Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Muscovies  (Read 2585 times)

harry

  • Joined Mar 2009
Muscovies
« on: August 04, 2018, 06:09:05 pm »
I would like to keep a few muscovies for meat alongside my meat geese . I don't want them flying over to my neighbours .Is it ok to cut their flight feathers as I have trees and I know they like to roost

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2018, 06:41:23 pm »
Yes, just cut the flight feathers on one wing.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2018, 05:02:02 pm »
If you feed them they will not fly anywhere. Even girls don't fly too much. Less than chickens.
My ones know to go home themselves in the evening as I always feed them a bit inside the coop.
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

harry

  • Joined Mar 2009
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2018, 08:24:21 pm »
What do you feed them on for meat birds .What's the feeding plan

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2018, 11:31:25 am »
My Muscovy's were all hatched here and they do all fly, but usually its for a reason. Over a tall fence if the hens are being fed and they want some, about 100 metres over some gates to the larger pond, or when there is a duck on eggs and the drake is looking for her he will fly quite far and quite high to try and spot her. Or of course if they are being chased (by an escapee terrier usually)..

I didn't realise how well they flew when I first got them and I lost a few, so think clipping their wings is an excellent idea. For older birds that have been living with you for some time I wouldn't bother top clip after they moult as they will know there home. Younger birds hatched there won't want to wander too far either.


I wonder if you clip meat birds wings will it affect the size of the breast muscle though?

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2018, 02:23:08 pm »
If you feed them they will not fly anywhere. Even girls don't fly too much. Less than chickens.
My ones know to go home themselves in the evening as I always feed them a bit inside the coop.

This is not my experience with Muscovies.  More than any other type of duck, they are not happy without a proper pond or stream, no matter how well you feed and bed them, or how much you give them a paddling pool or other source of clean water. 

And all my Muscovies have been avid flyers, so I would absolutely snip the primary feathers on one wing.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

roddycm

  • Joined Jul 2013
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2018, 07:44:25 pm »
I find my males get too heavy to fly and the females only fly a lot when they are young as they get older they don't fly more than 20 meters or so. I've had muscovies forever but know that everyone seems to have different experiences with theirs so you best bet is just to see what works best for you. I guess it may depend on your set up.... I would say clip their wings to start with to be on the safe side :)

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2018, 08:22:17 am »
If you feed them they will not fly anywhere. Even girls don't fly too much. Less than chickens.
My ones know to go home themselves in the evening as I always feed them a bit inside the coop.

This is not my experience with Muscovies.  More than any other type of duck, they are not happy without a proper pond or stream, no matter how well you feed and bed them, or how much you give them a paddling pool or other source of clean water. 

And all my Muscovies have been avid flyers, so I would absolutely snip the primary feathers on one wing.
My ones have free access to a brook in a middle of our garden. Muscovies spend a lot less time swimming than Campbells.
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

roddycm

  • Joined Jul 2013
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2018, 03:28:41 pm »
If you feed them they will not fly anywhere. Even girls don't fly too much. Less than chickens.
My ones know to go home themselves in the evening as I always feed them a bit inside the coop.

This is not my experience with Muscovies.  More than any other type of duck, they are not happy without a proper pond or stream, no matter how well you feed and bed them, or how much you give them a paddling pool or other source of clean water. 

And all my Muscovies have been avid flyers, so I would absolutely snip the primary feathers on one wing.
My ones have free access to a brook in a middle of our garden. Muscovies spend a lot less time swimming than Campbells.

I would agree my muscovies swim the least of all my ducks. The calls swam the most! The muscovies spend a lot of time foraging and can waddle quite far! They usually swim in the morning and evening and that's it!

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Muscovies
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2018, 09:04:31 am »
If you feed them they will not fly anywhere. Even girls don't fly too much. Less than chickens.
My ones know to go home themselves in the evening as I always feed them a bit inside the coop.

This is not my experience with Muscovies.  More than any other type of duck, they are not happy without a proper pond or stream, no matter how well you feed and bed them, or how much you give them a paddling pool or other source of clean water. 

And all my Muscovies have been avid flyers, so I would absolutely snip the primary feathers on one wing.
My ones have free access to a brook in a middle of our garden.

And that’s why yours don’t fly off!  Lol
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS