[jaykay]

Well, I've just got two Muscovy ducklings, both female I hope, 2 weeks old. One will be chocolate, the other chocolate and white. They are enormous compared to the rescued-by-a-soppy-townie-friend mallard duckling, which was the excuse for getting them - well she needed company didn't she  They are all in a cage in the kitchen, under a heatlamp.

They are quite nervous of me but gentle and friendly with their miniature mate.

[Brijjy]

Well, I've just got two Muscovy ducklings, both female I hope, 2 weeks old. One will be chocolate, the other chocolate and white. They are enormous compared to the rescued-by-a-soppy-townie-friend mallard duckling, which was the excuse for getting them - well she needed company didn't she  They are all in a cage in the kitchen, under a heatlamp.

They are quite nervous of me but gentle and friendly with their miniature mate.

I've seen the piccy, very cute but how do you know at this early stage that they are female? That's a skill that would be very handy 

[jaykay]

Well, I watched a you-tube video of vent-sexing ducklings and I tried it on the mallard.

When I went to collect the Muscovies, I said I only wanted females and he knew he had 2 females and 5 males left and he vent-sexed them to check. So I hope he was right......

[Brijjy]

Right, I'm off to have a look at youtube 

[jaykay]

The video I saw was obviously a duck farm. It was the owner, very straightforward, who showed how he did the vent sexing and then showed one of his workers, who held the ducklings differently. But he explained it very well I thought.

Here it is:Metzer Farms - Sexing Baby Ducklings and Goslings

[Brijjy]

Just watched the video and one other by an american lady. Both were very informative. I shall be having a go on any goslings that may be hatching in the next couple of weeks.

[goosepimple]

Yes that was a good video and helpful, particularly if you only have 2 hatchlings and can't see the difference when they are older (if they are the same sex they could both just look the same in geese for example).
Good luck with your new arrivals Judith ... must be easter!

[jaykay]

And finally I get them outside - you should see the state of my hall 


Can you fit another one in there?

[goosepimple]

They're great, you'll love them 

[MAK]

Our old dame sat on her eggs for about 46 days - we examined one and it was rotten - we removed all of the 17 and gave her 6 from another mum. These should hatch in 8 days time and satisfy this dedicated mum.
We  are removing eggs from one mum as we have about 60 other eggs being sat on by the other 4 females.
Fortunately or neighbour has offered her old chicken pen for our excessive number of potential ducklings.
fingers crossed as we luv our muscovies.

[jaykay]

I had to just take my geese off their eggs - poor loves, they sat so tight, but nothing 

[harry]

i have 4 campbells ducks ,,might get some muscovys with one drake, do they mix or fight

[jaykay]

I heard the drakes were pretty aggressive even with ganders so I'm just going to have females - I have enough other drakes and a gander who are all peaceful with each other, don't want to upset the applecart.

[goosepimple]

We had a HUGE fight on our pond a few days back - our Steinbacher gander (via Jaykay) was swimming away with Mrs Steinbacher No2 and hissed at our Muscovy drake - he immediately retaliated and there was mayhem -myself and my OH were at the pond side at the time and kept looking at them and thinking they would bash each other and back off, but they kept going at it hammer and tongs and wouldn't stop.  They had each others necks in their beaks at the same time, wings flapping everywhere, they were both in for the kill.  My OH had to jump in, he grabbed the one uppermost at the time (the drake) by the neck and took him off to the side - he immediately went in for round 2 and was taken out again by which time the gander took refuge.  The gander seemed to be most shaken by the event I think, he's keeping a low profile from all of us at the moment    They seem to have got it out of their system for the moment anyway.  Think we may have to keep any gosling offspring under wraps (if we get any).

[Brijjy]

I've got 2 muscovy drakes and 1 gander and I have to say that they have never fought each other. The gander is now trying to be a duck and following them around as his girls are both sitting on eggs. The mussies just put up with him.