Re: duck clutch

pammyT wrote:
>>>> I would seperate the drakes as they can murder their offspring.
>>>> NAsty things they are.
>>>
>>> No they are not -- muscovies are no more aggressive to their young
>>> than any
>>> other breed.
> I never said they were. I was referring to ducks in general.

Then you are even more wrong
Drakes are not "nasty things" at all -- and are not renowned for attacking
thier young
Occasionally in a wild situation where you have a serious biased population
of far too many drakes in comparison to ducks you can get some strange
things happening. This does not mean that in general drakes are evil to
their young


>>> Our spare Muscovy males are some of our main meeters and greeters
>>> of the public and are as gentle as they come.
>>>
> Great for them. I wouldn't trust a drake and chicks .

Chicks are rarely near drakes in most situations but they certainly do not
routinely injure their own ducklings

Seen and heard
> of them drowning ducklings far too often for it to be a rare
> occurance.

Maybe in artificial semi wild places but its not common otherwise
Most folks are quite able to rear their ducklings quite naturally with the
ducks and the drakes of both wild and domestic varieties. It happens at
breeders throughout the land - for the amateur, professional and the
completely accidental !!!!
I know of quite a lot of places in the area of around 50 square miles
immediately and personally around here where there are plenty of mallards
with drifts of ducks, ducklings and the drakes out on the loch and on the
shoreline completely happily -- the main dangers to the ducklings are crows
and gulls.
Fortunately for all the truely wild populations this is a complete fallacy
as otherwise each generation would be killed before it had even got off the
ground. There is nothing more wonderful than a family of duck, ducklings and
escorting drakes moving effortlessly through the water.


--

regards
Jill Bowis

Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment, Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Working Holidays in Scotland
http://www.kintaline.co.uk

.

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