Per Tamara Faye's request I'm starting a thread on Muscovies.
Everybody please feel free everybody to jump in with any comments or questions
on Muscovies. You can read my ramblings on Muscovies on my website
and view their photo album. http://www.freewebs.com/cottage_rose_birdsnblossoms/muscovyducks.htm
Blue & Lilac Muscovy ducklings
I love your ducks!!!!! I have 13 ducks, some runners, a mallard, swedish ? they have a tuft on their heads. are muscovies, difficult?
My muscovies were fantastic fly eaters ...almost as soon as they hatched out of the egg they would be snapping away at the flies.
I found them to be real characters and I miss them sadly a fox killed them.Great breeders and no quacking, I was told that they are really a type of goose, not a duck and that is why there is no quacking only the odd hissing noise from a very "busy" male. I miss them.
Hi chrissy100
sorry to hear about your geese, ducks the wildlife can really be aweful that way, I enjoy what I see, but then I try like hell to protect them the best I can. how is your weather?
The weather is very strange ...usually we are going through the bushfire thing at this time of the year,but we have had nothing but storm after storm, and a great deal of flooding.
I no longer keep any of the chooks or ducks because the foxes are just too clever ...enjoy your lovely muscovies! :)
chrissy
I've had poultry for almost 30 years and can count on one hand losses to predators because we simply close our birds up in a barn every night.
Chrissy, Muscovies are a species of duck (not goose) but not Mallard derived like most other breeds of ducks.
They're a tree duck originally from South America
I love the "scovies" because I can actually be outside during the summer months and not be driven crazy by mosquitoes.
These ducks are masters at keeping the mosquito population way down.
And if you have a slug problems they love those too.
They're also good eating (not as greasy all mallard derived ducks) and the girls are great setters.
Oh ok The article I read must have been incorrect, I believed it because the daddy hissed like a goose, I was not aware that they ate the mozzies too,that is interesting.I never ate my birds ...most died of old age ...but I have heard that they are good to eat.The eggs were very good for making custard tarts ...huge strong tasting eggs, they are very good layers.I loved to watch them bathe and the ducklings were just lovely.
I do lock my birds up at night believe me, the coup is like fort knox, during the day they are in a yard that has a 6' high fence that goes all the way around my yard, we have coyotes and bobcat, and neighbor dogs that come through, once in awhile I let them out into my front yard, that is when something has gotten to them, I no longer leave them unattended, I am out there on guard.
not a real veggie, but there some things I don't eat, needless to say ALL my animals are pets:)
Electric fence or livestock guard dogs would help with coyote, fox or dog problems.
gardener105...here in Michigan they typically lay and set eggs from late spring thru late summer.
Thank you for the info.
thanks for the thread! when i get my pics loaded, i would like to post some. last fall we purchased two pied muscovy juvenilles from a local breed. the mom was black, the dad white, and they had nine babies that looked almost identical! we picked the two that were eaisest to catch.
well, Popeye & Olive became our favorites around here, esp after the chickens went on vacation [long story], the ducks & guineas were all we had to watch and enjoy! Olive successfully hatced out 12 ducklings on July 31st. She recently tried again. We still have a few of the babies. Rufus T Riley is ou rbreeder of choice for next year [looking for an unrealted mate for him], and Taz is our precious little female duck. The other fella is promised to a family for their Christmas dinner!
will post pics another time.
thanks for starting this thread!
tf
TF you're welcome and loking forward to seeing your pics.
Great thread! I've been thinking about and reading about ducks myself. My biggest concern is that they will take up residence in my ornamental pond. If I had a real pond (which I will someday) that would be fine.
Where do I find the long and short info about raising ducks? I just read an article about them in Countryside magazine. They were touting the daily egg laying and discussing the different taste of the eggs compared to chicken eggs.
cottage_rose, i just love how those rippled colors blend with the snow!
badseed, i'm thinking there are no "dual purpose" ducks. you either get layers or eaters. but we get duck eggs on occasion. we were getting goose eggs, but not for a while. hope we didn't eat the lay-er LOL
tf
Badseed...there is a lot of info online about raising ducks.
Just google whatever info you are seeking.
As for your ornamental pond you would have to fence your ducks off from going into it. I use 2 ft. tall green, vinyl coated, garden fence to set boundries so my waterfowl can't come up by my house.
Most ducks don't lay as much as chickens except for Khaki Campbells.
I find duck eggs stronger tasting (but some people don't) and the consistency is more rubbery if fried like a chicken egg but duck eggs are awesome for baking or used in pancakes etc.
I like ducks because they are great bug catchers and don't scratch up the flower beds like the chickens do but they drill holes in the ground around their water source and they are much wetter and messier than chickens.
They seem to go though feed faster than chickens even when they free range during the day.
Each has their pros & cons
Some ducks can be rather noisy but Muscovies are quiet.
.
LOL Tamara! I hope you didn't eat the layer either!
Rose, you only need a 2 foot tall fence? I take it the ducks don't fly? My Silkies can't get off the ground but I've seen my Golden Campine travel pretty good. LOL
Not having the yard torn up would e a plus. I've considered moving the chicken tractor to where I want new beds. They can kill a patch of grass in a hurry! And what does grow back is really nice and dark green.
I have to sort of laugh about about the noise factor. One of my neighbors joked about knowing they live in the country now. My two Silkie roos seem to compete with their crowing. ;)
There is a house a few miles from here that always has a sign selling something. Last I noticed was eggs and hogs. I've seen goats, hens, ducks, eggs, hogs, etc. Maybe I should stop by sometime to see how they have it all worked out. I kind of hate to bother people if I'm not actually planning to buy.
Thanks you two!
My Khaki Campbells are excellent layers. Everyone likes the eggs for eating except my daughter and I love baking with them. Also they are pretty quiet. The most noise they make seems to be at night! I've thought something was bothering them a couple of times and gone out in my nightgown just to see them happily swimming around in their pool! Even this quacking isn't a obnoxious sound and when they are happy it almost sounds like they are softly grunting. I had a couple of small calling ducks(before the fishercat came around) and boy were they noisy! It sounded like they were laughing very loudly! Must say I miss them-when they were talking it would make you laugh and I don't have any close neighbors that would complain about them.
And Badseed, most people love showing off their animals so if you see them outside, stop in for a chat!
Badseed...Oh YAH than can most definitely fly but I keep their wings clipped, that way I have more control over them and no they don't go over the 2 ft. fence.
I keep my chickens penned up most of the time because they drive me nuts scratching up the flower beds and they also like to shred up hostas and stuff. The ducks just sift through the mulch and don't mess it all up like the chickens. I have a border of the short fence so the birds don't come up by the house and poop all over everything...which they would inevitably do. Its easy to step over but if you're a klutz like me be careful not to trip.
Critters ALWAYS seem to go where you don't want them to.
My muscovy 'Bob' was given to us by a neighbor after our chickens and previous duck were killed by a badger. We raised Bob from an hour old, and he lives in the house with us (until next spring). He was stepped on by a horse one day, and lost most of the feathers from one wing, and his body. The vets said he would never grown them back or fly (he lost a lot of skin where they said the quills grew from). Last week...after growing back his wing, and all of his body feathers...he flew. He flew into the door since I didn’t get it opened in time for him to fly from the garage into the living room! CRAZY duck.
What we don’t get is that what is left of our neighbors duckling (he managed to kill 22 of the 24 he had) are all horrible ugly! They are Bobs full brother and sister, and look nothing like him! They have the ugly red stuff on their heads, and are all weird colors. Any clue why my Bobert is so attractive? Is there something about living outdoors that does this to them? Or did we just end up with the 'ugly duckling'?
I have no clue, but the fact that he made a liar out of the Vet is wonderfully funny! LOL! He's a doll!
Yes...our vet has been out a dozen times since then to work on a colt of ours. He just shakes his head every time he sees Bob. I always bring him out into the garage when the vet comes...
Bob also LOVES taking baths. He is far too big for out tub...but I fill it anyway every other day for him. He will soak for hours, and he dives until the water the entire 8 inches until he hits (head first) into the other end of the tub. I have to close the curtain because he splashes so much. Next spring we are putting a pond in for him. I am not worried about the fish since he never did eat the ones we bought FOR him to eat! They have since become pets and live in the horses stock tank to keep from freezing.
What a beautiful duck! :) I wonder if I could convince my husband to allow a duck in the house....heehee!
Too bad he is not like my hubby, I can adopt anything with feathers and call it by the name of one of my others birds (totally different color and species) and after I tell him no that bird has always been.......and he believes it. He will catch on when we need to add onto to the bird room and chicken house!!!!!!!! hehehehehehehehe
evil Lora, i like your plan!
mcamden, i have to ask: since you and hubby raised Bob, and he never saw his kin, is it possible he looks like you??? ;-)
beautiful duck and story...
tf
Funny you should mention evil, my hubby says I said "my evil plan is working" when we got engaged!! And it still is!!!
Married and lots of pets!
Hmmmm...
Bobert might be a "mule"...a Muscovy crossed with another breed of duck. Most are sterile and can't reproduce.
He's a cutie patootie! :o)
You might want to clip his wings so he doesn't injure himself flying into things. Here is a link on how to do the "beauty clip"...
http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/clip.html
I thought maybe he was crossed also, but his parents were kept along in a pen until all the ducklings hatched. They are both very ugly, and the other two look just like them. We say that Bob is beautiful because we raised him inside, let him take a warm bath 3-4 times every week, and we give him clean food and water every day. He also has a heat lamp if he getst chilly (mostly because he was missing so many feathers that he couldnt hold heat in).
My dear man doesnt like having Bob in the house...but I never really asked either. The horse and her colt live in his parking space in the garage (its a dirt floor), and he bought our 20 acres just so my horses could have enough grass to graze. It is like that song...'Everything I do..I do it for you.' BUT...'Everything I do...I do it for my horses, chickens, cats, and bob!'
I don't believe living indoors would stunt the growth of the curuncles on a Muscovy. My Muscovies are provided with fresh water daily (twice daily durting the summer months) for bathing, even in the winter.
They are fed the best of food and have green grass for grazing during the growing season.
Lack of care does not make Muscovy grow curuncles anymore than good care stunts their growth.
It may just be a fluke if he truly is a full blooded Muscovy....or somebody got over the fence and bred Bob's mom.
BTW I think Bob would benefit/like living outside like a real duck as soon as the weather warms up.
Heres some more of my Muscovies...
Oh yes...Bob is moving out this spring. We never intended on having him in the house, but after his accident the vets said he woudlnt be able to hold heat. He actually doesnt like being outside, and when he comes out with me he typically runs back to the door and waits for someone to let him in.
He is a good duck...but ducks should NOT live in the house! :) I did find that kitty litter in his drip pan was the best way to go to keep the smell down. I am sure even after he moved out we will still let him in from time to time to watch movies and play with the cats.
We also took him out to our lake several times last summer and he loved swimming under water! I never knew that muskovys would go under so far...but he loved it! He walk walk from our cabin all the way to the lake, and if we dropped behind he would stop and wait for us. He is more like a little person sometimes I think.
Oh...and I wasnt serious about thinking he was pretty because we raised him indoors or on fresh water. I was just being silly. Not sure why he looks like he does...but we dont complain.
He sure sounds like such a dear little duckie.
Thats really cool. ;o)
ducks, chicks, cats, dogs, birds, etc... my husband said, a long time ago, "I am sure he regrets it now" that I could whatever I want, well when he came home one night, in the rain and I am blow drying chickens in the bathroom, I am sure he thought to himself, what the ***&^%$##89 now is she doing.
LOL maki...I can totally relate.
When I got married I came with a Great Dane and it just expanded after that....4 two legged kids and lotsa critters.
I said..."hey you do hunting and fishing...I do critters"
End of subject.
He had to learn to "get over it". ;o)
We have lots of four legged kids, any time I get a little weak i.e "mother hormones" he is fine with another 4 legged,
I guess it shuts me up and keeps me busy:)
"I guess it shuts me up and keeps me busy:)"
That's why my dh is so cooperative. Until he has to build another pen, then he objects [a little]...
We only have one chicken in the house, Apricot is six weeks old tomorrow, and Sam plays with him every day. Today the little guy thought he was going to come into the living room, i rolled a sock at him to discourage it. He just jumped up and let it roll under him, so i hit him with the next sock!
