Another - 'Are these Muscovy or mixed?' thread

[Homesteader2]

I answered a craigslist ad from a woman who had Muscovy ducklings to sell. We made arrangements and I went and picked them up September 22nd. She said they were born on August 4. Four were decidedly larger then the others and I assumed, drakes. I paid and loaded them into a giant kennel, strapped them into the bed of the pickup covered with a tarp to keep the wind out. As we were heading down the lane we watched a Cayuga and Pekin mosey across the lane in front of the truck. The owner assured us that those two drakes weren't involved in the fathering because they're not 'into the ducks'. I am the trusting sort but I remember seeing the vivid iridescent colors of the beautiful Cayuga now reflecting in the iridescent colors of my Muscovies. Or is my mind playing tricks on me? When I begin to doubt, I look at images of other Muscovy ducks and drakes and all I see are my beautiful girls and boys!

Two of the four early drakes are now two of the smallest and flying already. My certain drakes are twice the size of the ducks. Most of them don't have wing feathers yet.

I made a gallery but can't seem to figure out how to link it. I'll edit if I do.

Thanks to anyone and everyone who can lend an opinion on if my ducks are Muscovy or mixed...

Blessings,
Homesteader2


























I have a lot more pictures of the ducks on my gallery in my profile if you'd like to see more.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I answered a craigslist ad from a woman who had Muscovy ducklings to sell. We made arrangements and I went and picked them up September 22nd. She said they were born on August 4. Four were decidedly larger then the others and I assumed, drakes. I paid and loaded them into a giant kennel, strapped them into the bed of the pickup covered with a tarp to keep the wind out. As we were heading down the lane we watched a Cayuga and Pekin mosey across the lane in front of the truck. The owner assured us that those two drakes weren't involved in the fathering because they're not 'into the ducks'. I am the trusting sort but I remember seeing the vivid iridescent colors of the beautiful Cayuga now reflecting in the iridescent colors of my Muscovies. Or is my mind playing tricks on me? When I begin to doubt, I look at images of other Muscovy ducks and drakes and all I see are my beautiful girls and boys!

Two of the four early drakes are now two of the smallest and flying already. My certain drakes are twice the size of the ducks. Most of them don't have wing feathers yet.

I made a gallery but can't seem to figure out how to link it. I'll edit if I do.

Thanks to anyone and everyone who can lend an opinion on if my ducks are Muscovy or mixed...

Blessings,
Homesteader2

@Homesteader2 Welcome to BYC.. if you can post pics that would be the best way for us to tell you i think you have to have a few posts before hand so just jump in and join the crowd before you know it you can post pics and we can see your ducks..

 

[Homesteader2]

I figured out how to transfer some of the photos over. I didn't do them all because there are 47of them! The photos are in a gallery on my profile page in case anyone wants to look at more amateur pix of my great ducks!

Thank you for the advise to get photos up on my post. I should have tried harder to find out how to get them linked before I posted it, Miss Lydia

 

[Miss Lydia]

I posted them in a gallery on my profile. Can I link to that gallery, somehow?

They look like beautiful Muscovy's to me I have had Muscovy's over 11 yrs now and your are juvies. starting to get their carnuckles above the bill. What made you think they were mixed? @Homesteader2

 

[Homesteader2]

They look like beautiful Muscovy's to me I have had Muscovy's over 11 yrs now and your are juvies. starting to get their carnuckles above the bill. What made you think they were mixed? @Homesteader2

The woman who sold them to me had the females and males all together all the time. She has a Pekin male and Cayuga male as well as two Muscovy males. She couldn't tell me for certain that they weren't mixed when I called her. All she could tell me is that she was pretty sure they were all Muscovy. So I waited until most of the fluff was gone and took a bunch of photos. Most of those photos were taken yesterday when it was overcast. The lovely rainbow of iridescent colors doesn't come through like it does when its sunny. You would know, Miss Lydia, having raised Muscovy ducks for so long. Thank you very much assuring me of their wholesomeness.

I just adore my flock of lovely Muscovies. I have 10 in all. I think two are older because they're flying already and others haven't got their wing feathers yet.

 

[Majd]

In my opinion the ducklings that are solid white and black are Muscovies, but the tow who are almost barred white and black might be a mix with a mallard derived duck.... Because i saw pictures of Muscovy x mallard species ducks and they had similar barred colors... And those tend to be bigger and yummier?? And usually infertile.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Duck on the left full Muscovy coloring Barred. There could be a mix in there but right now I don't see it.

 

[Homesteader2]

Duck on the left full Muscovy coloring Barred. There could be a mix in there but right now I don't see it.

Beautiful!

Would there be other indicators? I am always listening for a full on 'quack'. I've heard some tussling noises when they're establishing the pecking order but never a full on 'quack'. I'm also looking for tail feathers that curl. I haven't seen any of those yet either. The bean on the tip of the beak is more pronounced in some than others but its there. I have ducks with black legs and white toes and ducks with dark orange legs. All are starting to develop caruncles. I'm keeping my eye out for indicators that an experienced eye would be looking for except I am a novice and only know what I've read in books and on the web (mostly on this site) about Muscovies. Thank you for your help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Beautiful!

Would there be other indicators? I am always listening for a full on 'quack'. I've heard some tussling noises when they're establishing the pecking order but never a full on 'quack'. I'm also looking for tail feathers that curl. I haven't seen any of those yet either. The bean on the tip of the beak is more pronounced in some than others but its there. I have ducks with black legs and white toes and ducks with dark orange legs. All are starting to develop caruncles. I'm keeping my eye out for indicators that an experienced eye would be looking for except I am a novice and only know what I've read in books and on the web (mostly on this site) about Muscovies. Thank you for your help.

Well quacking would be one indicator although I can get a quack out of any of my girls if they don't want me to mess with them like clipping a wing but it isn't continual like mallard derived breeds. Females do a trilling noise and of course the drake hiss and huff. lol No curl on the end of tail either. I had some Muscovy Mixes once rescued them from the river. and those boys talked every breath Muscovy's are mainly quiet. I'm pretty sure these 3 were Muscovy/ Pekin just because of size. How old are yours?
Lets see if we can get @Buck Oakes to give his opinion he has and raises Muscovy's

 

[Homesteader2]

The woman who sold them to me said they were born on August 4, 2015. That makes them nearing the three month old mark. I think 4 of them are older because they were MUCH bigger than the others when I took them home. I thought those 4 were drakes for sure from their size in relation to the others.

Well, two of the four are MASSIVE but the other two are now smaller than some of the ducks! But they can fly! They have their wing feathers while the others are still growing in.

That aside, I'd say that they are 3 months old for all intensive purposes. I have 2 confirmed drakes. The big group is now split into two camps around each big drake. It is so wonderful to watch the dynamics of the birds as they grow. It is so rewarding.

Thank you so much for all your help Miss Lydia and Majd.

I'd be keen to have any opinions. I am new and absorbing all information like a sponge!