~~Muscovy Ducks ~~
Fun Facts and Interesting Information
Information will be listed on this page about the breed and all sorts of interesting facts...
Besides being cute little ducks they have a lot of nutritional values...
| Duck egg | Chicken egg | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 223 | 149 |
| Protein | 12 grams | 10 grams |
| Fat | 18.5 grams | 11 grams |
| Carbs | 1.4 grams | 1.6 grams |
| Fiber | 0 grams | 0 grams |
| Cholesterol | 276% of the Daily Value (DV) | 92% of the DV |
| Choline | 36% of the DV | 40% of the DV |
| Copper | 6% of the DV | 7% of the DV |
| Folate | 14% of the DV | 9% of the DV |
| Iron | 20% of the DV | 7% of the DV |
| Pantothenic acid | – | 24% of the DV |
| Phosphorus | 16% of the DV | 13% of the DV |
| Riboflavin | 28% of the DV | 29% of the DV |
| Selenium | 62% of the DV | 43% of the DV |
| Thiamine | 10% of the DV | 3% of the DV |
| Vitamin A | 23% of the DV | 18% of the DV |
| Vitamin B6 | 15% of the DV | 8% of the DV |
| Vitamin B12 | 168% of the DV | 32% of the DV |
| Vitamin D | 8% of the DV | 9% of the DV |
| Vitamin E | 13% of the DV | 8% of the DV |
| Zinc | 12% of the DV | 9% of the DV |
The average duck egg is 1.5 to 2 times larger than the average chicken egg.
Duck eggs also have Omega-3 fatty acids. Approximately 71 milligrams per egg.
Muscovy ducks have the largest and leanest breast meat of all ducks.
Duck Meat Nutrition:
Protein. Duck poultry is an excellent source of protein. Around 75 grams of cooked meat will provide more than 25% of our necessary daily protein intake. It is important that you eat enough protein every day. It is necessary for keeping your skin, muscles, and blood healthy.
B vitamins. Duck is a good source of B vitamins. It contains a lot of vitamin B3, niacin.
Iron. One serving of duck meat will give you half of your needed daily iron intake. Iron is an essential mineral that your body needs to create energy and growth. It is necessary to make hemeglobin. This protein carries oxygen within red blood cells.
Omega fatty acids. Duck poultry is an excellent source of short-chain fatty acids and a good source of omega-6 fats.
Studies show that ducks' systems convert short-chain omega-3s (such as ALA, or alpha-linolenic acids) and convert them into long-chain Omega-3s (such as DHA, or docusahexaenoic acid). Long-chain omega-3s can help prevent chronic diseases including various types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, mental illnesses, psoriasis, and asthma.
Selenium. Duck meat is a rich source of selenium. Selenium is an important mineral that can reduce the symptoms of chronic inflammation and can help to build your immune response.
Muscovy Duck meat is 99% fat free.
Ok, we have covered why they are good to eat both as eggs and meat...
Now, lets talk a bit about the breed and its unique characteristics...
The wild Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata sylvestris) is actually a native of Mexico, Central America, and Southern America. It is also called a Greater Wood Duck or Forest Duck or Barbary Duck.
Incubation period: about 35 days longest of any duck
Scientific Classification:
Species: C. moschata
Order: Anseriformes
Class: Aves
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Cairina; Fleming, 1822
Kingdom: Animalia
The Muscovy is the only duck that is not bred from Mallard stock. The Muscovy is to the duck world what the donkey is to the equine world. In other words, it’s a different species, although quite closely related. Crossing a donkey with a horse will produce a sterile mule, and crossing a Muscovy with a duck will produce a sterile “mule duck.” If you were to breed a Muscovy with a Pekin, the offspring would be a sterile Mulard. In fact, some people do and use the Mulard as meat birds. Muscovys are their own species and are closer related to a goose than they are a duck!
The Muscovy is a large duck and can have a wingspan of up to 64 inches. It is also a heavy breed and can weigh up to 15lbs, although the girls are slightly lighter at 6-7lbs.
As the males are so heavy, they can struggle to fly, but the females can fly, and you will need to clip their wings to prevent them from escaping or place them in an enclosure.
It has a broad, long body (males around 30 inches) and a wide, flat tail. Colors are usually black and white, but there can be many variations: blue, black, chocolate, pied (white with any color), white, lavender, bronze, barred, and rippled (just to name a few).
The black feathers of the male are iridescent in sunlight, but the female coloration is frequently more muted to provide camouflage when nest sitting, but not always.
The head is unique. They have a facial ‘mask’ will be a dark red. This mask is called caruncles. The caruncles will grow slowly, and the boys will develop them before the girls. Generally good caruncle development will start with the drakes at 16 weeks.
The caruncles are larger and more colorful on the male. The mature male will have a large dark red knob at the base of his bill this is referred to as his bean.
In contrast to the noisy quacking of other ducks, Muscovies are extremely quiet. However, although they are often called “mute ducks,” they aren’t completely silent. Males have a hoarse hiss, and females are often described as having a soft musical whimper, which isn’t too loud, sounds nice, and isn’t likely to disturb your neighbors.
They have webbed feet that are unusual in that they have long claws. These claws are very sharp even at a young age and should be given every consideration when handling. These claws allow them to perch up in trees – hence the name “greater wood duck.”
Although they swim, they don’t swim as much as other ducks because their oil-producing glands are small and underdeveloped. While they enjoy swimming water, they aren’t as water repellent as other ducks because their oil glands are not so well developed, and swimming water isn’t as necessary for them as some other breeds. A tub about 3 feet across and 8 to 10 inches deep is generally enough for them. Many of mine take a bath every day; especially if I have given them clean water. But I have one that is just resistant to getting in the water at all.
They are omnivorous foragers, eating various plant materials, leaves, roots, and shoots, along with small fish, crustaceans, small reptiles, and millipedes. They will eat mosquitoes and flies avidly and have been used as ‘pest control’ by some people.
In fact, a Canadian study of fly control methods found that Muscovy’s ate about 30 times the amount of the various fly traps, papers, and other methods tested!
Feed wise; if you are raising them from ducklings, they should be given a 28% gamebird starter which should be freely available and supplemented with ground split peas. The ducks love them and they need the extra niacin for proper leg and feet development.
As they transition to adults, they can be cut back to 20% layer pellets or duck pellets (such as the ones made by Purina).
They also enjoy mealworms and cracked corn as treats, along with fresh greens and scratches, among many other things. However, not everything is good for muscovys to eat. So, if in doubt... google it or ask someone who raises them.
The Muscovy lays 60-120 large white eggs per year (a low number for ducks).
Males reach sexual maturity in 29 weeks, and the female matures in 28 weeks. The mating season of the Muscovy can last from August to May. This can vary by climate, and the females can have three to four broods per year as long as she has sufficient protein in her diet.
There really isn’t any courtship ritual except for lots of tail wagging and erecting the head crest. Males have been known to fight each other for mating opportunities with the females.
They are polygamous, although a male may help with guarding the nest and ducklings.
The female will set her nest in a large cavity in a tree or a suitably secure ready-made nest box off the ground or an elevated duck house; they do not like ground sitting duck houses. I have found that an elevation of only 5" to 6" is plenty.
Some folks keep them in with their chickens since Muscovies are not as mucky as a regular duck, and the arrangement seems to work well enough.
Her clutch of eggs can be up to 16 or so eggs. She will then carefully incubate her eggs for 35 days until they hatch. Often a few females will brood together.
The ducklings will stay close by Mama for 10-12 weeks to keep warm and safe. During this time, they will be learning all the skills needed to survive. At 12 weeks, the ducklings will be good-sized birds, although not yet adults.
The Muscovy is a very quiet duck; they do not quack like other ducks. They are usually fairly quiet unless attacked or excited.
The females have a soft, trilling vocalization, while the males have a low, hushed call.
If happy or excited, they wag their tails a great deal, and the males can also puff and hiss.
They are fairly long-lived with an average lifespan of 8-12 years, but Muscovies can live for up to 20 years in captivity.
Healthwise, they are very hardy. Birds with large or excessive caruncles may be prone to frostbite in colder areas.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/duck-eggs-vs-chicken-eggs#nutritional-comparison
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-duck-eggs?fbclid=IwAR00ehwORgtjbt7XFZAJSWsg6SJYVmYg_WeL6lydpVQOm0AW2RLf-Pw05jI#2
https://orange.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/08/nc-local-flavors-duck/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-duck
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/muscovy-duck/
https://alsquackery.com/
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