OK, folks, I think we need to have a discussion about MUSCOVEY DUCKS!!

[Quail_Antwerp]

I want to know who else, besides me or ofg, have 'scovies?

and if you don't have 'em - you've got 30 seconds to explain yourself!!

ROTFL!

Nah, just kidding!

But, in all seriousness, I'm loving my 'scovies! but I didn't always want them - because who are they trying to kid?! They're - sometimes - the ugliest ducks ever!

Not mine! I think I have the most beautiful trio of 'scovies E V E R!!

So, this year I'm hoping to have several successful hatches of 'scovies, and I thought it would be nice to see if we could get some kind of flowing conversation going on about them, because the 'scovies are near to the top of my favorite water fowl.

What I know:

- they eat mosquitoes! how cool is that?! This was the main selling point for me to add muscovies to my barnyard.

- a trio (1 drake and 2 ducks) can over populate your barnyard in one year. (1 duck can set 3 clutches a year, and hatch 9-18 or more per clutch.)

- they are quiet

- they are good for meat

- they roost like a chicken!

- they can most definitely fly if you don't clip their wings!

- if crossbred to other ducks, the offspring from the cross are "mules". Meaning, crossbred offspring cannot reproduce.

So, I know this isn't all there is to now about 'scovies.


Talk to me!



















ps. my secret confession is I love my waterfowl more than my chickens....

 

[SKR8PN]

My buddy has them on his farm and I am allowed to hunt there,so I guess I have 'scovies by proxie.

His are all white with UGLY red heads.

 

[Blackbird]

I love scovies!
We have... 10 I think? Jeez, I need to go count them. There is a buff ripple female, three white females, three pied males, and three pied females. I was going to add some chocolate and lavender but I had my mind set on peafowl when I saw them at the game bird swap I went to and neglected to purchase any.

Here is Boyd and Saddina;

Yes, I'm going with names of BYCers. I also have a Gretchen (maplesky), but I haven't named the others yet.

 

[big brown horse]

ps. my secret confession is I love my waterfowl more than my chickens....

I love my ducks more than most of my chickens...all but Ruby.


P.S. You all have such lovely ducks! (I'm ready to butcher that rooster of mine!)

 

[Tracylhl]

I've been considering getting some but am a little concerned. I remember being chased by them as a child! I have a lake on property so I have plenty of mosquitoes (who in Florida doesn't!) and would love some quiete ducks - especially an old breed like this. I really don't want anything that is going to hiss and chase after my young kids, though! Did I just hit a bad gang of them (we had a lot of them near a creek by my house as a child) or do they tend to be fairly aggressive?

 

[ksalvagno]

How messy are ducks? Or should I say how much messier than chickens are ducks?

They intrigue me along with geese but my friend who has geese says I wouldn't like them because they are too messy and would make a mess of my barn.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

None of my ducks chase or hiss at any of us - that's the geese here

I will say, Drakes do tend to become a little aggressive during the breeding season only because they are trying to protect their gals.

I don't think my adult ducks are messy, but as babies they are definitely messy!

My chickens seem to be messier than my ducks.

ETA: Free ranged waterfowl are DEFINITELY messy! They poop everywhere, and if you step in that poo it's like stepping in axle grease and whooosh! you're on your bottom in a big pile of goose/duck poo!

 

[Dace]

But they are ugly as sin!

Sorry.....

K...ducks must be close to the messiest creatures that God made! I think that is why they have such cute personalities, to make up for the enormous mess.

 

[rebecca100]

I had muscovies for a couple of years. They do turn into big pets and aren't nearly as nasty in my opinion as regular ducks. They can be the most annoying things in the world. Mine layed in raised chicken boxes like chickens. The absolutely WILL NOT stay in a pen. I had a drake that would try to climb the wire and would actually get further up than I ever thought possible. They would land on my dh's arm if he held it out and then he would feed them out of his hand with them perched on his arm. They will perch on roofs and fly around the yard. Now since I am only on an acre, I have regular ducks since they are easier to keep confined!

PS mule ducks make a great roast!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I have 6, four females and two males. Mine are plain white and they are very friendly. Other than the big mess they make, with the feeder and water, they are great. I like how they hiss, but I think I might have to get a couple of ducks that actually quack. 9Just cuz I like hte sound)

What colour are the eggs though? and what is the size compared to chicken eggs. Mine didn't lay before winter set in last year, and I am now wondering if they are laying yet.