Breeding Muscovies??

Vasko Drogriski · **Joined:** Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:12 am **Posts:** 7

Hi fellow Muscovies,
I am new to this forum and wanted some help rod advice about Muscovites in breeding season.
Recently I bought a couple of ducks and a drake and would like to know a bit more about them, particularly about their breeding and brooding habits.
More specifically I wanted to know if anyone has observed them when they are laying and preparing to sit on their eggs. For instance do Muscovites normally hop on and off their clutch as mine seem to be a bit erratic about whether they're sitting on their eggs or not. Some days they are off their nest for nearly half a day, especially in the early stage after they've laid the whole clutch or nearly done so.
Last night we also had a fox attack on one of the ducks who took off from the nest and must have hidden for the night. I put most of the eggs under the chooks to keep warm for the night, but not sure whether they did. Managed to coax the duck back to her nest this morning when she turned up. She was actually saved by our year old Marrema pup, who got wind of the fox attack in the barn and managed to trap the fox in one of our tree cages.
So my question is do duck eggs stay viable for long between sittings or do they lose their fertility easily if they're not sat on continuously once they get going?

Vasko Drogriski · **Joined:** Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:12 am **Posts:** 7

I hate this predictive text... Cause it can't tell whether you are talking about ducks or Russians!
That's Muscovies not Muscovites!

ColacWaterfowl · **Posted:** Thu Oct 03, 2013 9:44 am

They duck will only sit aka start incubation when ALL the eggs she wants are laid so hence she will be on and off the nest for days/weeks

Vasko Drogriski · **Joined:** Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:12 am **Posts:** 7

Yes but does it matter that she might sit on the eggs all night, and then off them all day? (Whilst laying the rest).
Doesn't sitting on them for an extended period get the embryonic development started?
In other words, is there a minimum amount of sitting or incubation required for this development to start?

ColacWaterfowl · **Posted:** Sat Oct 05, 2013 12:43 pm

Duck can 'look' like they are sitting at night but are not actually incubating instead guarding the eggs

Vasko Drogriski · **Joined:** Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:12 am **Posts:** 7

Thanks.

2_Drakes · **Posted:** Sun Oct 06, 2013 9:14 am

I have a few muscovy ducks that sit in the boxes at night with eggs but not hard enough to begin incubation and it can be 2 or 3 weeks before they do and 90% of the eggs will hatch

Vasko Drogriski · **Joined:** Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:12 am **Posts:** 7

Thanks, this is all giving me good knowledge.
It's interesting that you never get the same information in published books as you do in anecdotal exchange and observations.
I've been reading a number of books on poultry, and you never get some of the more idiosyncratic actualities of how things really happen in real life.

2_Drakes · **Posted:** Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:27 pm

So very true [smilie=a_goodjobson.gif]

GEESEGANG · **Joined:** Sat Oct 12, 2013 2:07 pm **Posts:** 1

There are no good waterfowl books from oz authors so its all foreign info

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Breeding Muscovies??

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