I am wondering when I should expect my Muscovy's to go broody- they were born on July 14th of this year - so would I expect them to be about a year old? I have two males and three females, just wondering when I should put in a box for them.
will I have to separate the males when the girls start laying?
this is all new to me. :)
thanks for your help
This message was edited Oct 7, 2014 5:28 PM
I don't know much about Muscovies, so I wouldn't be much help. I expect that the ducks will work it all out for themselves. But that sure is about the cutest duck house I've seen in some time!
Hope you enjoy your ducks>>>
Terri
Wrong time of year Now Judy's muscovies, I doubt they'd lay now until febuary. No need to separate the males from females, but are both males same age? Trouble with raising male muscovies of the same age is the fighting, for dominance, and they can really do some damage with their claws, speaking from personal experience! ;) If you have one male first, then introduce younger one/s at a later date, the young ones learn very early on who's boss Muscovy, and problems with fighting later on are then limited. I have a drake and his 2 sisters lavender/white, and 2 separate sisters, French white's. French muscovies are much larger than reqular muscovies, the 2 females I have are even bigger than my norman drake! No need for a box, put a pile of straw / hay in a corner in the house, when they go broody they'll start building a nest and plucking their chest feathers out to line the nest with, they're comical little things!
They are also prolific and can hide their nests, so yes to the hay come Feb,
My drake smiling!
Very nice duck house
Thanks for all the help Welshquercus - The two males are the same age, they hatched on the same day, don't know if they are brothers for sure because they came from a hatchery. - I was thinking they would start early spring going broody - but wasn't sure. they all seem to get along really well so far, the one male has already showed his dominance to the others - they all look to him to do things first- its pretty funny- I really enjoy them - so much fun to watch- they are really starting to get the Muscovy markings on their face. If the two males start their fighting I will separate them so they cant fight.
oh by the way your drake is so handsome - love that he is smiling.
Love his smile
Thank you very much both! And good luck Judy, you know where we are for future advice :)
yes I love this site, its been so helpful! I just love my Muscovy's they are so fun. I love how they get all excited when they see me, and when I talk to them.
I was given four Muscovy ducklings a couple of years ago; they all grew up to be males. They were excited to greet me too - so that they could hump my boots! I was able to give them away to our vet, who didn't believe me when I warned her of their rudeness. I understand they have been re-homed a couple more times...
Really Porkpal, I never heard of them doing that, the male we had for a couple years we called him big daddy, he was huge, but he never acted like that ever. He was like having a watch dog, we would get home from work he would always run to greet us. He got killed one night on the pond. ;( poor guy was too fat to fly.
My babies
Well, you know what happens when a bunch of teen-age males get together, ducks included...
Muscovys and cat getting along fine
Yep, females.
