The Complete Homesteader's Guide To Raising Muscovy Ducks - The Tiny Life (2024)

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One of the many things I didn’t know when I started raising Muscovy ducks was that these unique-looking waterfowl aren’t actually ducks at all! I’ll explain more about that (and their distinct lack of quacking) because bringing these fun, jumbo-egg-laying birds to my homestead actually felt a little bit like raising chickens, turkeys, geese, and ducks all in one, and that is an experience worth having on any homestead.

I’ll also bring you up to speed on the best strategies for raising Muscovy ducks by going over all the basics of Muscovy duck care. Because I was unfamiliar with these birds when I started my flock of Muscovies, I had all kinds of questions — some necessary and some out of pure curiosity.

Now that I’ve had some time to figure out the answers to these questions by raising these friendly birds on my North Carolina homestead, I’ll answer all the most commonly asked questions (and more) to help give you a head start with your own flock. You might be surprised at how unique Muscovies are — and how much they can add to your homestead.

Raising Muscovy Ducks

If you’re looking to start raising Muscovy ducks on your homestead, you’re in for ultra-jumbo eggs, some funny-looking birds that follow you around like pets, and a fun experience overall as you introduce these waterfowl to your land. First, let’s take a look at what Muscovy ducks are like, including their appearance, temperament, and lifespan.

Characteristics Of Muscovy Ducks

I already mentioned that Muscovy ducks aren’t even really ducks, but calling them ducks is pretty standard, mostly because it is the best descriptor of what they’re like. Originally from South America, Muscovies are waterfowl that come from tropical climates and are similar to ducks and geese—they even share some characteristics of turkeys and chickens.

Appearance And Temperament Of Muscovies

When you start keeping Muscovy ducks, you’ll probably notice that they’re most like geese in personality and sound. They make hissing and murmuring noises instead of quacking like traditional ducks.

In appearance, though, I’ve found that Muscovies have the body shape of a duck with the breast of a turkey. The most distinctive feature of Muscovy ducks is definitely the bright red caruncles around their eyes.

You’ll have seen caruncles (red, fleshy parts of a bird’s anatomy) before on a turkey’s wattle or a rooster’s comb, but on Muscovies, this warty flesh encircles their eyes. In my opinion, this is somewhat ugly but also a little endearing, as I’ve grown to enjoy having these birds on my property.

While wild Muscovies are mostly all black, domestically bred Muscovy ducks come in several different colors. The American Poultry Association only recognizes the first four of these colors, but the last two are also commonly found.

Muscovy Duck Lifespan

How long does a Muscovy duck live? On average, in the wild, Muscovies live between eight and 12 years, but the lifespan of a Muscovy duck raised domestically can last up to 20 years. As you can imagine, this longevity can really turn these waterfowl into family pets on your homestead if you keep them for their whole lives.

Can You Eat Muscovy Ducks?

Muscovy ducks are more than edible — they’re delicious. While you can eat Muscovy ducks, though, you’ll want to do so while they’re around 16 weeks of age to get the meat at its best. Muscovies are known for their tender, dark meat, and I’ve enjoyed adding the variety in protein to my homestead table.

Not only is Muscovy duck meat tasty, but it is also a healthy diet choice. Muscovy meat is high in protein and nutrients while being low in fat.

Can You Eat Muscovy Duck Eggs?

You can eat Muscovy duck eggs, and like their meat, they are also very high in protein. Because not many homesteaders raise Muscovies, these eggs are considered a bit of a delicacy, and I’ve had some success selling them at local farmer’s markets and to some local restaurants. Extra jumbo in size, Muscovy eggs are higher in protein than chicken eggs, and they have a richer, more intense flavor as well.

Muscovy Duck Care

When I first started keeping Muscovy ducks, I knew how to care for lots of poultry, including chickens, turkeys, and quail, but I had never raised waterfowl before. I had to start with the basics of Muscovy duck care, and here are some of the tips and tricks I learned along the way.

How Much Space Do Muscovy Ducks Need?

Muscovy ducks need an average of 15 square feet of space per bird. Because Muscovies are larger than chickens, they require a bit more coop and run space, especially if they aren’t able to free-range frequently. To keep them at their happiest and healthiest, I also recommend having a pond or kiddie pool they can swim in frequently.

Clipping Muscovy Ducks’ Wings

I’ve always clipped my chickens’ wings to keep them from flying out of their run, so when I started raising Muscovy ducks, one of the first questions I wanted an answer to was how to clip a Muscovy duck’s wings.

With waterfowl, you can do a partial trim, which removes only their primary flight feathers, or a full trim, which removes their primary and secondary flight feathers.

I prefer to do a partial trim so that my Muscovies have two even points on each side of their bodies when their wings are closed. A partial trim still keeps them grounded, so it achieves the main purpose and I find it to be more aesthetically pleasing. I use a pair of tin cutters when trimming flight feathers, but a pair of very sharp scissors can also work.

If you’re worried about hurting your ducks or afraid of them biting you, the only real trick here is to hold them securely while you clip their wings. They won’t feel any pain when their feathers are trimmed, so as long as you’re able to keep them fairly calm, there’s little reason to fear them biting you during the process.

Feeding And Watering Your Muscovies

Being waterfowl, Muscovy ducks enjoy spending time in the water, and they will keep a pond well maintained — they’ll thrive off of the algae and aquatic plants that could otherwise take over your pond. Muscovies also love to forage on land, and they’ll fill in the bulk of their own diet by eating bugs and plants if they’re able to free-range on your property.

Aside from foraging for food, Muscovy ducks enjoy eating whole-food kitchen scraps — high-protein or high-vitamin scraps such as meats, veggies, and fruits. Ducklings will need a steady diet of high-protein waterfowl feed until they are 12 to 16 weeks of age, but after that, if they are foraging daily, you can drop their feed to a small amount once per day to fill in any nutrient gaps.

Muscovy Duck Diseases

Muscovy ducks are susceptible to all waterfowl diseases, and if you have chickens or other poultry in your flock, the birds will be able to transmit diseases to each other. This is a fairly common risk to take in homesteading. The main deterrents to these diseases are keeping your birds fed with all the nutrients they need, as clean as possible, and warm when necessary.

Do Muscovy ducks carry disease? The good news is, Muscovy ducks are not able to infect humans with any known diseases.

FAQ About Keeping Muscovy Ducks

Keeping Muscovy ducks isn’t as common as raising chickens, so I get a lot of questions from the homesteading community about what these birds are like. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions.

How Can You Sex Muscovy Ducks?

There are many ways to sex Muscovy ducks, but you can’t determine their sex the same way you do with Mallard ducks. The only way to know for sure is by revealing your ducklings’ genitals by vent sexing, but since this method can injure the ducklings when done improperly, I always recommend learning this from an experienced breeder or leaving it to the professionals.

Do Muscovy Ducks Fly?

Muscovy ducks do fly, and they fly quite well. In the wild, Muscovies tend to roost and lay their eggs in tree nests for their own comfort and to keep their nests safe from predators. If you’re wanting to prevent this on your homestead, it’s common practice to clip their wings.

Are Muscovy Ducks Friendly?

Muscovy ducks are very friendly, personable birds that take a great interest in the people caring for them. My Muscovies often follow me around my homestead like puppies, and I’ve noticed that even my chickens have become friendlier since I’ve added Muscovies to my flock, mimicking the ducks’ behavior.

In spite of their friendliness, Muscovy ducks are also known to be aggressive at times. I’ve noticed my ducks stirring up fights or pecking at me and their fellow birds when they are broody, mating, or guarding their nests.

Reasons For Raising Muscovy Ducks

As you’ve probably gathered, I’ve really enjoyed raising Muscovy ducks on my homestead. In case you’re not fully convinced yet, here are the main reasons I think keeping these birds on my land is so worth it.

Raising Muscovy ducks has definitely changed the atmosphere on my land — bringing more life, fun, and eggs while keeping my homestead mostly quiet and peaceful. The learning curve for adding these waterfowl to my livestock was fairly easy to navigate, and I’d definitely recommend them to my fellow homesteaders looking to add some variety to their farms.

Your Turn!

• Why did you choose Muscovy ducks on your homestead?
• Which benefit of raising Muscovy ducks inspires you the most?