Muscovy Duck Forum

Muscovy Central => Fencing & Shelters => Topic started by: pauld on July 22, 2011, 11:55:00 pm



Title: do Muscovy ducks roost at night when they sleep?
Post by: pauld on July 22, 2011, 11:55:00 pm
 I have read many times that muscovy ducks have claws on their feet and that they like to roost on tree branches and fences. I have just finished a night time shelter for my prospective tenants, and would like to know if it needs a roost as I have built into my hen house for the chickens. This may sound like an odd question but raising ducks is new to me. I plan to put a roost in an outside enclosed run. Your input is appreciated.

                          A newbie's newbie...Pauld


Title: Re: do Muscovy ducks roost at night when they sleep?
Post by: pauld on August 11, 2011, 09:23:55 pm
So far 35 people have read my posting. I am sure that most of you have more experience than I have. My question is legitimate and I really would like to have the benefit of your Knowledge. My duck house and enclosed run are finished. I also have 4 eggs in the incubator and they will hatch (God willing) in two weeks. My request is sincere, so please help me with benefit of your experience.   


Title: Re: do Muscovy ducks roost at night when they sleep?
Post by: nancy on August 14, 2011, 11:34:29 am
I have no experience with ducks whose owners care enough to build a shelter. The one's in our neighborhood are really feral - the "owner" gives them corn twice a day - that's it.

Ours do seem to often sleep in trees - some on branches barely over the pond; some in pine trees 10-15 feet up. The females are more likely than the males to do so. But they both have been up there.

I do know that most of their flying is quite low to the ground: "Incoming at 5 feet!" is a common warning.


Title: Re: do Muscovy ducks roost at night when they sleep?
Post by: Granna on August 17, 2011, 07:54:57 pm
I am rather new with Muscovey ducks, but I have noticed that my female ducks wanted to roost on my porch railing.  The males bed down under my porch.  So I think that they would appreciate a roost being built for them.


Title: Re: do Muscovy ducks roost at night when they sleep?
Post by: Cathy on September 07, 2011, 02:32:37 am
Hi, as a general rule they do not.  They might roost, but not like what a chicken would.  My birds are active at night and only the youngest hens like to fly up high to rooftops and fence posts. 


Title: Re: do Muscovy ducks roost at night when they sleep?
Post by: Blatfarm on January 03, 2012, 04:11:16 pm
Hi, my ducks are in their "winter quarters" at the moment, which is a barn with a large attached run. There are tree branch perches at about 3' high outdoors and indoors there are stacked doorless rabbit hutches and pallets in front of them mounted at 2' high. My experience is that they do whatever suits them however i have noticed patterns. The eldest male and his 3 fave females roost on the branch outside, the less dominant females and the younger male onthe inner pallets, and the young or submissive females sleep in the bedding on the floor.


Title: Re: do Muscovy ducks roost at night when they sleep?
Post by: jmg198 on September 01, 2013, 05:03:47 pm
I'm a new first time owner of two pet musckvies. Mine enjoy roosting on my back porch. I spray their droppings off every evening before putting them in the shed at night.


Title: Re: do Muscovy ducks roost at night when they sleep?
Post by: VIMduck on September 05, 2013, 01:13:53 am
I'm fairly new to the Muscovy duck thing as well and was thinking about moving some roosting poles from our old chicken coup to the duck run.
We have a couple of tree stumps in the run and the older (they are only 1 year!) females love to perch on them.
They are tree birds so I was thinking they would love to perch. However in the winter I have to put  my guys in their little hut otherwise they get soaked to the skin with the rain we get here.
I think you should give it a go and see what your birds think :)