My mucovies have become recluses.

[sommrluv]

When we first got them, they would range all day and were very friendly. I had six. We butchered two very aggressive ones and traded two others for a different breed of duck.

The two we had left remained normal, and than about two months ago they decided they wanted to live under the coop. It's very dark down there and not really built for shelter.

I assumed they might have been setting eggs, so we didn't bother them.

They come out about once a day, though sometimes we're out late at night and we see them in the pen. We haven't seen any eggs at all, and they are under there so much that their carunkles have faded to orange. In the 30ish day mark, they would still come out in the yard. Now, once a while, they come out, poop, look around, and return to their little cave.

They aren't afraid...they are generally thrashing on the chickens as they share a pen. My other ducks are in an entirely different pen. They even still seem excited to see me. But they are so faded (and dirty) I'm starting to worry about their health. It's long enough I would doubt they had any luck setting eggs, if that's even what they were doing.

We're going to find a way to pull them out and close up the bottom, but is there any reason why they do this? If there's an environmental or nutritional reason, I want to correct that as well, not just take away their hiding place.

Silly ducks.

-Summer

 

[TV]

They no doubt have nests they are setting on. Muscovy eggs take 35 days to hatch and if they aren't fertile, the hens may set even longer waiting for them to hatch. Do you have a drake?

 

[Miss Lydia]

When we first got them, they would range all day and were very friendly. I had six. We butchered two very aggressive ones and traded two others for a different breed of duck.

The two we had left remained normal, and than about two months ago they decided they wanted to live under the coop. It's very dark down there and not really built for shelter.

I assumed they might have been setting eggs, so we didn't bother them.

They come out about once a day, though sometimes we're out late at night and we see them in the pen. We haven't seen any eggs at all, and they are under there so much that their carunkles have faded to orange. In the 30ish day mark, they would still come out in the yard. Now, once a while, they come out, poop, look around, and return to their little cave.

They aren't afraid...they are generally thrashing on the chickens as they share a pen. My other ducks are in an entirely different pen. They even still seem excited to see me. But they are so faded (and dirty) I'm starting to worry about their health. It's long enough I would doubt they had any luck setting eggs, if that's even what they were doing.

We're going to find a way to pull them out and close up the bottom, but is there any reason why they do this? If there's an environmental or nutritional reason, I want to correct that as well, not just take away their hiding place.

Silly ducks.

-Summer

You do know it takes anywhere from 35 to 37 days for Muscovies to hatch? Sounds to me like you have some brooders, give them a little more time say day 40 then get them out and see if you can get a light or something to check out where they have been, then close it up. Muscovies are a very friendly breed. this doesn't sound right unless they are brooding.

 

[sommrluv]

I did consider that they were setting on a clutch, but it's been over sixty days. Around day 45 I started to get concerned, but our coop is big enough that I can't see all the way underneath it with a flashlight.

We do not have a drake, but I know they've been with my Rouen, as 8 weeks ago I hatched out a clutch and there were some ducklings of dubious parentage. However, that was before they've decided to go underground, and he's in a different pen now, so I have my doubts on the fertility of the eggs they may or may not be sitting on.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I did consider that they were setting on a clutch, but it's been over sixty days. Around day 45 I started to get concerned, but our coop is big enough that I can't see all the way underneath it with a flashlight.

We do not have a drake, but I know they've been with my Rouen, as 8 weeks ago I hatched out a clutch and there were some ducklings of dubious parentage. However, that was before they've decided to go underground, and he's in a different pen now, so I have my doubts on the fertility of the eggs they may or may not be sitting on.

If it's been that long you need to get them out of there. Their health is deff in trouble now. Maybe just have to wait till they both come out then get busy on blocking the way back in. I know ducks can be persistant on a clutch of eggs but if thats what they are doing, they have carried it to extreme. Since this has been going on so long, I'd start giving them extra protein to help them get back to health. Meal worms, poultry vitamins, they may eat salmon.

 

[sommrluv]

If it's been that long you need to get them out of there. Their health is deff in trouble now. Maybe just have to wait till they both come out then get busy on blocking the way back in. I know ducks can be persistant on a clutch of eggs but if thats what they are doing, they have carried it to extreme. Since this has been going on so long, I'd start giving them extra protein to help them get back to health. Meal worms, poultry vitamins, they may eat salmon.

Funny you mention fish, when we heard weird noises in the run late one night, one of them had come out to bang methodically on a fishhead I had given the girls.

How hard do you think I have to try to get those eggs out of there?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Funny you mention fish, when we heard weird noises in the run late one night, one of them had come out to bang methodically on a fishhead I had given the girls.

How hard do you think I have to try to get those eggs out of there?

If they have been under there 60 days I'd say most are rotten, but if you think theres a possibility there could be some that may hatch, then I'd do my best to investigate before closing.Fish head? is there alot of bones in fish heads? I would worry they might get one stuck in their throats. when I give salmon[canned] I always crush up the bones, they are so soft it not hard to do.

 

[sommrluv]

I've been giving fishheads to the poultry for years. They've never eaten the bones. It's normally impressive how clean they pick it.

I'm more concerned about rotting eggs than hatchability. Looks like we'll be tearing up some floorboards in our coop.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've been giving fishheads to the poultry for years. They've never eaten the bones. It's normally impressive how clean they pick it.

I'm more concerned about rotting eggs than hatchability. Looks like we'll be tearing up some floorboards in our coop.

Please post up what you find.

 

[ian4379]

this is an interesting thread! youd think after sitting on eggs for 60 days that you'd have lots of exploded ones. i've had ducklings hatch on day 43 but that was in the winter with colder temperatures. i agree, definately get them out and look after them, i dilute a multi-vitamin in their water if they are sick, sometimes helps pick them up.

is it possible that there are hatched out ducklings under there as well?