G'day Elissa, thanks for the great informative video. I've always found that muscovy ducks are really good mothers. Can't wait to have ducks again. Stay safe and God bless you.
I can't believe this only had 68 likes. We are new to backyard Muscovy keeping and I found this video the most informative of all. You have helped make our drake and his 5 hens even happier as we've implemented your advice. Thank you so much.
What a lovely video! Thank you so much for the information! I have a few Pekin's on my little homestead in the desert of Arizona. I am looking for other channels to learn how others care for their ducks! Blessings.
Hello Betty DeMers it so lovely to have you visit us at Moat Cottage, Pekins are so lovely and you only have to wait 28 days for their eggs to hatch. 😊
Where I'm staying - so not my ducks - one of the ducks sitting on eggs was attacked last night but no idea what time so we're unsure how long she was off her eggs but a good few hours. How long can she be off the eggs & they still live? She's been on them about 3 weeks. She's relatively ok though looks like a broken leg & has teeth marks - probably a fox. We've now sat her back on them, applied antibiotic spray to the puncture wounds which aren't too bac & going to lock her in the stable where her nest is. Plus keep the cattle dog outside. Thanks!
Hi Elissa, I have a 5 eight week old Muscovy Ducklings. Apparently they are all males. One is being picked on. They don't do it constantly, but I noticed in the last few days that the wing tip feathers are all gone. Is there a way to correct this. They are in a duck tractor together. I haven't allowed free ranging yet. They are meat birds, but not quite old enough to be processed.
Hello. Mine had 12 eggs and now she's down to 4. She has stayed on the nest the whole time and they are past the due date. Should I just remove them to get her off? She has been such a good little momma. I did find a fully formed one on the ramp dead.
Hi Martha, Oh dear I am late to your message sorry. By day 37 I would remove the eggs and take her off the nest, keeping her elsewhere or locked out of her nest. It sounds like something is stealing the eggs or were you taking them because they werent fertile? It is sad when it doesnt work out but we can work out what went wrong for success in the future.
With regards to checking the leftover "bad" eggs, I like to do this along the way. I don't own an incubator, all mine hatch naturally as well, but I will generally check them once a week when the mother gets up to see how many are coming and if any are bad. If it looks bad, I mark it and check again the next week, and if I'm sure its no good then I'll take it away and have a look inside. That way we know exactly how many babies to expect, which helps with planning for when they arrive (do we need a bigger food/water dish, will they need to go to the bigger pen etc) and there's more room under the smaller mothers for the all of the good eggs so they're less likely to be exposed to the cold, especially during the winter time (I also live here in Victoria, Australia).
This is great routine and schedule to use if you are keen to check your eggs. Thanks for your great comment Jayde, a fellow Victorian, I hope you and your ducks are all going well 🙂
Perfect timing! Thank you for this - first time muscovy owner here. First clutch under broody she hid so many that they didn't hatch. She was hiding them so well though. Nice girl, very gentle. Currently (after a fox picked one of my girls) I have a broody chicken on 3 eggs and since then another duck has been sitting - I haven't heard her off the nest and was worried that she was being too good at incubating. She's a Tasmanian Devil - cartoon version! Thankfully by the time I'd checked the eggs and marked them (she has 15 and I removed a fair few that appeared sneakily) the poo she left made me feel happier that she is definitely coming off the nest to eat. Also learnt that pencil washes off when they've bathed, so marker pen it is! I have about 10 to 15 days left under the chicken and about 20 to 25 days under the other duck. Do you think 15 eggs is still too many? Your channel is the first one that I have found that covers muscovies in a good smallholder/homestead way. Much appreciated.
Firstly, I am so sorry for your loss, it’s awful when you loose a bird to a predator. 15 eggs is fine for a muscovy, just be prepared for some hungry mouths to feed - they eat a heap when they’re growing. They may not all hatch out but see how they go. Some ducks only come off when no one is watching, so finding a broody duck poop is a sure sign 😂 I am looking forward to hearing how you go 🤞🏼 🥚
Thank you. I can breathe for a bit! I already had bought in duckling crumb before the lockdown as the first duck was sitting and I wanted to be prepared if I couldn't go out. Just been watching your buckets of fermented grains. I'd been giving a little to the chickens now and again - didn't know the ducks loved it too. I will now pilfer one of my husband's buckets for a larger fermenting session! LOL! :D
Update 3/3 under broody hen - now 15 days old. Hen has been lovely and we've been handling the ducklings so they get used to us. Bet they are all boys! LOL! 5 days ago all 15 of the eggs hatched under the broody T-rex. All doing well at the moment! :D
Update on the updates. The first 3 are delinquents! Their hen mum won't sleep with them now (5 weeks old) but insists on being close to hand during the day. The 15 in betweenies are now 13 - 2 disappeared, not sure whether it was crows or their dad. Cooter our first with the failed hatching in March has successfully hatched 6 eggs and they are just 3 days old. So far so good and pools gradually progressing to larger sizes. Just goes to show a new duck owner panicking! LOL! Always great to refer here. Hope all is well down under. xxx
Haha just posted a video of our broody muscovy and she acts very similar to the one in the video! Our one stole her friend eggs and now chases them around every day she takes a break! How does she have energy! The idea with the grain in water is very good! Will try that! Thanks.
Hi there! I have another question. So both are female Muskovy ducks are now sitting on their nests. It’s been about two Saturdays. I’m feeling nervous about this. One of them will be a first time mom and the other has had chicks before but not with us. This is our first time raising chicks and I’m wondering if there’s a checklist of what I need to do to prepare for so many chicks. Do the females need a separate space to hatch their eggs?Does the Drake need to be out of the picture? Do the Drakes eat the babies? I’m in Boise Idaho USA it’s early spring and can get a bit chilly at night. Do they need a warming light? Brooder? When hatched what do they eat, do they need a shallow water bowl? Any helpful tips from you would be helpful this is my first time being a human chick momma! Thank you so much! Melanie
Hi, we have a duck nest on our 3rd floor balcony.. im worried about how the babies are going to get down, is she gunna fly them down one by one?? or at a certain point after they hatch should i bring the nest down to the 1st floor?? its in a planter , we live in a south FL community with ducks all around
I'm also curious to know. For dry food, I feed mine wheat and sometimes chicken pellets but I've never put it in the water. It tends to stink when it gets wet so I'm not too sure about this.
@@jaydem2086 if you soak healthy grain in water it will ferment and smell sour. This helps to make the feed more bio available to the bird and opens up the nutrients that are there rather then them just passing through the bird. Of course it needs to be done with some understanding of the process. I ferment all of the feed I give my muscovies. It's served under water which is also better for them then just choking down dry food. Look up videos on fermenting feed. There is a good one on this channel too.
I find your channel to be one of the best resources of practical knowledge regarding Muscovies, keep up the good work. Any chance when you where on a larger property you raised geese and if so how comparable is the grass consumption ? Im looking at doing a small flock of muscovies on a rotational pasture method. Cheers Brendan
Thankyou Brendan at Farmgate Cottage, I appreciate your feedback. When I was on 1000 acres there were 27 main geese plus babies. Unfortunately because there was so much space, I couldn’t tell how much they grazed to compare to Muscovy ducks. In saying that, their diets are the same and Muscovies love grazing, so very similar if you take into account the size difference.
With mine, usually they dig a hole (the dent in the dirt that was mentioned), and a few days later they add some feathers and lay the first egg, so it's nest first. Though I did have one mother duck years ago who would do it the other way around sometimes. Guess it depends. Source: I have owned and raised Muscovies for 15 years (since I was 5)
Both ways Meg, like Jayde said. Ducks make the indentation daily as the lay each egg and can start to add feathers then or when they finally start sitting, the feathers increase until Mum is happy with her nest and by the time the ducklings hatch it will be nicely insulated and very comfortable.
My mama ducks just had two baby and I was scared I was doing something wrong and is it normal for the mama's to start to be very aggressive? Ps my ducks are rouen ducks
Thank you SO much for this video! I will be introducing a drake to our flock soon for breeding purposes and need all the tips and tid bits I can get! I do have questions about keeping ducks and chickens together. I would love to understand your process as I have heard mixed reviews - my biggest concern is the drake breeding with the chickens as I hear it can be quite bad. Thank you!
You are so welcome Rewilding Heart. My 2 drakes are very respectful of my hens, I often see them sharing a food bowl (the chickens don’t usually share well with the other ducks) and the chickens will happily go up to a drakes bowl and share, they seem to be equals. My boys don’t try anything with the chickens either and are very sweet when the chickens have babies too. But like I said, when I have a heap of teen males, it needs to be managed before it becomes an issue. I raised my drakes from 4 weeks old and already had chickens, so they always got along fine and my drakes are very good natured. I have heard stories too of course but my personal experience has been positive. You will need to be sure the chickens have access to clean water at all times and space to spread out if needed. Keep an eye on the personalities in your flock and see how they go. Also don’t let duck mommas hatch out chicks, but your chicken Mums can hatch out ducks.
It could be they need time, it could be the time of year, it could be the birds ages, it could be he is just not that into her...... give them a chance to settle in more than 20 days, they are living beings not machines.
Oscar's Back Garden Birds I am not a vet, but I do know it could be a few things that can cause this. It could be a respiratory issue if there is coughing, sneezing and/or trouble with breathing. You say she seems fine though, so it could be an eye infection. Make sure your ducks always have access to enough clean water, that they can fully submerge their heads to wash out their eyes. You can treat by washing a few times a day with a salt and water solution or if really needed antibiotic ointment. It can be caused by another bird, over mating or damage from a fence or plant... if you suspect the respiratory issue then seperate her immediately.
Hi, Elissa. Thank you for the educational video about the muscovy ducks. I always enjoy your posts. It looked like a lovely fall day. Do you rake your backyard so that you don't step in poo all the time? Will ducks reach an age when they won't lay any eggs like chickens do?
Hello Hoot, it’s always so lovely to see you. It was a great fall day, the sun was in and out all filming. I usually keep adding straw and wear gumboots (or flip flops in summer) and it eventually ends up breaking down and feeding the garden or it gets added as layers in the compost then back in to the food growing areas. I hope you are staying well 😊🦉
Elissa, I got them all. Lately, YT or some entity has been flashing some sort of msg on me at times when I'm typing. I can't read it bc it is only up for a second or two: but it's there. Idk what to do about it. Have you ever had that happen? I hope you are doing well to, my friend. 🦉
also from Victoria, Australia. Like to know where you get your starter feed for your baby muscovy. much appreciated, as been watching your videos for long time now :)
Hey C Xyooj and fellow Victorian. Here is the link to the Duck Starter amzn.to/2WXGpYg It is 20kg so I store it in a container with a lid, so no mice or water gets to it and it can last a few years if it isn't all getting used.
I want to know everything about house design for 100 Muscovy ducks , how Manny male duck is needed for 100 ,? Should I keep them all together in one house with a brooding nest in it ,altogether , or how to manage their house if seoerate ing them is needed, Can you please explain more information about duck , Iam waiting for your reply ,
Hi Franky, I am a back yard Muscovy owner and have only ever had up to 30 birds at once. I had 2 Males that were brothers and they got along well. I am not able to give you the best advice on farming bigger numbers like you want as I have no experience in that. i hope you find the information.
Right in the beginning there's a little girl behind you performing her Arabesque. (Darn! Another thing I forgot to look at. It's been that kind of day)
Depending on the male, I have found they can easily manage 6 females and some drakes can happily manage up to 9 females. If you only want 2 females that is ok too.
What if the eggs are unfertilized I recently got a duck from somebody I don't know she was kept with males or not I don't know what the eggs are fertilized and she appears to be building a nest she has all her eggs stacked up with all the little down feathers around it and I caught her sitting on it once if the eggs are unfertilized well she continue sitting on them till they rot or she just stop sitting on them
She will sit on them until they rot. I'd suggest candling the eggs next time she gets up, taking a picture of that, and checking again in a few weeks time. If they are exactly the same, then the eggs are probably infertile, but if the air sack (the clear/white part at the wide end of the egg) is bigger or you see movement inside, it's probably a baby duck. Did you manage to hatch anything on this occasion? Source: I have owned and raised muscovies for 15 years (since I was 5)
Here in Victoria, Australia, I just buy it at my local Petstock store for ~$25 for a 20kg bag or sometimes cheaper at any of the other livestock supply stores in town. Else, if you have somewhere to store it, you might be able to find leftovers or lower quality grain after harvest from some of the farmers for a decent price, but just be careful that you're not buying stuff that's been left out in the rain or has had heavy chemicals used on it.
I buy my grain at a farm supply store as I live in the country, surrounded by farms. I store it in large plastic drums so no rain, rodents or wild birds get to it.
Hello, I have a male and female Muskovy duck. The female disappeared for about a week and a half and I later found her in a nest down in a hole of one of my trees. I have no idea how long the eggs have been sitting there. I ended up building a house for her and moved the eggs into her new nest. She’s been sitting on them for the past few weeks in the new nest and at least another week possibly more in the tree. Now, there are a lot of flies and it’s starting to stink really bad. Some of the eggs are white and cream color and others are dark blue and spotty. Does this mean all the eggs are rotten? Is it possible some of them are OK? How can I find out which eggs are good or bad? I’d hate to throw out all the eggs and some of them possibly be good and ready to hatch soon. What to do? :)
You need to candle the eggs, shine a torch through the egg, in a dark room. (Watch a video to see how it’s done) You definitely want to throw the rotten eggs out. They may have already spread bacteria through to the other eggs....
we candled the eggs, 12 of 14 were definitely rotten. Two of them look to be good. One of them, we saw a baby duck moving inside. Hopefully they will be OK. Thank you for the information.
Depending on the location your ducks lay their eggs, will depend on the type of nest they build. It could be anything from an indentation in the dirt, under a bush or in straw in the coop. When they start pulling out their down feathers to line the nest, where they lay eggs, you will know she is preparing to go broody and will want to sit on her eggs. Some Muscovies want to sit quite regularly and some hardly ever go broody but you cant force a duck to sit if she doesnt want to. You can definitely create a nice safe environment to encourage her and leave her eggs in the nest until she sits on them, you can date them with a texta. I hope this answers your question.
Hi Elissa I know you probably wont see this comment, but because of your videos i got my first trio (1 male, 2 females) earlier today, i just wanted to know if you have any videos about prosseccing extra males, if not because of youtubes guidelings thats ok. Also what part of Victoria are you in? I live down in one of Melbourne's northern suburbs (3073) and was wondering what area you are in. Thanks in advance 😁👍
[brief insert video of Drake fertilizing the female] That was cute At least one of my ducks pooped all over her nest this spring. Last year I had one who was eating her eggs. I have had Muscovy since 2014 which means they started the following March and I have never had so few ducklings as I have had the past two years not counting this one. So far in 2023 I have had one duckling. It's the beginning of June. I'm in Florida. This is weird. I'm going to shut up and go back to watching your video now. I've already been interrupted by the collapse of a hydroelectric power plant dam in Ukraine I think So if I don't get with this I'm going to be up until 5:00 a.m. at which point I can just wait an hour and let all the ducks out so they can poop.
That one's a bit tricky. There is a way to do it, you'd have to look online as I haven't done it myself, but you pop out the vent (that's the butt) and can tell that way fairly accurately, apparently, and that's what they do at the factory farms. Personally, I wait until their about 6-8weeks old by then you can generally see differences between them (boys are fatter with bigger feet, girls are little and have pointy tails) but the longer you wait, the easier it will be to tell. Source: I have owned and raised muscovies for 15 years (since I was 5)
Hi A Ri.m I watched your short video and got a glimpse of a black drake, I couldn’t tell what the white bird was and how old are the two black and white Muscovies?
" it can stink for days " sounds like you speak from experience having had a rotten egg broken on you . lots of information , to much for only one viewing . filled under watch again and take notes . good video , I liked it
Fantastic & informative! Beautiful lemon tree too!!! Thank you.
Thank you just started Muscovy farming in Ghana and had some trouble with my ducklings . Your tips are soo true .
Wonderful, Best of luck!
Always love watching your videos, Elissa... x
G'day Elissa, thanks for the great informative video. I've always found that muscovy ducks are really good mothers. Can't wait to have ducks again. Stay safe and God bless you.
InYa Yard Homestead hi Josh and thank you, it’s great to see you’ve been out and about. Stay safe 😊
I agree
'Just peak in and see if she's okay.' Pekin. Lol
👍👏. Love your happy smile 😺
😁 thanks for watching
Best eggs for baking, especially sponges. No need to separate egg whites.
I once heard that a duck egg makes the perfect pavlova. Just substitute 2 chicken eggs for 1 duck egg. Never tried it myself though.
I love them and use them instead of chicken eggs for all of my cooking, with great results.
I was very worried about my moscovy's new squeeky-sneezy noise and fanned rear tail until I found your channel; now a subscriber, thanks =]
Welcome anthropic android, glad I could solve your mystery duck behavior and thanks for the Sub,
Thank you for a great video. I just have one question. How long do you keep Mumma and ducklings separate from the other ducks?
Adorable 🥰💕🥰 thank you for sharing your knowledge very informative.
Lot's of great information! Thank you, Elissa!
Thank you so much Carol, I hope you are going well 😊
beautiful Lemon Tree!🍋
Thank you so much 😊
@@MoatCottage your very welcome!
I can't believe this only had 68 likes. We are new to backyard Muscovy keeping and I found this video the most informative of all. You have helped make our drake and his 5 hens even happier as we've implemented your advice. Thank you so much.
I did not know about the coal! Thank you!
You are so welcome
Thanks for this video
I have 4 ducks and 2 drakes but i doesn't now the hatching process of ducks, with this video i learned that. Thanks🥰🥰
Glad it helped Erland, thanks for watching
Beautiful ducks great video, mine are hatching today.
What a lovely video! Thank you so much for the information! I have a few Pekin's on my little homestead in the desert of Arizona. I am looking for other channels to learn how others care for their ducks! Blessings.
Hello Betty DeMers it so lovely to have you visit us at Moat Cottage, Pekins are so lovely and you only have to wait 28 days for their eggs to hatch. 😊
What is the temperature / humidity in the incubator for Muscovy duck eggs?
Where I'm staying - so not my ducks - one of the ducks sitting on eggs was attacked last night but no idea what time so we're unsure how long she was off her eggs but a good few hours. How long can she be off the eggs & they still live? She's been on them about 3 weeks. She's relatively ok though looks like a broken leg & has teeth marks - probably a fox. We've now sat her back on them, applied antibiotic spray to the puncture wounds which aren't too bac & going to lock her in the stable where her nest is. Plus keep the cattle dog outside. Thanks!
Thank you very much, I love your videos
esrab ventures you are so welcome 😊🦆
Hi Elissa, I have a 5 eight week old Muscovy Ducklings. Apparently they are all males. One is being picked on. They don't do it constantly, but I noticed in the last few days that the wing tip feathers are all gone. Is there a way to correct this. They are in a duck tractor together. I haven't allowed free ranging yet. They are meat birds, but not quite old enough to be processed.
Hello. Mine had 12 eggs and now she's down to 4. She has stayed on the nest the whole time and they are past the due date. Should I just remove them to get her off? She has been such a good little momma. I did find a fully formed one on the ramp dead.
Hi Martha, Oh dear I am late to your message sorry. By day 37 I would remove the eggs and take her off the nest, keeping her elsewhere or locked out of her nest. It sounds like something is stealing the eggs or were you taking them because they werent fertile? It is sad when it doesnt work out but we can work out what went wrong for success in the future.
With regards to checking the leftover "bad" eggs, I like to do this along the way. I don't own an incubator, all mine hatch naturally as well, but I will generally check them once a week when the mother gets up to see how many are coming and if any are bad. If it looks bad, I mark it and check again the next week, and if I'm sure its no good then I'll take it away and have a look inside. That way we know exactly how many babies to expect, which helps with planning for when they arrive (do we need a bigger food/water dish, will they need to go to the bigger pen etc) and there's more room under the smaller mothers for the all of the good eggs so they're less likely to be exposed to the cold, especially during the winter time (I also live here in Victoria, Australia).
This is great routine and schedule to use if you are keen to check your eggs. Thanks for your great comment Jayde, a fellow Victorian,
I hope you and your ducks are all going well 🙂
Thanks Elissa great video always learning from you
Hi Mike Nunn nice to see you here and glad you liked the video 🦆
Thank you for this video. A lot of other videos are not as informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Perfect timing! Thank you for this - first time muscovy owner here. First clutch under broody she hid so many that they didn't hatch. She was hiding them so well though. Nice girl, very gentle. Currently (after a fox picked one of my girls) I have a broody chicken on 3 eggs and since then another duck has been sitting - I haven't heard her off the nest and was worried that she was being too good at incubating. She's a Tasmanian Devil - cartoon version! Thankfully by the time I'd checked the eggs and marked them (she has 15 and I removed a fair few that appeared sneakily) the poo she left made me feel happier that she is definitely coming off the nest to eat. Also learnt that pencil washes off when they've bathed, so marker pen it is! I have about 10 to 15 days left under the chicken and about 20 to 25 days under the other duck. Do you think 15 eggs is still too many? Your channel is the first one that I have found that covers muscovies in a good smallholder/homestead way. Much appreciated.
Firstly, I am so sorry for your loss, it’s awful when you loose a bird to a predator. 15 eggs is fine for a muscovy, just be prepared for some hungry mouths to feed - they eat a heap when they’re growing. They may not all hatch out but see how they go. Some ducks only come off when no one is watching, so finding a broody duck poop is a sure sign 😂 I am looking forward to hearing how you go 🤞🏼 🥚
Thank you. I can breathe for a bit! I already had bought in duckling crumb before the lockdown as the first duck was sitting and I wanted to be prepared if I couldn't go out. Just been watching your buckets of fermented grains. I'd been giving a little to the chickens now and again - didn't know the ducks loved it too. I will now pilfer one of my husband's buckets for a larger fermenting session! LOL! :D
Update 3/3 under broody hen - now 15 days old. Hen has been lovely and we've been handling the ducklings so they get used to us. Bet they are all boys! LOL! 5 days ago all 15 of the eggs hatched under the broody T-rex. All doing well at the moment! :D
Update on the updates. The first 3 are delinquents! Their hen mum won't sleep with them now (5 weeks old) but insists on being close to hand during the day. The 15 in betweenies are now 13 - 2 disappeared, not sure whether it was crows or their dad. Cooter our first with the failed hatching in March has successfully hatched 6 eggs and they are just 3 days old. So far so good and pools gradually progressing to larger sizes. Just goes to show a new duck owner panicking! LOL! Always great to refer here. Hope all is well down under. xxx
Your videos were very informative
Thanks BarSon Family, I’m glad you are getting value from them 😊
Haha just posted a video of our broody muscovy and she acts very similar to the one in the video! Our one stole her friend eggs and now chases them around every day she takes a break! How does she have energy! The idea with the grain in water is very good! Will try that! Thanks.
Hi there! I have another question. So both are female Muskovy ducks are now sitting on their nests. It’s been about two Saturdays. I’m feeling nervous about this. One of them will be a first time mom and the other has had chicks before but not with us. This is our first time raising chicks and I’m wondering if there’s a checklist of what I need to do to prepare for so many chicks. Do the females need a separate space to hatch their eggs?Does the Drake need to be out of the picture? Do the Drakes eat the babies? I’m in Boise Idaho USA it’s early spring and can get a bit chilly at night. Do they need a warming light? Brooder? When hatched what do they eat, do they need a shallow water bowl? Any helpful tips from you would be helpful this is my first time being a human chick momma!
Thank you so much! Melanie
Can we take eggs from nest after can we keep back for hatching
Hi, we have a duck nest on our 3rd floor balcony.. im worried about how the babies are going to get down, is she gunna fly them down one by one?? or at a certain point after they hatch should i bring the nest down to the 1st floor?? its in a planter , we live in a south FL community with ducks all around
You mentioned that you put "whole grain" in the water. Which grain do you prefer?
I'm also curious to know. For dry food, I feed mine wheat and sometimes chicken pellets but I've never put it in the water. It tends to stink when it gets wet so I'm not too sure about this.
@@jaydem2086 if you soak healthy grain in water it will ferment and smell sour. This helps to make the feed more bio available to the bird and opens up the nutrients that are there rather then them just passing through the bird.
Of course it needs to be done with some understanding of the process. I ferment all of the feed I give my muscovies. It's served under water which is also better for them then just choking down dry food.
Look up videos on fermenting feed. There is a good one on this channel too.
Here is my fermenting grains video (it was my first ever video but the information is good) the grains are listed in the description of that video.
ua-cam.com/video/WQ4sNRPEpRE/v-deo.html
EXACTLY! Thanks for your great comment 🐔🐥
I find your channel to be one of the best resources of practical knowledge regarding Muscovies, keep up the good work. Any chance when you where on a larger property you raised geese and if so how comparable is the grass consumption ? Im looking at doing a small flock of muscovies on a rotational pasture method.
Cheers
Brendan
Thankyou Brendan at
Farmgate Cottage, I appreciate your feedback. When I was on 1000 acres there were 27 main geese plus babies. Unfortunately because there was so much space, I couldn’t tell how much they grazed to compare to Muscovy ducks. In saying that, their diets are the same and Muscovies love grazing, so very similar if you take into account the size difference.
Hg
Nn
So they'll build the nest before going broody or will they build the nest around eggs they already laid?
With mine, usually they dig a hole (the dent in the dirt that was mentioned), and a few days later they add some feathers and lay the first egg, so it's nest first. Though I did have one mother duck years ago who would do it the other way around sometimes. Guess it depends.
Source: I have owned and raised Muscovies for 15 years (since I was 5)
Both ways Meg, like Jayde said.
Ducks make the indentation daily as the lay each egg and can start to add feathers then or when they finally start sitting, the feathers increase until Mum is happy with her nest and by the time the ducklings hatch it will be nicely insulated and very comfortable.
My mama ducks just had two baby and I was scared I was doing something wrong and is it normal for the mama's to start to be very aggressive?
Ps my ducks are rouen ducks
Thank you SO much for this video! I will be introducing a drake to our flock soon for breeding purposes and need all the tips and tid bits I can get! I do have questions about keeping ducks and chickens together. I would love to understand your process as I have heard mixed reviews - my biggest concern is the drake breeding with the chickens as I hear it can be quite bad. Thank you!
You are so welcome Rewilding Heart.
My 2 drakes are very respectful of my hens, I often see them sharing a food bowl (the chickens don’t usually share well with the other ducks)
and the chickens will happily go up to a drakes bowl and share, they seem to be equals. My boys don’t try anything with the chickens either and are very sweet when the chickens have babies too. But like I said, when I have a heap of teen males, it needs to be managed before it becomes an issue. I raised my drakes from 4 weeks old and already had chickens, so they always got along fine and my drakes are very good natured. I have heard stories too of course but my personal experience has been positive. You will need to be sure the chickens have access to clean water at all times and space to spread out if needed. Keep an eye on the personalities in your flock and see how they go. Also don’t let duck mommas hatch out chicks, but your chicken Mums can hatch out ducks.
I purchased a drake 20 days letter, but, still it's not matting with female, both are not fully aggressive, so, can u tell me the exact reason..
It could be they need time, it could be the time of year, it could be the birds ages, it could be he is just not that into her...... give them a chance to settle in more than 20 days, they are living beings not machines.
@@MoatCottage tnx
I have two ducklings and one has just got foamy she acts fine but how do I treat it?
Oscar's Back Garden Birds I am not a vet, but I do know it could be a few things that can cause this. It could be a respiratory issue if there is coughing, sneezing and/or trouble with breathing. You say she seems fine though, so it could be an eye infection. Make sure your ducks always have access to enough clean water, that they can fully submerge their heads to wash out their eyes. You can treat by washing a few times a day with a salt and water solution or if really needed antibiotic ointment. It can be caused by another bird, over mating or damage from a fence or plant... if you suspect the respiratory issue then seperate her immediately.
Hi, Elissa. Thank you for the educational video about the muscovy ducks. I always enjoy your posts. It looked like a lovely fall day. Do you rake your backyard so that you don't step in poo all the time? Will ducks reach an age when they won't lay any eggs like chickens do?
Hello Hoot, it’s always so lovely to see you. It was a great fall day, the sun was in and out all filming. I usually keep adding straw and wear gumboots (or flip flops in summer) and it eventually ends up breaking down and feeding the garden or it gets added as layers in the compost then back in to the food growing areas. I hope you are staying well 😊🦉
Oh yes hoot, they do eventually get to an age where they don’t lay eggs.
Something is wrong with UA-cam, I’m hoping you still see this Hoot.
Elissa, I got them all. Lately, YT or some entity has been flashing some sort of msg on me at times when I'm typing. I can't read it bc it is only up for a second or two: but it's there. Idk what to do about it. Have you ever had that happen? I hope you are doing well to, my friend. 🦉
also from Victoria, Australia. Like to know where you get your starter feed for your baby muscovy. much appreciated, as been watching your videos for long time now :)
Hey C Xyooj and fellow Victorian. Here is the link to the Duck Starter amzn.to/2WXGpYg
It is 20kg so I store it in a container with a lid, so no mice or water gets to it and it can last a few years if it isn't all getting used.
I want to know everything about house design for 100 Muscovy ducks , how Manny male duck is needed for 100 ,? Should I keep them all together in one house with a brooding nest in it ,altogether , or how to manage their house if seoerate ing them is needed, Can you please explain more information about duck ,
Iam waiting for your reply ,
Hi Franky, I am a back yard Muscovy owner and have only ever had up to 30 birds at once. I had 2 Males that were brothers and they got along well. I am not able to give you the best advice on farming bigger numbers like you want as I have no experience in that. i hope you find the information.
Right in the beginning there's a little girl behind you performing her Arabesque. (Darn! Another thing I forgot to look at. It's been that kind of day)
Helping infos
Thanks for watching Samuel
How many female muscovy needed for one male, Elissa?
Depending on the male, I have found they can easily manage 6 females and some drakes can happily manage up to 9 females.
If you only want 2 females that is ok too.
What if the eggs are unfertilized I recently got a duck from somebody I don't know she was kept with males or not I don't know what the eggs are fertilized and she appears to be building a nest she has all her eggs stacked up with all the little down feathers around it and I caught her sitting on it once if the eggs are unfertilized well she continue sitting on them till they rot or she just stop sitting on them
She will sit on them until they rot. I'd suggest candling the eggs next time she gets up, taking a picture of that, and checking again in a few weeks time. If they are exactly the same, then the eggs are probably infertile, but if the air sack (the clear/white part at the wide end of the egg) is bigger or you see movement inside, it's probably a baby duck.
Did you manage to hatch anything on this occasion?
Source: I have owned and raised muscovies for 15 years (since I was 5)
How did you go Rob, Were the eggs fertile?
Muscovy duck eggs will hatch in incubator?
Thanks
Thank you. Lovely.
You’re welcome Jackie 😊
Were do you buy your grain at
Here in Victoria, Australia, I just buy it at my local Petstock store for ~$25 for a 20kg bag or sometimes cheaper at any of the other livestock supply stores in town. Else, if you have somewhere to store it, you might be able to find leftovers or lower quality grain after harvest from some of the farmers for a decent price, but just be careful that you're not buying stuff that's been left out in the rain or has had heavy chemicals used on it.
I buy my grain at a farm supply store as I live in the country, surrounded by farms. I store it in large plastic drums so no rain, rodents or wild birds get to it.
Hello, I have a male and female Muskovy duck. The female disappeared for about a week and a half and I later found her in a nest down in a hole of one of my trees. I have no idea how long the eggs have been sitting there. I ended up building a house for her and moved the eggs into her new nest. She’s been sitting on them for the past few weeks in the new nest and at least another week possibly more in the tree. Now, there are a lot of flies and it’s starting to stink really bad. Some of the eggs are white and cream color and others are dark blue and spotty. Does this mean all the eggs are rotten? Is it possible some of them are OK? How can I find out which eggs are good or bad? I’d hate to throw out all the eggs and some of them possibly be good and ready to hatch soon. What to do? :)
You need to candle the eggs, shine a torch through the egg, in a dark room. (Watch a video to see how it’s done)
You definitely want to throw the rotten eggs out. They may have already spread bacteria through to the other eggs....
we candled the eggs, 12 of 14 were definitely rotten. Two of them look to be good. One of them, we saw a baby duck moving inside. Hopefully they will be OK. Thank you for the information.
@@Hellzapoppin I hope they are. Please let me know 😊
Is it going to be a problem if the duck doesnt build a nest, and if she doesnt do we have to hell her out somehow?
Depending on the location your ducks lay their eggs, will depend on the type of nest they build. It could be anything from an indentation in the dirt, under a bush or in straw in the coop. When they start pulling out their down feathers to line the nest, where they lay eggs, you will know she is preparing to go broody and will want to sit on her eggs.
Some Muscovies want to sit quite regularly and some hardly ever go broody but you cant force a duck to sit if she doesnt want to. You can definitely create a nice safe environment to encourage her and leave her eggs in the nest until she sits on them, you can date them with a texta. I hope this answers your question.
@@MoatCottage thanks! False alarm actually..she built one and is sitting on them 24/7!
Hi Elissa
I know you probably wont see this comment, but because of your videos i got my first trio (1 male, 2 females) earlier today, i just wanted to know if you have any videos about prosseccing extra males, if not because of youtubes guidelings thats ok.
Also what part of Victoria are you in? I live down in one of Melbourne's northern suburbs (3073) and was wondering what area you are in.
Thanks in advance 😁👍
Is it haching in 35 days or in 28 days?
35 for Muscovy Ducks
[brief insert video of Drake fertilizing the female]
That was cute
At least one of my ducks pooped all over her nest this spring. Last year I had one who was eating her eggs. I have had Muscovy since 2014 which means they started the following March and I have never had so few ducklings as I have had the past two years not counting this one. So far in 2023 I have had one duckling. It's the beginning of June. I'm in Florida. This is weird.
I'm going to shut up and go back to watching your video now. I've already been interrupted by the collapse of a hydroelectric power plant dam in Ukraine I think So if I don't get with this I'm going to be up until 5:00 a.m. at which point I can just wait an hour and let all the ducks out so they can poop.
I hatched mine with a buff orpington chicken
Hey how do you tell the gender of a duckling
That one's a bit tricky. There is a way to do it, you'd have to look online as I haven't done it myself, but you pop out the vent (that's the butt) and can tell that way fairly accurately, apparently, and that's what they do at the factory farms. Personally, I wait until their about 6-8weeks old by then you can generally see differences between them (boys are fatter with bigger feet, girls are little and have pointy tails) but the longer you wait, the easier it will be to tell.
Source: I have owned and raised muscovies for 15 years (since I was 5)
Hello
Price Kya hai iski mam
Jamshaid jatoi hi 👋🏽 no ducklings for sale. Price varies, depending on country and quality of the birds as well as availability.
Muscovy ducks mil sakti hai
Maine yah kaun si dogs hai
Jamshaid jatoi English Staffordshire Bull Terriers - Staffies 🐶
Available hai
Jamshaid jatoi no sorry
Can you see my video that I uploaded for you to see my duck what kinde of moscovy are
Hi A Ri.m I watched your short video and got a glimpse of a black drake, I couldn’t tell what the white bird was and how old are the two black and white Muscovies?
Moat Cottage Homesteading can i send picture on ig with better quality
" it can stink for days " sounds like you speak from experience having had a rotten egg broken on you . lots of information , to much for only one viewing . filled under watch again and take notes . good video , I liked it