by angelborne

Created on: October 14, 2007

Our Ducks

We have two types of duck on our smallholding, we have runner ducks, so called cos they run everywhere and Muscovy ducks which are the only duck not derived from the mallard. Muscovies will eat any insect, slugs, snails, worms but they will also eat mice but not dead mice, they have to be live, very much alive.

I have at present 4 adult male muscovies Clyde who is the oldest and is father and grandfather to most of them, Clyde now lives in a large run on the front of the property on his own, he cannot be put in the main run with the others, as they will attack and kill him, then we have spike, now spike lives with one of our females called speedy, they have their own house and run situated at the side of the property, behind the vegetable patch, he has fathered lots of babies for us. The remaining two males can be found in the main run they are charcoal and flash, flash is very protective of the younger ones, and tends to protect them from charcoal who is a bit of a bully.

The females are Bonny, who is the oldest, then comes Amanda, Monica, and Gwen , then closely followed by daffy squeaky, and nibbles, nibbles can be easily spotted by her little cap on her head then there are five other females in there that do not have names yet, these five could possible end up once bigger, being culled and placed in our freezer. The last two little ducks are situated in a smaller run adjoining the chicken run, here lives Bill & Will they are not fully grown yet so therefore are unable to defend themselves in the main run, I will move them over when I feel the time is right.

Muscovy ducks breed 3 times a year and can lay unto 21 eggs per clutch, the most we have had under one duck is 13 of which 11 hatched. We tend to remove the babies once they are hatched as I have known our females to eat their young so we find it easier to re-house them as soon as they are born.

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