Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Cindi on September 27, 2008, 11:54:24 am

Title: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Cindi on September 27, 2008, 11:54:24 am
Want ducks to be good mothers?  Well, I do highly recommend those Muscovy ducks, they do nothing else other than want to be great mothers, and that they are.  Their hatches are always 12 out of 14, and the last hatch was 14 out of 14.  So cute, so sweet, even when they grow up they are still sweet and nice ducks (well, exceptions must be made, like Whoppo, that nasty, nasty ol' drake that hated me, and surely let me know it.  Sir Drake, his replacement, is nothing short of a beautiful gentleman, to me, and even how he treats his own girls, compared to that Whoppo dude, whom I am sure is doing a great job somewhere else).

We have 4 clutches of Muscovy babies, ranging from only 3 days old to 1 month old.  I have tried here to get a good picture of the 3 clutches (are duck babies called clutches too?  wonder that one, just doesn't sound right though).   Have the most wonderful and awesome day, love life.  Cindi

Part of the clan, there are 3 different hatches here, the picture doesn't really show well the different ages, but let your imagination run wild!!!

(http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3223/muscovybabies3generatiohe2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

These were born on Tuesday, the first picture taken the day of the hatch, after the mother took a short break to have a bath and eat, the second picture was taken the day after they were born, oh so cute.  And she took them outside of their chickenhouse on the third day, all 14 of them in tow, following the little sounds the mother makes so they they know she is their mother, and not any of the other birds out there.

(http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9782/muscovybabiesbornsept23nv1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

(http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4828/muscovybabiesbornsept23gz4.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

And then there is Micky.  She is the only chicken that we have that likes to go broody, and she has done that thing three times this summer.  She is an excellent mother and cluck, cluck, clucks to her little babies in tow.  She only hatched out 2 out of 8 eggs.  This was because we moved her half way through her incubation because the chickens were bugging her and kept climbing into her house and laying eggs.  I think the move disturbed her greatly, lessons learned.

I am showing the picture because when I was out in the chickenyard the other day, I thought something was seriously wrong with her, I thought that she had some weird injury or something, this was looking from a distance, but as I got closer, this is what I saw.  It was the little chick peeping out from under her wing, and as I got closer it was more discernable.  She always takes little breaks with her feeding the babies and poking around, and they huddle under her wing.  Oh Micky is such a nice girl.  She is not a very large chicken, I think she must be a cross between some kind of Banty and another, and she is pretty ugly.  She is kind of a dirty looking white with some light specks on places on her body, and she just is not pretty, but she is worth her weight in gold to me.  Have the most beautiful and wonderfully awesome day, Cindi

(http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2043/mickychicksunderher2mr9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

(http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4928/mickychicksunderher3om7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

(http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/176/mickychicksunderhergg4.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: JP on September 27, 2008, 02:18:42 pm
Them little ones sure are cute, would hate to eat 'em when they're cute like that, good thing they grow up ugly, no one would eat 'em.


...JP
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Frantz on September 27, 2008, 03:05:13 pm
That looks great Cindi, the last hatch was that recent huh?? With the cold coming on I am surprised that she did that great of a job on them. My birds, when it gets this late in the season don't want to stay broody. Great Job!!! Nothing in this world cuter than those little babies, except your 4 yr old daughter holding one. :-D
F
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: poka-bee on September 27, 2008, 04:38:51 pm
Oh Cindi, they are so cute! I love the little noises Mom & babies make to each other!  Does Dad follow behind protecting?  The teenage ones look so gangly, the feet look too big for the bodies & the down & feather mix doesn't help!  Muscovys are wonderful mothers, even into the fall & winter.  JP, now you be nice..look @ all those ninja trainees!! :shock:
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Cindi on September 28, 2008, 03:09:06 pm
Frantz, yes, the hatch was last Tuesday, there are no more broody ducks, that will come again in the spring.  The Muscovy ducks mature at an alarming rate.  By the time they are two weeks old they are beginning to get feathered out and protected.  Muscovy ducks are amazing, they are ready and full grown for food within a couple of months, it really blows my mind how quickly they mature.

Jody, the drake has nothing to do with the babies, absolutely nothing, the mother raises them all on her own and this one, Cookie, with the last hatch is the best mother so far of all the ducks.  She has even taken under her wing some of the last hatch, which are three weeks old.  It is so funny to see these little bit larger ducklings hanging out with the new borns, I have pictures that I have taken and I will add to this post, maybe tomorrow.  I love the Muscovy breed of duck.  They are so ding dang friendly and not afraid of the human one little bit.  I was sitting about 2 feet away from Cookie and her clan day before yesterday taking pictures of them, they just posed and watched me.  Cookie standing on one leg, taking a break in the sunshine.  If I could ever recommend a great bird for pleasure to watch, I would recommend this breed.  And all the ducks have so many different colours, no two are alike.  We even have some pure white ones too.  That comes from Sir Drake's bloodline, Whoppo threw lots of colours too, but no whites.  I really like the white ones, I think they are very pretty and look so pure, and always, no clue how they do it, but they are always immaculate and white, never ever dirty.  Now Sir Drake is another matter.  He is a dirty bird, I think that when he grew up he did not have access to lots of water or something and never learned how to bathe.  I have dug a really deep pond in the chickenyard, and the water table fills it up, I am surprised how deep the water is, I venture it is about 3 feet deep now.  I have pictures of that too.  Have the most wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: poka-bee on September 28, 2008, 08:30:01 pm
Cindi, if you throw some feeder goldfish in there the Muscovy's will have a ball! When I would clean the stock tanks I would put the goldfish in buckets.  One time I went to the powder room & when I came back Ms. Muscovy was diving in the buckets eating the fish..there were only 2 left!  The goldfish will eat the organic matter, mosquito larva & algae in the pond keeping the water cleaner.  I too like the white ones..was always amazed how they could poop so much yet still have clean bums! :?
If I had a way to keep em out of the koi pond I would get a couple more, they are my favorite too! I especially liked it when Mr. Muscovy would catch bread I threw, like a dog!  Jody
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Cindi on September 29, 2008, 11:17:21 am
Jody, oh you say the funnnnneeeest things.  They bums are always as pure and clean looking as anywhere else on their bodies, it is nothing beyond amazing.  Now, why aren't chickens a little more clean, sometimes now and then they get a pretty dirty bum.  I have had to do some work on some of them, now and then, now that ain't a pretty thing to do  :lol: :lol: :shock:.  For this most part they are clean and fluffy though.  We had one white chicken that constantly had that dirty bum, she isn't here anymore.....

I have some more pictures to put in this thread that I have been working on.  You will see.......

This is the pond that I dug and dug and dug, it took me about 2 weeks of working on it mostly everyday for about 1/2 hour.  I finally built up the sides pretty good, and it can be walked around by the human now, it has drained, the ducks love it.  I love how even the tiny little baby Muscovys swim under water from one side to the other.  I think it would probably be about 3 feet deep or so, it should provide some great drainage for the chickenyard, we do live in that rainforest.

This picture is of Cookie's babies, the first day that they came out of their brood box, they never went back in, once they are out, they are out.  They were on their 2nd day old when she first took them out, amazing, again how fast they grow!!!

(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/6429/muscovybabiesbornsept23el7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

This picture is Cookie outside with her clan of 14.  Alongside, if you look closely you will see a few other older babies (they were born one week prior to Cookie's), they love to hang out with her and the babies.  Their mother (Lovely Lady) abandoned them just after they were born (she no longer is with us either).  Something I found out about the Muscovy mothers.  You can move them and the eggs, but once the hatch has occurred, moving them is not a good thing.  For some reason the babies don't bond to that mother (or at least that is what I have found).  She tried to get them to listen to her, but they would have no part of her, so she just gave up and they were on their own. Ducks are so independent that the babies can get by very nicely without that mother mothering them, seen that quite a few times with incubated ducks.

(http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/7503/muscovybabiesbornsept23vp2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

(http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4416/muscovybabiesbornsept23xb7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

Look closely, you will see the bigger, one week older ones, that is how fast they grow!!!

(http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/5558/muscovybabiesbornsept23kx9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

This is the pond that I have been working on.  I love to dig, and I dig my little heart out everywhere around here, you could not believe the things that I have dug....have that most beautiful and wonderfully great and awesome day, Cindi

(http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/9831/duckpondmj4.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

A picture taken prior to the above one of the duck pond

(http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2220/duckpond3xc9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: poka-bee on September 29, 2008, 01:27:14 pm
Cindi those are beautiful pics!!  Yes, those babies grow amazingly fast.  You don't realize just how fast till you see them next to the new ones!  I like Cookies coloring.  In the sun the brown should have some rosy & light greenish hues, same as the black has the blue & green.  I can see them marching around & Mom's tail wagging & head bobbing as they come out of the pond running back to her. Mine used to do that underwater swim in their long flat water pan. They can sure scoot underwater!  It's going to be a beautiful maybe record breaking warm day today so enjoy!  Jody
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Frantz on September 29, 2008, 03:15:59 pm
Ok, that does it, I am going to have to get some Muscovys this next year... For sure. I love my chickens and quail and pheasants for sure, but those little ducklings are too much!!! Don't tell my frat brothers that I am talking about baby ducks!!! :roll:
Cindi, I love to dig as well only this is my digger,
(http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8479/p1010919iy3.th.jpg)
Therefore this is my pond!!
[URL=http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010948kv4.jpg](http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5783/p1010948kv4.th.jpg) (http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010919iy3.jpg)(http://img143.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif) (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

yea, I know "Frantz you are a brat"....Couldn't help myself. If I was close by you would have one like that as well free of charge!!! I would even let you run the digger, its addicting..
I can't wait to put some ducks on there now!! Jody, Cindi, I will be calling early spring some eggs to put in the bator!!!
F
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: JP on September 29, 2008, 08:00:34 pm
Ok, that does it, I am going to have to get some Muscovys this next year... For sure. I love my chickens and quail and pheasants for sure, but those little ducklings are too much!!! Don't tell my frat brothers that I am talking about baby ducks!!! :roll:
Cindi, I love to dig as well  only this is my digger,
(http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8479/p1010919iy3.th.jpg)
Therefore this is my pond!!
[URL=http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010948kv4.jpg](http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5783/p1010948kv4.th.jpg) (http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010919iy3.jpg)(http://img143.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif) (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

yea, I know "Frantz you are a brat"....Couldn't help myself. If I was close by you would have one like that as well free of charge!!! I would even let you run the digger, its addicting..
I can't wait to put some ducks on there now!! Jody, Cindi, I will be calling early spring some eggs to put in the bator!!!
F

Frantz, Cindi likes to dig some yes but she really likes to pile things up, like that rock pile of hers. I think she's trying to build a mountain.

One day the people in the area will look out over its summit and think, wow, you know this here mountain was created by that duck lady that kept bees, that used to ride that black and orange Harley. Yeah, the "rock lady" yeah the one with that bronzed slug now in the town museum.


...JP :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Brian D. Bray on September 29, 2008, 10:34:51 pm
  I too like the white ones..was always amazed how they could poop so much yet still have clean bums! :?

If you sat in water all day your bum would be pretty white too.  After collecting the chicken eggs a few times it makes you want to invent a bidet for the hens nest boxes.
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: annette on September 30, 2008, 12:57:20 am
Adorable photos Cindi of the ducks. So cute.

JP you have described Cindi very well indeed. She sure is unusual to say the least!!  Only kidding Cindi.

I love you
annette
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Cindi on September 30, 2008, 10:26:23 am
Oh my forum friends, you all bring that secret smile to my face, and you all make my day!!!  Don't we all laugh a little, and sometimes blush a little when we are teased, and teasing, hee, hee!!!

Frantz, holy smoking diggers, I would love to check out that machine and do some digging, what a blast that would be, bring it on!!!  Seriously.  I have always had certain things in my life that I have wanted to do, and believe it or not, I would one day love to own a machine that I could run and dig stuff, move earth, oh what a blast!!!

Brian, totally agreed.  Chickens can certainly make those eggs look like they came straight out of a mud pie!!!  Bad girls!!!

JP, I have had so many people ask me what is under that rock pile  :evil: :lol: 8-) :shock:, I have told some mighty high tales, and there are some very gullible people in this world  ;) :) :).  You should see the expression on their faces.  Yep, yep, I have made a few marks in my history, hee, hee.  Have that most awesome and wonderful day, Cindi
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Melilem on October 08, 2008, 01:31:13 pm
Those chicks peeping out from behind mother chicken are soooo cute! I had ducks once, boy they smelled! eww. I can still smell them, it's like a traumatic event ...that scent will come back to haunt me on my deathbed. I'll be going through that list of things I regret doing, "Buying those ducks', that will be #3 on my list.
Title: Re: Oh, those ding dang Muscovy ducks and their babies!!!
Post by: Cindi on October 09, 2008, 10:59:56 am
Melilem.   Oh yes, ducks really poop alot and make an awful stink!!!  Eeeks, yep, yep, know what ya mean.  I call then mucky, yucky, yucky, ducky, hee, hee.  I have Cookie with all 26 (she has taken over Lovely Lady's clutch) (are ducks called a clutch?  maybe another name).  THey are in a separate pen and man oh man!!!  I had to separate them because so many birds all coming out of the house in the morning was overwhelming for her, and one got squished last week.  So she is happy, along with all those babies in tow.  The hatches were one week apart, but holy smokin' cadoodalhoppers, in the past few days the week older ones have more than doubled, I would even say tripled in size since the last picture I took of them.  Gotta get a picture, it is amazing, gonna get a shot later today.  Beautiful and most wonderful days, Cindi