# Tell me about Peking and Muscovy ducks....



## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

A few years ago we had 4 Muscovy ducks show up the day after Christmas. As in, I went out to do chores and up on my barn were 4 ducks. I fed them and they stayed. Found out only 2 knew how to outsmart the occasional roving raccoon. :Bawling: Those two are females and love to lay eggs-eggs that will never hatch because there aren't any males around here. 

Flash forward to 3 weeks ago when I went into Rural King to get a battery for the lawn mower and came home with 6 Peking ducklings. (Note to self: do NOT take the kids with me into that place!) So now our ducks are starting to get feathers and wings that don't look like chicken wings. They usually stay out in the sunroom where they mage a glorious mess out of their water. They come in every third night or so to take a bath (and make a huge mess in the bathroom-why do they wait until they get into the water to poo?!)

Since I got 6 ducklings, I'm assuming I have at least one male in the bunch (but with my luck.....) What are the chances of a Peking making the moves on a Muscovy? How long before my Peking girls start to lay eggs? When can I let them loose on the farm? Our Muscovys are free range ducks and go wherever they want to. They go into the and roost with the chickens in a few open areas I have set up there. Will the Muscovy's be good hosts and scoot over so the Pekings can roost there, too? Will my two old gals get along with the youngin's?


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## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

I love my muskovy ducks. I've had them almost a year, and they are the only duck I've had, so I can't assist with the pekings. 
I do know they love to hatch out their own eggs. I got 11 hatched a few weeks ago. Unfortunately several died. I have 6 left and thriving. 
My purpose for getting them was to eat the flies. They do a fantastic job. 

I'm sure someone can answer your question about how well they get along. 

Good luck and have fun!


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## HayBabies (Feb 27, 2013)

From what I've heard moskovies and other ducks will cross. Making mule babies(non-fertile)
They should get along. Peking can't fly so probably won't roost. Will need to lock them up safe at night.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

In ducks, the hens do the flirting, but the males make the "choice" in the mating process. 
The pekin might prefer the females he grows up with but a hen is a hen and they usually cross with scovies no problem. Your resulting ducklings (the mules) will be larger and more vigorously healthy than purebreds of either breed, but sterile-- which is OK because they make great meat birds!
They should get along fine, and in the duck world, age is nothing but a number.


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## sunflower-n-ks (Aug 7, 2006)

Like others have said, a mallard derivative drake (the pekin) will mate the muscovy duck. And any resulting ducklings will be sterile (the muscovy duck is genetically different - like a horse and donkey - which produce mules).

With the drake being the pekin, the duckling drakes will grow large like the muscovy drakes and the ducks will grow up small - almost banty in size. The ducks will lay eggs, but they are small and infertile. The ducks will go broody and will hatch out and care for any fertile eggs put under them. They make great moms to someone else's kids.


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## GeorgiaGirl (Jun 1, 2009)

Pekin ducks sure love to eat! My 2 (oops, now 14) really love to eat. If I remember right, she was already laying eggs around 6 months old. They (mom & dad) are about a year old right now.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

How do you determine the gender of ducks? I have 4 white pekins that are 8 wks old now. Three look the same, one has a darker bill and is larger. I got them at Tractor Supply, and they are all supposed to be white pekin.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

backwoods said:


> How do you determine the gender of ducks? I have 4 white pekins that are 8 wks old now. Three look the same, one has a darker bill and is larger. I got them at Tractor Supply, and they are all supposed to be white pekin.


Earliest "easy way" to sex mallard derivative ducks is by voice. Girl ducks will develop a loud, clear QUACK, while males will have a voice change-- first their peeping goes squeaky, and then raspy or croaky like a frog. 

If it quacks it's a duck. If it rasps or squeaks or croaks it's a drake. 

When the fully adult plumage comes in, boys will get a curly tail feather also, but that can be lost in molt, be undersized, or get pulled out. 

Video is not in english, but you can tell what I'm talking about just by listening to the birds. 
[ame]http://youtu.be/gut7RIAN094[/ame]


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

You're getting good information here...as usual on these forums. The only thing I can add from experience is that Muscovies fly (real well) and Pekins do not. They mess up all water they can get to; so, if you also raise chickens, it is best to set the water up off the ground (hanging it would be good). 

I would love to have more ducks, especially Muscovy because they would follow my goats around and jump up to catch any horse fly bothering them. (We have Brown Chinese geese now as they weed the garden and let us know if any predator is around...as do the guineas.) With ducks/geese, they LOVE a pool of water they can bathe in!!!


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## fixer1958 (Dec 12, 2005)

A drakes (Pekin) tail feathers will curl in a half loop at about 6 months. They have a lower and slower quack, Females are very talkative, higher and never shut up about anything.

Young males will mate with anything, even another drake if he is dominat enough. Can be a problem sometimes.


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## sunflower-n-ks (Aug 7, 2006)

Hi, fixer - you still have scovies?


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## fixer1958 (Dec 12, 2005)

Oh yes!! It created a monster when I got those first few from you. Those are all I have now. The other breeds were eaten, got eaten or died of old age.
I'm trying to thin the herd down to about 6-8 of the best ones. That means I have 40 to butcher before they start mass producing again.
I hit an all time high of 150 last year.
It started from the few I got from you. I added a few ever so often to mix things up some.
The biggest single hatch I have seen from one hen was 28.

You have to stay on it or they will take over.


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## sunflower-n-ks (Aug 7, 2006)

They are a true "homesteaders" critter. They really do replenish themselves very well. 

I have not added any more to my flock and the genetics are getting interesting with a new color and patterns showing up. I find it interesting, if not a bit overwhelming sometimes. 

Have you tried "duck jerkey" yet? I hear it is very good.


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## fixer1958 (Dec 12, 2005)

Good idea. I will have to try it.


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