# Muscovy people - ducks or drakes? *PIC HEAVY*



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

So here are pics of my 3 Muscovy ducks. They are young, but nearly if not completely full grown.
I named them Mr. Drake, Jemima, and Rebeccah (after the Beatrix Potter Puddle-Ducks), but now I'm almost sure Jemima is a drake, and I suspect that Mr. Drake might be a female. What do you say?

Rebeccah, Mr. Drake, Jemima


















Mr. Drake, Rebeccah, Jemima









Jemima (has very large feet)


















Mr. Drake (feet only slightly bigger than Rebeccah's, no curled head feathers)


















Rebeccah, Mr. Drake









Rebeccah, Jemima


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## BlackCrowFarm (Jan 5, 2013)

Rebeccah is the only duck, female, the other 2 are drakes.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

OK, thanks! That's no problem since the friend who gave them to me is always offering me more. 
ETA - how do you tell?


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

look at the red around the beak and eyes - your boys are going to have WAY more and be alot bigger


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## sbaker (Nov 11, 2012)

Ducks and Drakes quack different too... Ducks quack, and drakes croak more like frogs.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

They are cute. Hopefully you can a couple more females.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

OK, I went out and observed them carefully for a while. Jemima I am now certain is a drake.
But the more I observe Mr. Drake, the more I think "he" is a female. He quacks and twitters just like Rebeccah, while Jemima makes a rasping sound and no quacks.
Here is a picture of Mr. Drake (left), another duck, and Jemima (right) from 4 months ago. As you see, Jemima's caruncles have developed dramatically, Mr. Drake's only a little.









Maybe I'm just being a wishful newbie, but at any rate, I'll just wait and see who lays eggs. There will be no doubt then!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

That one is a tough call.....I'm leaning towards male but it's hard to say without seeing the duck in person.How is it size-wise? Is it as big as the drake?


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Nope. It's only a tiny bit bigger than the female.
It's hard for me because I don't know exactly how old they are. The last pic I posted was taken in October.
But then, the friend who gave them to me has been raising ducks for a few years, and I would be surprised that she made a mistake on 2 of 3!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Funny, at first I thought boy....now I think maybe a female....lol....let me know if it lays an egg 

Ok, I keep looking ,Lol, and I keep changing my mind!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

OK, I will update this thread when I know for sure what it is! Thanks for your help!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Sounds good, i'd love to know what it is....I started with the scovies last year. I have a chocolate pair, a blue pied , a light blue pied and a light brown pied...oh, and one white one.


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## KarmakeeFarm (Jun 3, 2012)

2 drakes 1 hen i say too!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I don't think I said this before (but I should have); the ducks are all different ages, but I'm fairly certain that Mr. Drake is the oldest of the three because that one was fully feathered when I got it. That's another reason I think it's a female - Jemima caught up with and passed it in development so fast!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Now that makes a lot of difference....I say female then.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I just wanted to chime in... I just got 5 muscovys.. the first ducks I've ever had and I LOVE them! I bought 2 drakes and 3 hens. One of the drakes was purchased with the intention of eating him, but the family has been so busy, we haven't had time to get to that... now he's getting awfully 'attached' to the girls... I may have to buy another duck dinner.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

NYGoatmom, sorry I didn't say that before!  Thanks for bearing with me.
Milk and honey, I love mine too! They're so entertaining to watch - very different from chickens, but just as funny! Unfortunately, I only got them as experiments because my sister wants Welsh Harlequins and I thought we should try some cheaper ducks first, so I'll either have to eat them or sell them soon.  I don't really want to deal with 2 breeds at the same time!


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

I'm laying my bets for 2 ducks 1 drake


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## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

milkmaid said:


> NYGoatmom, sorry I didn't say that before!  Thanks for bearing with me.
> Milk and honey, I love mine too! They're so entertaining to watch - very different from chickens, but just as funny! Unfortunately, I only got them as experiments because my sister wants Welsh Harlequins and I thought we should try some cheaper ducks first, so I'll either have to eat them or sell them soon.  I don't really want to deal with 2 breeds at the same time!
> 
> Hey if you have a local sale barn id drop them off there for the auction and see what happens! You can always NO-SELL them if things go south...I took 3 muscoveys that we raised to our local sale a few years back...and i tell you those folks "GOT STUPID"!!! ..lol...best of luck!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

milkmaid said:


> NYGoatmom, sorry I didn't say that before!  Thanks for bearing with me.
> Milk and honey, I love mine too! They're so entertaining to watch - very different from chickens, but just as funny! Unfortunately, I only got them as experiments because my sister wants Welsh Harlequins and I thought we should try some cheaper ducks first, so I'll either have to eat them or sell them soon.  I don't really want to deal with 2 breeds at the same time!


I sell Muscovies, Black & White Anconas,Blue & Whites, and Lavender &White Anconas....I also have a few mallards and a couple of Buff ducks for the green eggs...
I had a couple of welsh girls but I just sold them...it's hard to decide which breed to keep...lol


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I may keep a duck or two, come to think of it. Then I can have some Muscovies without having to worry about the wrong drake breeding the Welsh ducks. (They fly over the fences all the time, and I can't bring myself to clip their wings or pen them up - they are so beautiful when they fly!)


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I used to have about 25 muscovey in Idaho - raised for meat and eggs - loved them


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## boerlover95 (Jan 24, 2013)

2 hens 1 drake. Mr.drake is a hen and Jemima is ur drake and im 100% sure about that lol ive raised them for years there a great breed of duck to have around and they r great breeders and very protective mothers if a hen sets 24 eggs there might be one that dont hatch


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

That is convenient; I'll just make them trade names, lol.


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

I would love to get about 6 fertilized Musc eggs or day olds!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I'll have plenty shortly...come on up and get 'em


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

NyGoatMom said:


> I'll have plenty shortly...come on up and get 'em


Suuurreeeee.... Its only about a 30 hour drive! Tell ya what... I'll give ya $20 for doorstep delivery!!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Lol.....yeah, that would cover the first 15 miles in my Durango


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## boerlover95 (Jan 24, 2013)

Ohh and one more thing about muscovey ducks u can have other breeds of ducks in with them to because the drakes r to big to breed anything but a muscovey hen and other drakes r to small to breed the hens so ur Welch ducks will stay true and so will the muscoveys


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

> Ohh and one more thing about muscovey ducks u can have other breeds of ducks in with them to because the drakes r to big to breed anything but a muscovey hen and other drakes r to small to breed the hens so ur Welch ducks will stay true and so will the muscoveys


No kidding? That's amazing!
ETA - I went and looked this up and this is what people are saying. Their muscovies and mallard types generally stay completely separate, as long as each kind has friends of its own kind. But if there is a loner, or a drake without his own kind of ducks etc., then they might mix. And even when they do mix, muscovy/mallard crosses are sterile. Great for meat, but they can't reproduce. So it looks like they'd be fine to keep together.


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

NyGoatMom said:


> Lol.....yeah, that would cover the first 15 miles in my Durango


Do you sell & ship eggs? I have an "experienced" incubator friend now


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I don't think i'd trust a drake not to mate with your other hens...

Maybe the mallard size would be ok, but a medium sized duck would get mated for sure.


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## boerlover95 (Jan 24, 2013)

I had Welch and muscovies together and there was never one mix up in the breeds I also had mallard, runner and Pekin ducks I used to be big in the duck and chicken hatching business


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