Muscovy ducks are originally native to the Americas, coming as far north as Texas and as far as south as Argentina and Uruguay. However, breeding feral populations have been established in the South of the USA, Europe, and even Australia! (This may be a good time to remind people that you shouldn’t ever dump domesticated animals unless you’re breeding them for release and have the correct permits!)
In a lot of Southern USA states, like Florida, they’re considered a pest, and people are not allowed to keep them as livestock. However, Muscovy ducks, when properly cared for, are wonderful additions to your farm. They are great at hunting bugs, naturally disease resistant, and very hardy, even in our cold Northern climate! It is important to know, however, that their feet and caruncles are prone to frostbite, moreso than other duck breeds. But with proper ventilation in a well-insulated coop, frostbite is avoided, even in -30 Fahrenheit temperatures.
Muscovy ducks differ from other North American breeds. The term “duck” is more of a phenotype term. This means that to be classified as a “duck,” a bird only needs to meet the visual requirements of a duck, not necessarily the scientific classification! Ducks are, generally speaking, members of the Anatidae family, along with geese and swans. But ducks are considered waterfowl with smaller necks than geese. That’s how we figure out what a duck is! Most domesticated ducks in the US are bred from Mallard ducks. Muscovy ducks have a different genus and species than Mallard-based domesticated ducks, which are different breeds within the same genus and species of the Mallards. Mandarin ducks and Wood ducks are other examples of ducks with different genus and species than Mallards and Muscovies.
Muscovy ducks are known for the warty-looking red and black skin on their faces and sometimes down their necks. These are called caruncles. Muscovies don’t have as much natural water proofing as Mallard ducks do in their feathers. The caruncles have oil glands in them, and the ducks rub off the scabs over them to release more water resistant oils. Some people don’t like the warty look of the Muscovy ducks, and they breed specifically for smaller caruncles.
Another big difference between Muscovies and mallard ducks is that Muscovy ducks are tree perchers, and will hide in tree roots and branches for their nests. Since they are not as water resistant as mallard ducks, sometimes Muscovies will choose to hide in trees from predators rather than swimming away!
Muscovies on the Farm
Muscovy ducks are great for the farm or homestead! They are very capable egg layers and are considered extra large birds. Males can get up to 15 pounds, great for meat!
Female ducks are very broody, and will hatch just about anything if introduced to the egg or baby properly.
Drakes are very protective of their flock. A good drake will keep careful watch over his girls, and even other drakes if the male:female ratio is acceptable. Drakes have massive feet and claws, and have been known to fight off predators to protect their flock.
Muscovy ducks largely stay close to home, and aren’t known to wander like guinea fowl. They usually dutifully go into their coop at night, although we have had to herd ours in a few times! They come in a wide variety of beautiful colors and patterns, although not all of them are accepted by the American Poultry Association. This is important if you are interested in showing your ducks.
FOR SALE
FW Drakes Unlimited (Howard)
Color: Black
Sex: Drake
Date of Birth: Summer 2023
Parents: Peaches/Yelena x Bucky
Price: $3
Howard is the son of Peaches or Yelena and Bucky, hatched in Summer of 2023. He is a smaller, mild-mannered drake.
He does have some damage to his feet due to frostbite last winter. It does not seem to affect him in his every day life, besides the occasional limp. His price reflects that.
FW Phantom’s Christine (Christine)
Color: Chocolate magpie pied
Sex: Hen
Date of Birth: Summer 2023
Parents: Sylvie x Wanda
Price: $15
Christine is the daughter of Sylvie and Wanda. Her mother was a good, broody hen that raised her ducklings well, with no intervention from me! Sylvie dutifully protected her eggs while still letting me touch them (I just got a few bruises!) Wanda was a mild-mannered drake that stuck close to his favorite hens, and was very polite to them. I expect Christine to have gotten some of the traits from her parents.
I currently cannot ship across state lines! Local Pickup Only. Email to inquire about ducks and location!
Permanent Haven Muscovy Ducks
FW Ducky Barnes (Bucky)
Color: Blue magpie pied
Date of Birth: Summer 2021
I’m going to be honest, there was one point that we seriously considered butchering Bucky. He was young, only about 6 months old, and we had too many drakes and too few hens. He was so aggressive, behavior that now I wouldn’t bat an eyelash at. At the time, though, I was new to ducks. His behavior stressed me out! Thankfully, we did not. We solved the problem by getting more hens. By the time he was a year old, he was calm, cool, and protective. He even was protective of the other drakes in the flock. They would take turns keeping watch while the others took naps.
I can’t say enough good things about Bucky. He’s 15 pounds of mostly muscle, but is still a good producer of babies. He keeps the other drakes in line when they’re getting too bothersome to the hens. Paired with the right hens, we’ve had some really beautiful babies from him.
With people, he’s aloof but not scared. He’s never tried to attack me. Even though I have attacked him hahaaaa. He’ll eat out of your hand, and loves grapes! I once saw him catch and eat a grasshopper the size of his head. He is a magnificent bird!
FW Phantom’s Mask (Phantom)
Color: Chocolate magpie pied
Date of Birth: Summer 2023
Phantom was not originally going to be a keeper for us. He was a surprise hatch from our hen, Sylvie, shortly after the death of his most-likely father, Wanda. Wanda was my favorite duck. As Phantom grew, I saw more and more of his (probable) father in him. With Wanda gone, I decided to keep him to carry on Wanda’s line.
While Phantom hasn’t been an adult duck long enough for me to really see his personality, Wanda and Sylvie were both great ducks. Wanda was the most affectionate duck. He would sit on my lap during the mornings when I sat with him. Sylvie was a great mother, and beautiful to boot. I only have a few Muscovy ducks that meet the American Poultry Association’s 10% max on white feathers, and she was very close to one of them.
I am excited to see how Phantom grows, and how his ducklings will turn out!
FW Carol Duckvers (Carol)
Color: Chocolate magpie pied
Date of Birth: Summer 2021
Carol used to be a cannibal. Yes, you read that right. As a young duck, she discovered she could pluck and eat the feathers growing on her flockmates. I do not know how or why she stopped, but she did. Fast Forward a few months, and we brought home three new ducks. Those ducks were picking on a partially blind duck Carol had been raised with, and I’ll be darned, Carol rushed over and put the new ducks in their place!
Early on, Carol had picked Bucky as her best friend, and his protectiveness seemed to rub on off her. She truly the matriarch of the flock, even if she’s not the best mother.
I generally don’t breed her specifically like the others. She’s a wonderful duck with a lot of personality. But she’s not particularly broody and doesn’t have the colors I’m so enamored with. I let her sit if she wants. She just seems to prefer ruling over the adult ducks alongside her Bucky!
FW Ye-lay-a Belova (Yelena, Laney)
Color: Chocolate barred
Date of Birth: Fall 2021
Yelena is such a tiny little duck, but somehow has the biggest attitude. It’s nothing in particular that she does. She just exudes attitude. Yelena is a very independent duck. I frequently come outside in the morning to see her, having literally flown the coop, hunting for snacks by herself while everyone else sleeps locked up. Sometimes she chooses the secondary coop to hatch her eggs, even though all the other ducks live in the main coop!
She is also one of my most consistent layers, and consistent brooders. The little babies may surpass her in size 2 weeks old, but she mothers them the whole time! Her and Peaches often team up to raise their shared egg clutch. Yelena isn’t the most friendly of ducks, but her and Bucky paired together produce very beautiful babies that may carry the barred gene.
FW Peaches ‘n Cream (Peaches)
Color: Buff
Date of Birth: Spring 2021
So by now I am sure you have noticed the theme of my ducks’ names up to this point. Peaches was unintentionally the first one to break the theme. She did have a superhero pun name, but we just couldn’t stop calling her Peaches. It really was a “she named herself” moment! At this point, I don’t completely remember her super hero name, although I think it was Moniduck Rambill. Too late! She’s just Peaches now!
Despite being aloof with us, she’s a very sweet duck, and a devoted mother. Her and Yelena have been our most successful hatchers thus far. Her buff coloring partnered with Bucky’s chocolate has given us some beautiful ducklings.
FW Cheesehead (Quacky)
Color: Chocolate
Date of Birth: Summer 2022
Parents: Natasha x Wanda
Quacky is the last for sure child of Wanda (Quackimoff) and his favorite girl, Natasha (Swimmingoff). She and her late sister, Quackers, were raised by the bonded pair in summer of 2022. It was the first time I got to witness and duck “family,” and even Wanda took an interest in helping raise his daughters. He would herd them back to their mother when they wandered too far, and the four ducks frequently ate together.
Quacky was the only surviving member of the family after a dog attack in 2023 decimated our flock. Tragically, in 2024, Quacky was attacked by a predator; she miraculously survived. I really thought I was going to lose Wanda and Natasha’s last child (Phantom is by out of another hen). She is a resilient duck, out of an incredibly nurturing mother and father.
I expect great ducklings out of Quacky and Bucky.
FW Dusk-Colored Hope (Dusk)
Color: Black
Date of Birth: Summer 2023
Parents: Peaches/Yelena x Bucky
Dusk is from Peaches’ and Yelena’s shared clutch last year, fathered by Bucky. There is a possibility she carries barred genes from Yelena.
Dusk is still young, and hasn’t shown much of her personality yet. But I am excited to see how she and Phantom do together this year!
FW Maximoff (Max)
Color: Chocolate magpie pied
Date of Birth: Summer 2023
Parents: Sylvie x Wanda
Max started off looking so much like her (probable) father, Wanda. I knew right away I’d be keeping her.
She’s still very young, so I haven’t gotten to know her as well as the others yet, but she seems like a tough little cookie! She is Phantom’s sister and, as such, will be paired with Bucky, and eventually Bucky’s son.
FW Cherubim (Cherry)
Color: White
Date of Birth: Summer 2023
Parents: Peaches/Yelena x Bucky
Just to be clear, there is a slight possibility Cherry is not actually white. Her tail and parts of her body are a very, very light gray, so she might be a different color, like silver or something else. However, I haven’t yet seen pictures of all the Muscovy duck colors, so I can only guess based on descriptions. I don’t want to advertise her as a rarer color, though, when I’m not positive, so we’re going with white for now!
Cherry and her sister, Serry, are known as the twins around here, as they look so much alike! They are very bonded to each other, so we intend to keep them together. Cherry seems to be more adventurous of the two.
FW Seraphim (Serry, Phimmy, Sera, Sherry)
Color: White
Date of Birth: Summer 2023
Parents: Peaches/Yelena x Bucky
Like her twin sister, Cherry, Serry may not be white. She has more brown on her tail and body, while Cherry is more of a grayish tone. She’s also the smaller of the two twins.
Serry is shyer than Cherry, and stays closer to the flock.