muscovy drake question

[Anonymous]

my 2 drake muscovy's that hatched last year have just come to there first bday and have no face masks how long does it take for these mask to apear or are they cross bred with my aylesbury duck any info would be good thanks john

 

[Tim]

Hi John,

I don't have any experience with Muscovy ducks I'm afraid but other breeds usually have their adult plumage after a year.

It's amazing what genetics can do and what can be hiding. I bought a pair of very nice Abacot Ranger ducks and this year, the offspring have a few interesting things popping up = a couple have the wrong bill colour and all youngsters are heavily marked. After several discussions with Chris Ashton, the most probable thing that has happened is that they were crossed with a Welsh Harlequin or a Whalesbury hybrid that was popular in the 70's but who knows... all I can do is keep selecting the best birds. The parents are pretty good specimens and who knows what will pop out next!

Tim

 

[Anonymous]

they are either cross , or of bad quality ; not to be bred from , when i kept muscovy's i found that the ones that got caruncling turned into bigger , better birds anyway .

 

[Anonymous]

yes i am starting to think these are cross bred beacuse this years brood are starting to get there masks. i have notices with the two drakes from last year that there feathers are more water proof and they are pretty big bigger than all my other ducks and my drake muskcovy (there dad)