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Muscovy nesting questions

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JustTom
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« on: February 27, 2009, 07:40:28 am »

I'm hoping someone here can provide a little advice.   I posted my questions  in a Muscovy yahoo group, but didn't get any responses, as I think it is more of a pet group.

I have Muscovy that I got  last August as  3 moms, a dad, and 15 month-old ducklings, so I haven't had experience with breeding and mom's raising true little ones yet.

For the most part they stay in a mobile coop at night.   I built a feeder in the coop, which I think helps to make them want to come home.  So now I'm trying to prepare for spring with a couple of drakes and a half dozen or so females.

To try to help me learn a bit more, I bought and read the Storey duck book, but it doesn't really go into much depth about breeding details, or much at all about Muscovy.

So, a few questions if I may.

1) Nests:  I know that Muscovy prefer nest boxes on the ground and that the moms remain there steadfastly, so I need to choose a good location.   I was thinking that I would just build them and lean or attach them to the coop since the feed is in there, so everyone is fairly close together.  Is this a bad/good idea?    Should they be further away from the main coop or further away from each other?

2)  When should I plan to have the nests out and ready?  Do I need to time it, or just put them out whenever and the moms will take up residence when they're ready?

3)  I've lost a couple over the months to raccoons.  So, I'm planning using electric netting around their area to try to protect them a bit more.  Will that do, or do I need to close up the nests once their sitting and provide individual feed and water to protect mom and eggs during hatching time?

4) I'm in northern WV so it's still cold here and spring is still a few months away.  When should I anticipate them starting their first clutches?  Then the next ones?

5) I feed waterfowl pellets and the occasional treat, and they forage of course.  Should I supplement the mommas with something extra before, during, or after or is the free choice pellets all they need?

6)  Are there any good "duck" books that anyone can recommend specifically for Muscovy care, breeding, and health?

thanks,
tom
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Cathy
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« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2009, 04:59:48 am »

1) Nests:  I know that Muscovy prefer nest boxes on the ground and that the moms remain there steadfastly, so I need to choose a good location.   I was thinking that I would just build them and lean or attach them to the coop since the feed is in there, so everyone is fairly close together.  Is this a bad/good idea?    Should they be further away from the main coop or further away from each other?

It depends, really.  Sometimes there will be fighting over or sharing nests & that in and of itself can ruin a hatch.  You can see examples of how I set my nest boxes up HERE.  I make sure that they're in the shade & on the ground & that the back two openings are partially covered so that the duck feels secure.  It is worth noting that we do not get a lot of rain as a general rule & have been in a drought for 7-8 years.  You might have to make modifications if you have especially wet/muddy soil regularly.

2)  When should I plan to have the nests out and ready?  Do I need to time it, or just put them out whenever and the moms will take up residence when they're ready?

My friend has his birds in breed pens in January, I don't put mine in until March or early April.  Nest boxes are in breed pens as soon as the birds are put in.  The longer your winter the more time you have in the spring.

3)  I've lost a couple over the months to raccoons.  So, I'm planning using electric netting around their area to try to protect them a bit more.  Will that do, or do I need to close up the nests once their sitting and provide individual feed and water to protect mom and eggs during hatching time?

You don't want to put feed or water close to the nests at all.  You want the bird to get off the nest once a day, get some exercise, go for a drink, a bite to eat, a poop, & then they will preen before getting back on the nest.  Don't want any of this near the nest.  I've actually warned a guy against putting food/water next to the nest and within a matter of days that nest was annihilated by a predator.  He believed me after that!

As for the electric netting, if the birds will stay inside it they'll be fine. They might fly over in their search for nesting sites.  A well prepared, secure feeling nest box is one way to encourage birds to lay where you want them as opposed to where they want to be.

4) I'm in northern WV so it's still cold here and spring is still a few months away.  When should I anticipate them starting their first clutches?  Then the next ones?

I'm not familiar with your weather so I can't give you a better date as to when they'll begin to lay, you'll just have to watch their behavior.  As for subsequent clutches, birds who raise ducklings won't lay until the ducklings are 6-8 weeks, generally.  Sometimes more, sometimes less.  If you take the ducklings from the duck they'll begin laying again in 2-3 weeks.  I tend to do a fostering system where I put multiple clutches together and re-introduce the duck with the oldest clutch back into the breed pen (if I'm wanting more ducklings!) and allow the other hens to mother her babies.  Works well if the ducklings are similar sizes.  Too big of a size difference can result in aggression & picking by the older juveniles.

5) I feed waterfowl pellets and the occasional treat, and they forage of course.  Should I supplement the mommas with something extra before, during, or after or is the free choice pellets all they need?

Oyster shell would be a good idea.  I like to give my birds an animal protein in their diet which is actually in the poultry concentrate I use.  Muscovy are especially omnivorous & benefit from it.  It can be cat food, fish meal, etc.

6)  Are there any good "duck" books that anyone can recommend specifically for Muscovy care, breeding, and health?

Storey's Guide is about the best one that I'm aware of.  It has the most information as far as I know.
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JustTom
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« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2009, 08:27:19 am »

Sorry for the delay, been under the weather.

I had seen the barrel nests, but I have a bunch of tin roofing and framing lying around so thought I'd build them out of that instead.

What do your breeding pens look like?   Do the drakes live there full time and you rotate hens thru them or ?

tom
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« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2009, 04:12:24 pm »

My breed pens aren't all that fancy.  I've simply used 2x4" welded wire & penned off sections of the large duck pen that was inconveniently arranged.  I usually have at least 1 drake per breed pen and between a single and 6 hens per drake. 

If you move the ducks they'll never set, if you have to move anyone it'd be best to move the drake unless you were planning on collecting the eggs regardless.

Also, depending on your location ... if you use tin it might be too hot during the heat of the day and fry the eggs.  All of my nest boxes are put under trees or I create a barrier several feet above the nest boxes to provide shade.
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« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2009, 08:01:40 am »

My shelters were pretty crude but the hens liked them.  I used A frames made from small pieces of scrap plywood.  This year I got some scrap metal roofing from Freecycle.  I'll drill a hole in the four corners and stake them down so the metal makes an arch.

I've also noticed that my hens are taking a keen interest in a wood duck house.  They even land on the top and lean over to look into the hole.  If the hole was bigger I'm sure they would go inside.


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newchicken
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« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2009, 07:17:40 pm »

Love the pic!
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« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2009, 01:39:20 pm »

In the wild Muscovy do nest in tree cavities so a raised nest like that might work very well. 

Personally, my experience has been that they hatch better when they're able to make their nest in a shallow depression in the ground so I wouldn't use an elevated nest box but it might work better for others who have predator issues to worry about.
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« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2009, 11:24:30 am »

I remember you saying that and the nests I've looked at all have the eggs in contact with the soil.

I've got 2 questions on setting.

I've noticed that my hens seem to have false starts where they seem to be starting to set and will sit on the eggs for hours and then suddenly walk away and only visit the nest to lay more eggs.  It would seem to start the incubation process and then allow the eggs to cool.  Is that normal?

When do you start counting?  When she first sets or when she actually sets for good?
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« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2009, 09:35:03 pm »

I believe that in most cases, unless it is considerably cold, that once the sperm fertilizes the egg that the cells begin multiplying & forming the embryo so technically the whole process begins long before she begins setting.  The 35 days should begin once she 'sits tight', or faithfully.  They do ease into the whole setting process, the process of building a nest takes quite awhile overall and I think those days when they're on for a few hours they're pulling down & putting the final touches on the nest.  
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