Muscovy ducks
The Muscovy Duck, Cairina moschata, is a large duck which is native to Mexico, Central and South America. A small wild population reaches into the US in the lower Rio Grande River basin in Texas. There also are feral breeding populations in North America in and around public parks in nearly every state of the USA and in the Canadian provinces; feral populations also exist in Europe. Although the Muscovy Duck is a tropical bird, it adapts to icy and snowy conditions down to –12°C (10°F) and below without ill effects
Muscovies are the only domestic ducks that is not derived from mallard stock.( by behavious probably a passing Pterodactyl !) Wild muscovies coloration is black and white, but domestication has produced many different colors. They come in most colours and have a variable eye colour with the lighter shades having blue eyes and the predominantly black having brown ... a blue eyed black and white bird will throw a variety of colours from white to blues and lavenders.Their feet are equiped with strong sharp claws for grabbing tree branches and roosting. Muscovys are unique because of their bright red crest around their eyes and above the beak. They do not swim as much as others as their oil glands are under developed compared to most ducks.their wings and tails thus 'fray' easier. The only real illnesses they get as a breed other than those suffered by all breeds is a tendency to anaemia if not allowed sufficient foraging or supplementary feeding with scraps. This is very obvious as they lose colour around the eye and become listless and is easily overcome by supplements of and meat or tinned pet food..... the alternative being a large drake racing the dogs or cats for their breakfast and a pet with a complex. Perhaps their only drawback (other than their escaping/flying attributes) is their habit of finding and eating small vermin with mice or baby rats a menu supplement MEMO do not allow near guinea pig or breeding rabbit hutches.** The supreme bird with character ; males wag their tails and raise crests when talked to; all have a sick sense of humour a breed worth the time as VERY individual
The nicest character of any of the breeds with a pronounced sense of humour/ very intelligent and head of any escape committee !
**They are the 'sentinel' bird for D.V.E and for Avian Influenza as they succumb before any other breed......if a lot keel over suddenly call the vet as they are bombproof otherwise**
Although relatively silent, the male produces a low hissing sound, and the female has a short, weak "quack." but "chirps" and talks to the eggs as they hatch making the babies very independant as they recognize their mothers alarm call
COLOURSinclude black, white, lavender, blue and chocolate. Muscovys have a unique red lumpy crest around their eyes and above the beak.(called carruncling) This feature seems to be more prominent in the drakes especially the American breeding line who have heavy 'caruncling'
Food habits in the wild Muscovy ducks feed on the roots, stems, leaves, and seeds of aquatic and terrestrial plants, including agricultural crops. They also eat small fishes, reptiles, crustaceans, insects, millipedes, and termites.... taken from a US site... they are food "hoovers"
BROODY: Can sit 3 times per year many will sit repeatedly and are the supreme mothers and broodies.They will protect the young form predators even if it means their own death in order for the young to escape.
HISTORY mentioned L'Hist nat des Oyseaux p 176 fol. Paris published 1545 then being mainly black variegated with other colours ie wild colouration.Confirmation source 'The Poultry Yard' by Peter Boswell
Country Of Origin;.........An originally wild duck, Cairina Moschata, .... Anseriformes, native to Central and South America, where it nests in the trees of forest swamps. Brazil, South America
Carriage; Horizontal
Purpose;..........Meat Production: Foie Gras and laying by clutch see www.grimaud.com/duck.htm Also excellent on Village ponds or lakes
Egg Colour; .....................The eggs weigh 75 g and are cream
Ranging from 8 to 21 eggs per clutch, a good general layer
Incubation:............ 35/36 days
Maturity: NOT the 28 of most ducks
Breed Hints.... Kept as trio or pair ..
will go broody and hatch constantly ie aim to repoulate the planet with
ducklings
Weights;/size 4.5 to 6.5 kg Ducks, 2.2 to 4.5 kg Av 6 pound weight on
the table ....Average weight: M 7.72 lbs., F 3.86 lbs.Average length: M
31", F 23.6" record is 20 pound male
Flying . flys like an albatross . . does good formation displays in the morning especially if people are watching whilst you try to catch them see comment above
Needs:Muscovys being the only domestic duck not derived from Mallard stock. They don't like to swim as much as other breeds because their oil glands are not as active so are often scruffy ducks .When they do wash they are incredibly thorough as most of the water is dispersed over a wide area ie like to splash and play
**NOTE**Muscovies have the most character of any duck or goose and a very pronounced sense of humour dog or cat baiting is a speciality. I rehomed one bird that discovered that if you walk or fly up to a supermarket automatic door people feed you to remove you from the area. This particular female was getting so stuffed by Tesco that she waddled very slowly... they learn very quickly!
** When a Muscovy is crossed with other breeds, it produces a sterile off spring called 'mules' which are good meat ducks **As a breed the Muscovy has successfully colonised most of the world and are the basis of the Barbary meat hybrid. They were discovered in South America and originally called the musk duck and were sold in Britain in past centuries as a patent medicine cure for men ( a phony aphrodisiac !)....... this coming from the fact that a horizontally built animal needs to be well endowed to breed and many drakes are extremely long with an aversion to nettles in their breeding pen !
**The ideal back yard meat breed lays / breeds well / tastes good/ lives well with dogs and other animals / will roost in trees if allowed ( no locking away at night)
Muscovy Duck Genetics
Chocolate . .ch...Recessive. All black pigment is replaced by brown and red is unchanged.
Atipico / dusky .. .a . .Recessive. There are possibly two variants of this gene. The wild-type pattern is replaced by a brown color in the duckling. Some adults may show a bib. The brown coloration of the down does not persist into adulthood. The expression of this gene is primarily in the down
Barring. . b . .Recessive. Causes bars to occur on pigmented feathers. It also expresses in down. It influences the color of the beak (making it lighter). Barring is present in black plumage as well as that having the blue dilution.
Brown-rippled .br . . Recessive. Ducklings have brown down, beaks and feet. The 'rippled' aspect of this gene causes a barring pattern. There is no difference in the barring between the sexes. The gene will express in the presence of lavender, atipico and piebald. Birds that have both barring, b, and brown-rippled, br, have been produced.
Blue dilution . .N . . .Incompletely dominant. Similar to the blue in Blue Andalusian chickens. The heterozygote is blue and the homozygote is light pearl-grey. The bill and feet colors are diluted
Lavender . .l . . Recessive. A diluter of both red (pheomelanin) and black (eumelanin) pigmentation. Adults are a lavender-grey in color.
Sepia, faiogeno. . f. . Recessive. A dilutor of both red and black pigment. Influences skin color. The cuckling is khaki-colored with pink beak and yellow feet. Adults are sepia with beetle-green sheen. There is much variation in the coloration of adults. This gene is thought to be rare in North America.
Duclair piebald . .d. . .Recessive. The homozygote is a white bird with black on the head, back saddle and tail. Adults may have a small white bib . .
White head, canizie . .C . . Dominant. Causes head and part of the neck to be white. ..
Snow-white down no symbol . . .Not much is known about this gene other than it exists.
Rinke Berkenbosch, Carmarthenshire 01437 563 309
Blue/White, Lavender/White, Black/White, self coloured
Pearl Birch, West Midlands 01562 710 975
Black/White, Chocolate/White, Black self coloured
Sandra Farrar, Shropshire 01588 650 390
Chocolate
Brian Gilbey, Essex 01621 829 629
Hicks Waterfowl World 01691 655 635
Most colours
Denise Moss, Pembrokeshire 01437 563 309
Peter O'Loughlin, Co. Kildare 045 528 952
Black
Mary Reeve, Llangollen 01691 718 266
White, Chocolate/White, Black
Sandra Watson, Somerset 01458 241 719
Most colours
Ros King Wiltshire 01747 870 048
White, Lavender/White, Black & White, Blue/White
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Musc/BRKScobies.html
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