[
Description
Male; 10-15 lbs.
Female; 6-8 lbs.
Muscovy Duck is a large duck that is native to Mexico ,Central and South America. There are feral populations in North America on or around public parks in nearly every state of the US. They are also commonly found on farms. They are bred domestically for pets and meat production and are excellent table fair.
All Muscovy Ducks have long sharp claws on their feet and a wide flat tail.
The wild Muscovy Duck is a blackish, with large white patches on the wings. Domesticated birds look similar but come in a wide variety of colors such as lavender ,blue, all-white, chocolate and many others are also seen. Both sexes have a black and red or all red face; the drake also has pronounced caruncles at the base of the bill and head
Ducklings are generally yellow with brown markings. Some ducklings have a dark head and blue eyes or a light brown crown and dark markings on their neck. They are quick and agile birds.
The drake has a low breathy call kinda like a course hiss, and the hen a quiet coo.
The Muscovy, like the Mallard, does not form bonded pairs. They will mate with multiple hens on land or in water and can breed up to three times each year.
The hen generally lays a clutch of 8-16 whitish eggs, usually in a hollow tree , which are then brooded for 35 days. The hen will leave the nest generally once a day from 20 minutes to an hour and a half to get water, and eat. They tend to relish a good batheing during this period. When eggs begin to hatch it can take 24 hours or more for all the chicks to finish the hatch.
Often, the drake will stay in close contact with the hen and brood for several weeks to provide protection for them.For the first few weeks , Muscovy ducklings feed on seeds, grass, insects, and almost anything they can catch. Their mother teaches them early in age how to feed
Muscovy duck eggs can be incubated artificially at a temperture of 99-100 gegrees and 55-70 5 humidity for 35 days with good results. Although they seem to fair better hatched by the mother.