Marvelous Muscovies

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Such a basic diet as the Witts use can be supplemented with vegetables, fruit and other table scraps, however, never feed moldy food items, a practice that can cause your birds — particularly ducklings — to develop the lung disease aspergillosis. Ducks also need access to grit or coarse sand to help them digest their food, and they must have fresh, clean drinking water each day, in containers deep enough to allow them to submerge and clean their nostrils, but not so deep that they can swim in the container.

Ducklings that are hand-fed often become tame and friendly.

If you do not have a pond, consider providing a child’s plastic wading pool for your ducks during the warmer months. Set up some way for them to get in and out of the pool, such as several large rocks or a concrete block step, and be sure to change the pool water regularly to prevent stagnant, unsanitary conditions.

Muscovies are strong, hardy waterfowl that don’t require elaborate housing like chickens, but they do need protection from freezing or extremely wet weather, and from predators such as coyotes, foxes and owls. If your ducks roam free during the day, luring them into an enclosed shed, covered pen or other animal-proof enclosure at night will go a long way toward preventing losses from predation. In colder climates, a well-bedded shelter will also help protect these ducks from frostbite.

“I leave my ducks unclipped, so they can at least have a chance of getting away from dogs and foxes,” de Wit says. “At dusk, we lead them into a pen with a 5-foot wire-mesh fence around it.” She considers roaming dogs to be Muscovy enemy No. 1.

When kept under clean (for a duck), uncrowded conditions, and given a proper diet, Muscovies are very resistant to parasites and infectious diseases. Vaccinations usually aren’t necessary in a small flock, but you may want to ask a local veterinarian experienced in avian medicine for his or her recommendations, especially if certain diseases are prevalent in your area. Routinely, watch your ducks for signs of sickness such as fluffed feathers, lethargy or poor appetite, and promptly separate sick birds for treatment. Any newcomers brought in from other farms should be quarantined for a month before joining your permanent flock.

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