Can someone clarify mule ducks for me?

[Smartie_Pants]

I don't completely understand how it works. I have a duckling whose dad is a Muscovy and the mom is a blue swedish and brown runner cross. Will it lay eggs if it is a female? I don't understand the difference between mules and hennies. (Is that even the right word?)

Someone please help! I need info!


Here is a pic of the little duckling, just for cuteness.

 

[katharinad]

http://www.metzerfarms.com/FAQ.cfm#Mule

What is a mule duck?
Muscovy and domestic ducks (such as the Pekin - which were developed from Mallards) are very different as they have been genetically isolated for over 50 million years. They can be crossed but you get some very interesting results. If you cross a Muscovy male with a Pekin female you will hatch moulards (or mule ducks); if you cross a Pekin male with a Muscovy female the progeny are called hinnies. In Europe and in Asia many mule ducks are produced because of their large size, quality liver and reduced fat content in the carcass. Artificial insemination has been developed in ducks due to the desire to produce mule ducks. If left to mate naturally, the fertility is only 20-30%. Artificial insemination brings the fertility up to 80%. Whereas a Pekin takes 28 days to hatch and a Muscovy takes 35 days, a mule or hinny takes 32 days to hatch.

Approximately 60% of mule ducks are males. Some of their characteristics are like the Muscovy as they are large, quiet, slow moving and have long claws but are also like Pekin as they swim well, the males and females are much the same size and they do not fly. Hinnies are not grown commercially. Male hinnies are much larger than female hinnies, like the muscovy, yet the females look like Pekins but fly quite well. Mules and hinnies cannot reproduce. Both males are sterile and only the hinny females lay eggs (though they cannot hatch). If you have Muscovy and Pekin together, the chances are poor that they will cross but if they do, a hinny will probably be the result as Pekin males can catch Muscovy females more easily than Muscovy males can catch Pekin females.

 

[pascopol]

I disagree with your last statement:

" If you have Muscovy and Pekin together, the chances are poor that they will cross but if they do, a hinny will probably be the result as Pekin males can catch Muscovy females more easily than Muscovy males can catch Pekin females."

I had a small flock of Muscovies and 2 Pekin females. Muscovy drakes did not have slightest problem catching and mating with Pekin females beside serviving females of their own kind.

I hatched 3 duclings out of 6 Pekin eggs I do not know what sex they were, since I gave them away. (I would never do that now, I would roast them) and that was my first duck hatch, so fertility was at least 50%.

There is a lot of inaccurate, often wrong info about ducks on the web.

If you have Muscovy drake running with Pekin or other Mallard descendent ducks they will cross and you will hatch mules and hennies

PERIOD.

 

[dieselgrl48]

Hen's and Drakes.Most duckling's are hard to sex as babie's.I sold all of my duckling's as Straight run.Some breed's are determined by sex by color and even at that can take month's.We bought 19 mallards this spring 11 were hen's the rest drakes.They all look alike as babie's so...Most drake duck's at 4/ 5 month's old will get a curly Q feather on tail.I have 7 drakes 5 mallard one pekin and one cayuga mix.I have Never had Muscovie's so I don't know about those sorry.

 

[sourland]

Pascopol, my experience indicates that you are correct. As a kid (over 50 years ago.) We kept a flock of pekin hens with several muscovy drakes for the production of mules for the restaurant trade. These were not today's production pekins. These hens would brood and successfully raise two clutches per year. The resultant offspring were rapid growing, less fat than pekins and extremely tasty.

 

[poultrykeeper08]

Don't some ppl say that the mules offspring some times but very rarely actualy can reproduce ?

I had Muscovy mixes . The mom being Muscovy . She always had good hatches . And most were females . They were ugly as he'll tho . They have the body of a Muscovy minus the carbuncles. They could fly real well to

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Yea, Muscovey/Pekin crosses must be "extremely tasty" since they are commercially raised by thousand for table in Asia, also I believe in France.

Pekin duck is too fat and greasy for my taste, Muscovey meat is of excellent gamey flawor, but needs to be skilfully cooked or the meat might be dry and tough.

My lady friend has 2 young Jumbo Pekin hens and bunch of Muscovies around. Can wait till her Pekin hens start laying. She promised me eggs......

Can't wait for Mules and Heinies. LOL

 

[desertdarlene]

Awwww, I hope that cute little duckling doesn't get eaten.

I'm sure whatever it is, it will be pretty.

 

[bemba]

I disagree with your last statement:

" If you have Muscovy and Pekin together, the chances are poor that they will cross but if they do, a hinny will probably be the result as Pekin males can catch Muscovy females more easily than Muscovy males can catch Pekin females."

I had a small flock of Muscovies and 2 Pekin females. Muscovy drakes did not have slightest problem catching and mating with Pekin females beside serviving females of their own kind.

I hatched 3 duclings out of 6 Pekin eggs I do not know what sex they were, since I gave them away. (I would never do that now, I would roast them) and that was my first duck hatch, so fertility was at least 50%.

There is a lot of inaccurate, often wrong info about ducks on the web.

If you have Muscovy drake running with Pekin or other Mallard descendent ducks they will cross and you will hatch mules and hennies

PERIOD.

I have kept both muscovies and many mallard derived breeds together for at least 10 years, and in that time I only ever hatched one hybrid! That is until recently when I raised Muscovy and mallard derived ducklings together, thus helping the different species to imprint on each other, I have bred a few Moulards (Muscovy father) and have my first Hinnies hatched yesterday. I found it much harder to get the Mallard derived drakes to mate with Muscovy females than the other way around too.

 

[bemba]

http://www.metzerfarms.com/FAQ.cfm#Mule

What is a mule duck?
Muscovy and domestic ducks (such as the Pekin - which were developed from Mallards) are very different as they have been genetically isolated for over 50 million years. They can be crossed but you get some very interesting results. If you cross a Muscovy male with a Pekin female you will hatch moulards (or mule ducks); if you cross a Pekin male with a Muscovy female the progeny are called hinnies. In Europe and in Asia many mule ducks are produced because of their large size, quality liver and reduced fat content in the carcass. Artificial insemination has been developed in ducks due to the desire to produce mule ducks. If left to mate naturally, the fertility is only 20-30%. Artificial insemination brings the fertility up to 80%. Whereas a Pekin takes 28 days to hatch and a Muscovy takes 35 days, a mule or hinny takes 32 days to hatch.

Approximately 60% of mule ducks are males. Some of their characteristics are like the Muscovy as they are large, quiet, slow moving and have long claws but are also like Pekin as they swim well, the males and females are much the same size and they do not fly. Hinnies are not grown commercially. Male hinnies are much larger than female hinnies, like the muscovy, yet the females look like Pekins but fly quite well. Mules and hinnies cannot reproduce. Both males are sterile and only the hinny females lay eggs (though they cannot hatch). If you have Muscovy and Pekin together, the chances are poor that they will cross but if they do, a hinny will probably be the result as Pekin males can catch Muscovy females more easily than Muscovy males can catch Pekin females.

My Moulards hatched on day 27 and my Hinnies on day 33.