovies, but with the trouble I’ve had finding new birds the past 2 years I think I will be this year. No idea on price as yet, but they certainly won’t be expensive x
Okay what is it about muscovey boys! My girls, pristeen :) Beautiful white feathers, always keeping themselves clean and groomed……………..the boys! filthy! They dip into the water a quick clean behind the ears and that’s it, they are supposed to be looking good to woo my girls but no, dirty dirty typical boys! They have a small pond, they have a clean shallow bath, they have a clean very shallow bath, where do they dip their beaks? In the goats water bucket, beautiful clean water suddenly a muddy murky yuk of water! Boys!!
Hehe, sounds familiar!
Janie x
I live next to a small stream and wondered if muscovies would enjoy that as a ‘pond’ . There are some areas with less flow where they can splash. It’s in the woods of the northwest and I’d hoped to have the muscovies for mosquito control in the puddles of water from the stream, besides the fun of having pets, eggs and meat. How independant are they if left to the woods near the barn? I am sometimes gone overnight and work eves. I am choosing them cause they can roost away from predators, which are mostly cougar and bear and raccoon. Not many foxes around here. Any thoughts?
Sounds perfect Mary! If you don’t want them flying away, you’ll need to feed them at least once a day (I feed mine twice a day). Just don’t clip their wings so they have a chance at getting away from predators.
Janie x
I’ve loved reading all this! I one day hope to get muscovys! I first heard of them about 2 years ago when my Canadian friend told me that she had a pair, and that her neighbor had moved away and left another 2 females in her care, suddenly she was overwhelmed with ducklings! Most of them survived into adulthood, one got washed away and lost during a storm and I think 1 or 2 got taken by raccoons, she still has most of the ducks on her farm today. Infact typing this I remember she told me a story once about a pack of raccoons attacked her coop. She said she was awoken in the night and ran out to the coop to find a lot of chickens dead and her male muscovy protecting his hen against one of the raccoons, luckily they both survived but it was just a shame about the chickens. I go to an agricultural college in Cheshire UK and they have tons of ducks but sadly no muscovy :(, but when I’m older I plan to get some! And maybe a few chickens. But thanks for this post! :)
James, thank you so much for getting in touch! Your college so needs some Muscovies, they are the farmers bird of choice for meat & bug control :)
Janie x
Thanks for the reply! Where do you stand on keeping ducks with chickens? In college we do, and my Canadian friend did, and even a peacock. But online it always says you shouldn’t mix species…? James. x
Hey James, I think if everyone has enough space then it’s fine.
I’ve had chooks and ducks live together with no problems, but they were in a large barn and free ranged during the day. The only downside, is that ducks are really messy with water, so they are better off on their own!
Janie x
We have Muscovy ducks and just love them. we had a male stop in one day and he never left. He was here when my husband left for work in the morning and was still here when I got home after work. I had never seen anything like him before. I put some corn we had for the deer feeder in a pie pan and shook it so he would follow me to our pond. He stayed and seemed like he thought he was in heaven. It was so neat to watch him. I researched the breed on line and thought what a perfect match for us. We have no other pets, and I wanted something. I decided that I wanted to raise them for meat, and we would set something up here to do that, we have almost eleven acres. I told my husband we needed to get him a girlfriend, so I started searching the area ads to find one, and turned out someone not too far from us had a momma and 12 babies. So we bought them from him. We put mama and her babies together and left the male on the outside looking in. Seems like they went through a courting stage and when we finally let her out, he attacked her. My husband said he was showing his dominance. I scolded him to leave her alone and he did for a bit. They finally became friends and mated, she is sitting on eggs now, I don’t know where she is but she must have them hidden quite well, I worry about predators getting her eggs. I really don’t know how many she is sitting on, she comes home to eat and bathe once a day. I had heard they sit for like 45 days, and then some say less time. So, I am thinking a couple more weeks we should see some babies. I would think she will bring them closer to the food and water source. Right.
I just wanted to share my story, I really have gotten attached to them, we named the male big daddy, and mama I call her miss elly.
Judy, that’s such a great story! It’s amazing how many people really fall for the Muscovy, they are a very special bird :)
I hope your momma and babies make it home safe and sound. You’ll love the meat, it is wonderful. Do try the Happy duck pie recipe on here one day, it’s awesome!
Janie x
I know, I never thought I would had fallen for a duck.. lol
they are really fun to watch, they act so silly sometimes.
I will try that recipe you spoke about and let you know how we like it.
thanks for your response. :)
You’re welcome Judy, good luck!
Janie x
I forgot to say we live in Texas.
Judy
Hi Jane,
I am really enjoying your website, I have printed off the Happy Duck Pie, it sounds yummy.
I am wondering about butchering the ducks, because we will soon be doing that. The males are getting quite large already, and we are trying to prepare for Miss Elly to come home with her chicks.
Do you butcher them much like chickens? And what about the feathers, there seems to be a million (just a little exaggerated) Do we dip them in scalding hot water? Or what is the easiest way to remove all of the feathers?
I went looking for Miss Ellie again today, no sign of her for a couple days, unless she is showing up to take her bath when we are at work. I am hoping she shows up soon.
Thanks for a wonderful website. :)
Judy
Hey Judy. Firstly it depends what you want to do with the meat & how much tine you have! If in a hurry/making the happy duck pie, just peel them, feathers/skin & all. So easy!
If you want to roast the bird & want them plucked, I prefer doing it by hand, my partner by plucking machine. You can scald them but I don’t find it necessary unless the bird is older (and then you really don’t want to be roasting them anyway!)
With other ducks (aylesbury’s esp) the hot water draws out the grease from under their skin making plucking a nightmare. The feathers just skip through your fingers! You can do it with Muscovies as they are so lean, but I always prefer plucking any bird dry.
Do try this pate with the offal too, it’s heavenly!
Please let me know how you get on, and what you think of the meat!
Janie x
Thanks for getting back to me, Sounds like it would just be easy to just peel them. The ducks are young, we plan to do them when they are 6 months old, I heard they are the best when young. Our boys are really getting big. Broad chested.
We let the girls out of the pen now, one yesterday and one today. Was neat, cause Miss Ellie shows up today, she is their mama, seemed like she was communicating with them, and showing them around. When we let the first girl out yesterday, she seemed scared, but seems she is adapting, of course the boys are pushing on the fence trying to get out also. We are going to keep them in the pen, easier to catch when we are going to butcher them. Which won’t be much longer. We are anxious to try the meat. we plan to make hamburger meat and also would like to try roasting one.
Thanks again for your advice, much appreciated. :)
Have a Blessed Day,
Judy
Hi Jane,
I have some sad news, looks like Miss Ellie is done sitting, I am sure something got all her eggs, so she is hanging around the pond with the other girls. I hope next time she decides to put her eggs in a little house we made for her, and we can at least help her protect them. We can always move the little house in the pen, when she is done laying her eggs, and protect them.
Have a ducky day,
Judy
Oh, shame. Have you tried using fake ceramic eggs? Pop a couple in a nest you want the girls to go broody in, and voila! My girls only have to see those eggs & they end up sitting!
Better luck next time xx
Really, I will try that.
thanks