i often see adds for muscovy ducks for sale, what do people use them for? when i lived in florida they were on every pond and lake. they all were very friendly, but almost everyone i knew hated them. i liked them but wouldn't admit for fear of being hung. i use to sneak food out to them.i did have one problem once with a female muscovy. i had some friends who raised orchids and showed them. they had lots of prize winners. when the man who raised the orchids died his wife gave me several of his prize winners. i hung them on my fence one morning and went to work when i got home every orchid was gone i figured someone stole them. several days later i walked by a bush and heard a hissing sound i thought it was a rattle snake so i got a stick and pushed the bush back. there were all my orchids lining a muscovy nest. i let her have them and kept her nest a secret because people disliked muscovy ducks so much that they would break the eggs.

anyway back to my question, what do you use muscovy ducks for?

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), November 17, 2001

Answers

George, I had them years ago and I used them just like Mallard derived ducks: eating and eggs. They grow bigger, especially the drakes, and the females are excellent mothers--can really pull off large hatches. But I'll have to say, they weren't my favorites, either, mainly because they didn't seem to have the personality of Mallard derived ducks. Maybe it was just the particular ducks I had, though.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), November 17, 2001.

Uh oh- did someone ask about Muscovies? We have them and absolutely love them. They are friendly, good mothers, wondeful for meat and also good for insect control. The hens set large clutches (sometimes even 2 or more a year) and usually have very high hatches. They do a good job raising the ducklings too. Muscovy meat is wonderful with good flavor. The ones we have are very friendly and several have become pets. They love catching bits of bread or corn if you toss them into the air and then they catch them midair, swallow, waggle their tails and then nod at you hissing happily. We even have one that tugs on your clothing to get your attention to get a treat. They are very good for free ranging and I imagine that in the right climate/conditions they can set up wild populations quickly as they are pretty hardy/self sufficient birds. Around here they sell very well as a meat birds and also as summer fly control. Guess you can tell I like them, huh LOL. Hope this helps some.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@Linkup.net), November 17, 2001.

These ducks are used for meat more then anything else. Though they can have large clutches (hatches), you won't get as many eggs from these birds as you would a poor laying breed of duck. There are always exceptions to the rule though. They are more closely related to geese then ducks though. When this breed is crossed with any other breed of duck, the offspring will be steril (mules/hinnies). I can't help but wonder if someone ever tried to cross them to geese.

I hope this answers your questions.

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jawjlewis@netzero.net), November 17, 2001.

it was not uncommon when i lived in florida to see a mother muscovy with at least 10 babies and once i counted a mother with 21. people in florida thought they were a cross between a duck and a turkey. I tried to explain that that was not possible but some people just don't listen. some people just don't get it. once i told a friend that i bred a duck to a chicken. he got all excited and ask if i had any left i told him no they all drowned my friend got bummed and asked me how they drowned i told him they were born with 1 duck foot and one chicken foot and that when they went into the water they kept going in circles until they got all tired out and drowned. He asked me to breed some more but not let them near water this time :-)

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), November 17, 2001.

I too had some muscovy ducks. Once a duck was settingon 20 eggs. I notice something ws wrong . I looked and a big rat snake ( CHICKEN ) was in the nest and had swallowed some eggs . I went to get the ax , and on my way back to the nest I spied another snake. I chopped off his head , then went after the snoke on the nest . I cut off his head and when I picked the snake by the tail all three eggs slid out onto the ground. When the snake went into the nest the mother duck pooped all over the eggs in the nest . I got a bucket of warm water and washed the eggs , then got fresh straw and returned all the eggs back in the nest . 19 of the eggs hatched Later the same duck wanted to set again , but I didnt want any more muscovys so I put chicken eggs under her , I dont remember how many she hatched , but did watch her trying to take the baby chicks into the water. Muscovy ducks make good gumbo, especially if you can find an old cajun lady to cook it !! Big George

-- George Wilson (cwwhtw@aol.com), November 17, 2001.

I have been thinking about getting Muscovies again..I loved the ones I used to have. I had a wonderful mother duck who hatched and raised 18 ducklings from one clutch...it was so fun! To me they had great personalities and were quiet and big and not fragile. Before that I had tried Indian Runner ducks...and although they were comical to watch they sure were nervous wrecks and I prefered the Muscovies. My ducks also were great layers and were big and made great meat ducks. They don't have those typical pretty duck faces.....maybe thats why some folks don't like them, but I sure do.

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), November 17, 2001.

Had an interesting experiance with muscovey ducks.My husband and I were staying at a resort that had some ducks around. One evening there were no ducks to be seen anywhere.Within a hour a tornado touched down a few miles off.After that storm passed the ducks came out of hiding and fed as usual,evan though it was still a bit stormy.

-- VickP. (countrymous@webtv.net), November 19, 2001.

George, I am one of those people who love Muscovy ducks. They are excellent mothers, as good as a banty at hatching and raising ducklings. The meat is excellent too, but you must butcher before they get too old as the meat gets really tough at over 1 year old. Plus they can fly! That really helps when you have predators. Besides I think they look really cool and much less noisy than a real duck.

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), November 19, 2001.

The french use them for Fois Gras - or liver pate. We raise them for meat, and of course, the eggs. Muscovey hens are the best mothers in the world. They will draw blodd if you try to disturb the nest while they are on it. I think they go broody too much, and so does my back yard. Some have excellent duckinalities, but are not as friendly, regardless of handling, as other breeds of duck. They will come to you for food, but don't like to be held. All in all, they are excellent if you like to eat duck, because they have so many ducklings, you'll have little time to eat anything else. I have 19 ducklings from the summer, still, and a missing hen. Soon as I find her, I am sure I will have more ducklings. They are sneaky.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), November 19, 2001.

love them they are exelent mother ducks and hardier than regular ducks ,,,better eating too not as greasy and they realy work on the flys and have seen many big drakes catch and eat mice in the farmyard when i butcher chickens /rabbits i toss the offals and the muscovys gobble it all down the joke around the house was not to fal down in the poultry yard they often get too friendly and hang around the door making a mess if people feed them close

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), November 19, 2001.

Muscovies are great mothers and produce good meat as well as eggs. We have a pond and thought it would be nice to have some but they never went near the pond. They just sat and pooped on the deck overlooking the pond all day long. Needless to say, no more muscovies for us.

-- linda skountzos (skountzos6@netscape.net), November 20, 2001.