Are Muscovy Ducks Right for Your Homestead?

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Like this comment if you think I should convince my boyfriend to do a few recipe videos for you! (He’s the chef here!)

[@lisag-posty]

Absolutely 💯!!!

[@morningmystfarm2017]

Yes please!! i found, so far, they taste nothing like steak!! Ewwwwww

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@morningmystfarm2017 I’m gonna have to cook some for a video here soon! You don’t like how they taste? How are you cooking them?

[@geodegroot8310]

Yes! Please get your Beau to plant some recipes here. I just purchased 52 ducklings from an old-timer, and the situation is about to explode beyond control. Perhaps I should get 52 more, and grow them out. Any recommendations to stretch the feed out is appreciated.

[@morningmystfarm2017]

@@onlygoatsfarm I tried a few recipes found in YT, but so far, the only way they're edible (barely to me) is we ground a few breasts and added sausage seasoning. My roommate says he can't tell the difference - I can 🤢 For me, the flavor is "off", the texture always kinda rubbery ....

[@Deepthoughtsbutslient]

I recently got 7 ducks and they have cured my depression 😅... I love them so much.

[@cerickson5256]

I love that! Mine keep me going and bring so much joy!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Awwwww I love it! What kind of ducks did you get?

[@onlygoatsfarm]

A little less joy when you’re chasing them down the thruway bc they escaped 😂😂😂 but yesssss I love them

[@Deepthoughtsbutslient]

@@onlygoatsfarm Muscovy... I love that they don't quack all day 😂

[@franknberry333]

They'll do that!

[@anthonypiconi]

Today I watched a lone duckling walk out of the bushes, across the sidewalk, and straight into traffic. I got out of my car and stopped traffic and caught it up. I decided I’m going to keep it and now I have a duck in my truck lol

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Oh my goodness! You probably have no idea what kind of duck right? That’s so cool! 😍😍😍

[@burntbeansoup]

​​@@onlygoatsfarmThey'll find out lol. Luckily most ducks/waterfowl eat the same thing so I don't think there's an issue with not being super sure

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@burntbeansoup it’s probably a wild duck! That will be so cool to see what it is! Will you share when you know?

[@burntbeansoup]

@@onlygoatsfarm Huh? Well... yeah, it's a wild duck obviously. I was saying that they don't know the species, but it's fine. And I'm not the person who commented so I have no idea.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@burntbeansoup 😂😂 my bad

[@edwardcuevas5667]

Great duck to raise such a joy 😂

[@onlygoatsfarm]

They are amazing!

[@CarlosGallostra]

Hello. I reside in front of a very busy street in Miami. All of the sudden, a female muscovy showed with four tiny ducklings. The followed me to my front garden. They had a voracious appetite. Now the ducklings are bigger than mama. I love them and plan to keep them forever.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Looks like eggs for breakfast (or a ton of ducks!(

[@lisag-posty]

Ran across your video because I’m researching getting a Muscovy pair. Really liked the information you shared. New subscriber!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Thanks for the sub! You’ll love them! Get them!

[@daviesmulenga6689]

I have watched this video so many times, because of the way it presented one of my favorite videos

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Oh wow! Thank you so much! That’s an incredible compliment! ❤️

[@courtneys950]

I just moved to Fl and our house came with a mama Muscovy. We noticed a few egg shells around but no babies. I kept an eye out for her and realized she lives in the bush next to my house. She now has a nest full of eggs and I take a some duck pellets and water out to her twice a day. Today she lifted up to show me her eggs. I’m so excited. I have no clue what to do to help her but I’m just hoping she sticks around and I’ll keep giving her some treats.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Awww that’s so sweet!

[@swanhill772]

We just got 8 ducklings. I can’t wait to see what their patterns will look like when they’re mature. We are building the duck house this week, they are still in the brooder now. I’ve been researching for months. Thank you for this video, it’s been one of the better ones I’ve seen for my purposes.

[@sundancer442]

Just subbed to you from Australia. Nice vid ! :)

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Thank you for watching and subbing! 🥰

[@DuckHollowHomestead]

I have around 23 free range Muscovy Ducks. They are wonderful. They lay eggs anywhere and everywhere. Easter egg hunt every morning. Never ate their meat yet but plan on trying one day.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Oh my goodness you need to! It’s soooo good

[@dawnmorelli1342]

a few years ago when i started looking for muscovy i couldnt find them anywhere. So now I have 100ish Love love them. but i am a terrible cook. So any help would be great.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

A hundredish?! Girrrrrrl. Lol they do multiply like that though 😂 hold on. I’ll text a few quick (but I’ll make some videos on it soon too!)

[@onlygoatsfarm]

One way we did it: stuffed with cream cheese and diced jalepenos wrapped in bacon cooked on a cookie drying rack on a pan and bake

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Another way: injected with lemon pepper dressing and coated with lemon pepper seasoning. (I have to be honest- I’m not the chef in the family 😂😂 I got lucky there. Maybe i can convince him to do a video!)

[@Realred4lyf]

I can't wait to get muscovy ducks. I love ducks and I'll have to get some ❤❤

[@onlygoatsfarm]

You’ll love them!

[@ohranhasanovic3845]

I had them, she is 100% right now. I started with 5 female and one males by the end of summer ended up with 35… I live on small plot of land, close to neighbors, I had to start selling them. Meat is also very delicious.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

What do they sell for where you’re at?

[@MFord99]

Thank you for the info! You came up in my feed, ive been looking info up about Muscovy's since our neighbor stopped the other day. He is turning into a snowbird himself and going south during the winter and offered us his Muscovy's. We only have 4 cayuga/buff hybrids and 3 cayugas and these guys are our firsr ducks. So been doing all the research I can for our just starting homestead❤ (we just bought our acreage in July)

[@onlygoatsfarm]

I LOVE my Muscovies! Check your laws though- some places might not allow them bc they reproduce like crazy and are considered a pest

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Also- congrats on buying land! 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@MFord99]

@@onlygoatsfarm Thank you I will do that! And thank you again!😊 Working hard to fix the place up and get it ready to bring my horses home also!

[@rodrigopina-r4g]

This was great, thankyou so much

[@onlygoatsfarm]

You’re welcome! Let me know if there’s anything else you want to see!

[@morningmystfarm2017]

I have muscovy ducks - actually a LOT of them....Not really that many on purpose, this summer has just been too hot to do the processing.... SMH BUT. They are amazing birds. Very quiet, and yes, the boys do the hiss thing, but most of the girls do a warbling sound that I find too adorable. I love that the do indeed reproduce themselves. Since I live WAY OUT HERE, mine are pretty much free range all summer, and we even have a pond they spend time on - a LOT more than I was led to believe they would. Fun birds, great dog food (at least here for me) and fun to have around. HOWEVER - just as my garden was about to go nuts with production, they pretty much leveled the WHOLE THING. I seriously recommend fencing everything growing you hold dear to keep them out!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@morningmystfarm2017 oh no! Your garden! And yeah/ mine seek out water

[@Mael01369]

Thx

[@onlygoatsfarm]

You’re welcome!

[@janvanaardt3773]

We had one that bred 24 babies with one sitting

[@onlygoatsfarm]

That’s AMAZING!!!

[@SolomonGranderson]

My father use to mine these Ducks but he done a that now, so it only have like one more female remain in the yard so i am studying to start mining some Ducks, plus i know how to raise them and thanks a lot for the video, you give me inspiration to start my own farm, i am from Trinidad

[@onlygoatsfarm]

You’re welcome! I love these little guys! We have 2 sets of babies walking around the yard, plus another hen is sitting on a bunch. They multiply like rabbits!

[@rb7454]

Recipes for Muscovy please 🙏🏿

[@micahguillemette3344]

One thing i learned about recently are Moulards and Hinnies which are the offspring of Pekins and Muscovies. Since its interspecies breeding the babies arent fertile and cant reproduce but they are lovely. Duckville on twitch has 2 of them, both males, and they are so chonky and cute! People mostly breed them for the meat since they are often very big but they are also beautiful birds, cant fly, are fairly silent except for the occasional quack and behave just like regular ducks. I love them so much, they are so fluffy and make the best loafs!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Alright, you sold me on the “can’t fly.” 😂😂😂

[@micahguillemette3344]

@@onlygoatsfarm You should definitely do some research! I think maybe the Hinny can fly? I did some vague research not long ago but i didnt go in depth. You should definitely check out the Duckville stream, the men as we call them are very popular because they are so round and beautiful so there were many clips made!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@micahguillemette3344 I knew they were mules but didn’t know they couldn’t fly. I’ll check it out!

[@micahguillemette3344]

@@onlygoatsfarm Again, really recommend checking out Duckville. Its a 24 hour stream with hidden cameras so we get to see them "in the wild" i guess. I love seeing them waddle and forage! They also have a discord and i LOVE showing pictures of them. All the ducks there are lovely!

[@joewinkaibordoe9186]

Thanks, the information is good for me. I'm in Liberia, Africa. I'm raising 7:43

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Hi! I’m so happy this information was helpful for you!

[@rickeydriskill1096]

I have three in the yard with my chickens. I have 6 eggs in the incubator. I have not tried hatching untill now. They do breed like crazy. My drake tries to breed my chickens as well. I pull all my eggs so i can control the population

[@onlygoatsfarm]

That’s a good idea!

[@perfumegoose]

At the magical duck pond where I used to visit Peanut Duck, who was a Pekin, there was a duck that looked like he went on a mid-nite raid at the local Sherwin Williams Paint store. I wondered if he was a Muscovy so I asked him. He told me "None of your business".

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Perfume Goose! Oh no, you didn’t?! Don’t you know that it’s rude to ask?!

[@DaxtonNelson-i5l]

I have 14! I was interested in a new bread of duck and I ran into them.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

What other breeds do you have?

[@maplewoodhomestead2017]

Processing. How do you do yours?

[@SilverCreekHomestead]

Get a kill cone, because we were butchering the brutal way and it was hard on my emotions! Skin is good if you pluck but it’s easier than separate skin & feathers at chest and grill!

[@vladimirpopovic8136]

Naturally, muscovy ducks do roost unlike other ducks, but they can get use to sleep on the ground

[@onlygoatsfarm]

I’ve got one or 2 that roost!

[@bobl4451]

muscopy ducks are a local pest in central florida. Maybe I should try and eat them.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@bobl4451 you should!

[@kerryquilkey6925]

Recipes please!!!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Coming soon!

[@chargermopar]

They roam free in my area. Muscovy are more duck than goose because they can mate with ducks but not with geese. We have a similar bird here called the Egyptian goose.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Are you in an area where they’re overwhelmed with them!

[@chargermopar]

@@onlygoatsfarm We were until I started cooking duck and eating their eggs. Same way I dealt with the iguana problem!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@chargermopar Florida? Lol

[@dantheman8112]

How is the removal of feathers when processing muscovy ducks?

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@dantheman8112 it’s like doing other ducks. A pain in the butt and a little harder than a chicken 😂

[@dantheman8112]

@onlygoatsfarm I've helped process 175 chickens before and we used a plucker. I've butchered several before that without a plucker and it was ok. Is the skin worth saving or would process them in pieces to make it easier?

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@dantheman8112if you like the skin on its worth it! But it’s so much easier/quicker to skin. I don’t have a plucker so we don’t.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@dantheman8112 and because they’re water proof feathers it’s a little more difficult to pluck than chickens

[@SilverCreekHomestead]

I have 13 of these jokers! They are my favorite, of Pekin & Campbell Khakis, so far! They are big and fly but they are the cutest babies, provide good food, and have such personality!! My biggest draw back is that they are harder to sex than other ducks! Thanks for this video, great information!!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@SilverCreekHomestead you think they’re harder? Or you mean as ducklings?

[@JackEfa-g4y]

I recently got 48 ducks ,36 female and 12 male.lays eggs but eat it up by themselves.very interesting ❤ to look after it❤

[@onlygoatsfarm]

They eat their eggs?!

[@debdischer4913]

How do you butcher them? Do you have some recipes? We are over run with them right now.Haven't butchered a single 1 in 3 years,. I would like to know if you have ever canned the meat.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Cooking Muscovy: One way we did it: stuffed with cream cheese and diced jalepenos wrapped in bacon cooked on a cookie drying rack on a pan and bake. Another way: injected with lemon pepper dressing and coated with lemon pepper seasoning. You can also just cook them like steak!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Yes- we butcher them. We’re about to butcher again bc Muscovy math is worse than chicken math! We do them just like a chicken, but we don’t pluck (skin). Don’t overlook their leg meat- there’s a lot there! I have never canned meat ever (of any kind). Not a bad idea to look into though…. We’re about to start filling up our third freezer full of meat. I don’t think I’ve ever even eaten canned meat (except for tuna). Does it taste ok?

[@debdischer4913]

@@onlygoatsfarm Yes canned meat is great. If power goes out you lose your frozen meat. I can chicken for tacos/ chicken salad/stew, etc. I can ground beef for quick meals too. I find depending on freezers is costly as electricity keeps going up in price.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@debdischer4913 I’m going to have to look into canning meat. We have sooooo much and we’ve got 2 chest freezers…. About to hook up a standing freezer before we butcher our cow! I know the Amish tan theirs (I was just talking to an Amish buddy yesterday about this)

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@debdischer4913 how does it taste? What are your favorite things to can?

[@katzunkaimoto8889]

I keep muscovies for pets than I keep Rouen and blue Swedish runners for eggs

[@onlygoatsfarm]

I haven’t had either of those. I’ve had khaki Campbell’s and Peking before. Which ones are your favorites?

[@rb7454]

Baby birds take 4 Months to grow big enough for harvesting

[@rb7454]

4 feet per duck inside of coop, 16 feet per duck outdoor.

[@elizabethbailey4529]

We live on a river and a very handsome muscovy duck (I’m assuming he is a drake) just appeared out of nowhere. We do have 2 Pekin ducks (1 boy and 1 girl) that free range all day. We do put them up in their coop at night. The Muscovy leaves every night and sleeps somewhere off our property but returns at daybreak every day for breakfast. The Pekins are a little nervous around him because he is so much bigger than them, but the Muscovy wants to be friends so badly. He tries to hang out with them and constantly ways his tail feathers. He hasn’t shown any interest in my female (yet?) My question is what should I do with him during winter (we are in Virginia and we do have many nights below freezing and we do get snow). I am assuming someone dumped him in the river (that is how we got our first Pekin). I would greatly appreciate and ideas and/or suggestions. Thanks so much.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Hi! I’m in New York, so my temperatures are a lot worse than yours! They do fine in the winter. If you want to try to keep him around and not run off, I would do 2 things: First, get some lady Muscovies. Second: put up a kiddie pool he has access to. I’d be more worried about something grabbing him bc they’re looking for food in the winter than him getting cold

[@louannaskitchen4040]

I got 6 peken ducklings and made mistakes being my first. Got 4 cayagu ducklings and 2 swedish ducklings.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Out of all of them…. Which is your favorite?

[@TMS5100]

You talked about the meat, but are the eggs good eating?

[@onlygoatsfarm]

I’ve seen Muscovy ducks go for $30 a piece at the auction

[@moxiejohnson4090]

Hi there. Loved your honest video - thanks. I had 1 little random chick hatch and tried to get another the same age but couldn't so got a Muscovy duckling. They are inseperable but i am concerned that the Muscovy might be a drake and will try to mate with her, which i heard can cause damage....? Seems hard to believe as a chicken vent is quite big and a duck penis quite tiny! They are now 14 weeks and the Muscovy face is going red. My question is what sound does a female make because my one makes a cute kind of trilling sound whilst shakinf its tail.. Have never heard it hiss , quack or honk. I need to process 6 roosters this weekend, and can then release "Bubble & Squeak" into the field with the other chickens (with wings clipped!!!).

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@moxiejohnson4090 you can hear the drake in this video. kzbin.inforbZWVRIYqYY?si=1b1Jm66shZEG3pRZ

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@moxiejohnson4090 do you have other ducks besides that one? I haven’t had an issue with the ducks trying to mate with the hens, but I have other ducks.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@moxiejohnson4090 also- my ducks have calmed down and don’t fly away anymore. We have a pool out there for them. They love playing in water, and as long as there is a body of water for them they don’t seem to go anywhere. Sometimes they’ll go to the end of the driveway bc there’s a big puddle there but they don’t go to the gas station or down the thruway anymore 😂

[@moxiejohnson4090]

Thansk for your reply. No, i just have the one duck and after realising how much water it needs and how messy they are, im not sure i will get any more (i live in a summer drought climate). Although, its been interesting having it with the juvenile chooks as they kind of copy each other's behaviours - which equals MORE mess! I can't give Bubble (the duck) a bowl of water without the chickens walking and crapping in it! 🙈

[@dinkohrvat344]

Really good brood birds to hatch peafowl , turkey , guineafowl and goose . The breasts done in redwine are delicious with mash potatoes and kale or cabbage .

[@thelthrythquezada8397]

I have them in my apartment complex. I just like caring for them is all. But now I might eat one just cause. Nah, I don't know what my complex sprays on the grass and I am NOT trying to get sick.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

You can keep them in your apartment complex? How does that work? I’d love to see a video of your set up. If you post one lmk

[@thelthrythquezada8397]

@@onlygoatsfarm no, no they are native to our complex. No set up. We have 2 big pond/ lakes that they chill in. We just like feeding them. Or rather supplement their foraging

[@pedrorodriguez2914]

They're a pest here in Florida, come and get them.😁

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Ooooo I would be happy to! Lol

[@SilverCreekHomestead]

I’ve seen that on another video…. Is that because there are too many of them?!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@SilverCreekHomestead yes!

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@SilverCreekHomestead yep! They breed and make so many babies

[@maplewoodhomestead2017]

I must be terrible. My ducks wont lay where I need them to...lol

[@onlygoatsfarm]

😂 mine aren’t much better. I have one that lays in the nesting box. Another one that lays inside the barn (but I had to incubate all of her eggs bc she chose a place where there’s a hole, and all the eggs pushed out the other side. She freaked bc she couldn’t find them and abandoned her nest), another who is sitting and another that is sitting on a clutch in the garage part of the barn, and another who is sitting on a clutch of eggs under the platform in another section of the barn

[@Duckingaroundwithsisters]

I only have 2 ducks, one is a Pekin (female) and a Mascovy (female) I'm hoping they don't feel the urge to fly away lol

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@Duckingaroundwithsisters your pekin won’t! Lol I found that giving them a littles pool keeps them here

[@Duckingaroundwithsisters]

@@onlygoatsfarm just bought one but she just kept jumping out 😂

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@Duckingaroundwithsisters hopefully you don’t end up on the town page like I did😂😂😂

[@Duckingaroundwithsisters]

@@onlygoatsfarm 😂

[@1jadensmommyable]

What about their eggs. Can you eat their eggs in place of chicken eggs? Not many videos have that as a thing people do?

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@1jadensmommyable yes! Most people don’t though, bc it’s much more profitable for those eggs to become ducks

[@davidstreet2949]

I am a retired American living in Thailand we have 4 chickens and had one male duck who had taken to chasing the wife so we thought he needed a mate wife heard of a female duck for sale so she ran off and bought it and now we got what looks like a muscovy duck bigger than our duck and they avoid each other she is alone always will not follow around the chickens and duck, not sure what to do with her.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Are you opposed to eating her?

[@davidchamlee2058]

My question is; How to get the little darlings to Lay the Eggs where You Want Them To Lay Them, instead of here, there, and where-ever they are at, when the urge arises. Chickens lay in nest boxes easily. The ducks we have had Never lay in the boxes, ... or the tires, or anyplace consistently. Ok, there was the one Hen who insisted on Sharing a box with Biddy who was setting, but besides her silly self , none of the rest. A half dozen or more of each. Muscovys, Whites, and Brown/Buffs, plus a few Khaki Campbells.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Hahaha ok you got me there. I haven’t figured that one out! I’ve got nests in buckets, in the chicken nesting boxes, in empty trash cans, in the hay loft, in crevices along the wall. 😂

[@rexresa9939]

Wait, you said “really expensive duck-goose things…” How much did you pay?

[@onlygoatsfarm]

so I actually got mine for free. But if you go to the auction, or even private sales around here, they go for about $30 per bird, I’ve seen higher. Maybe that isn’t really expensive but I think it is!

[@rexresa9939]

They go for $20 around in rural Hawai’i. A plucked and gutted male is $50.

[@ellenlefavour628]

I raise goats and ducks - pekins and muscovies. I love all my ducks, but I think the muscovies have much more personality and intelligence and are friendlier and just flashier, their eggs are bigger, they are great brooders and mothers, which pekins are not at all. Mine all know their names and will come when called for treats (they will do anything for black soldier fly larvae, including letting me pick them up and pet them). I have only butchered one and it was so traumatic for me that his meat is still in the freezer - I haven’t been able to eat him, and will probably cook him into my dogs food one day if I have nothing else for her. I’m mainly vegetarian so I am more than happy to just eat the eggs.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Honestly I have a hard time too 😂😂 it’s time to butcher and I went out to do it yesterday but decided I couldn’t bc they were content and relaxing under the trampoline. It’s easier to do when they’re misbehaving

[@ellenlefavour628]

@@onlygoatsfarm the one i butchered was a drake who was misbehaving terribly, but it was still hard.

[@SilverCreekHomestead]

I agree! They definitely have the best personality!!!

[@ralphwebb3514]

Muscovy ducks 🦆 are a wild duck , Florida, down Central America , they roost in tree's an can cross with other wild duck's but the offspring are sterile like a horse and a donkey which creates a mule😮

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@ralphwebb3514 up here, they aren’t wild. But they are amazing- if you’re allowed to hunt them and want to- try them!

[@Jesse-q6w]

Free ranch breeders

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@Jesse-q6w I’m about to pick up 20 more tomorrow from a friend 😂

[@Hopdvil]

These things were everywhere in S Florida. Invasive there.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

Dude… you know that’s like free steak right? Just walking around invading your space? They’re like $40 a breast online. I think you know what to do…

[@Hopdvil]

People feed them so they’re like panhandlers. I would open our screen door and they would come running.

[@Hopdvil]

And these were large Muscovies. Mini Turkeys.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

@@Hopdvil that’s how mine act too 😂😂

[@sjordan7085]

Recipes for ducks? No thanks, not a fan of eating animals, my animals will live out their naturals lives and be well taken care of.

[@onlygoatsfarm]

You must not have Muscovies, or you’d be overrun then 😅

[@badescualexandru6824]

Are these ducks eating grass? i need a breed for grazing