10 Reasons Muscovy Ducks Make Great Pets

Dr. Mark raises free-range rabbits, chickens, geese, ducks, guinea fowl, horses, and sheep at his small farm in Brazil.

Are you considering adding exotic waterfowl to your household but still wonder which animal will suit you? Here is a list of the 10 best reasons Muscovy ducks make great pets.

10 Reasons Muscovies Are Awesome Pets

1. Muscovies have cute babies and are easy to raise. Pet shops used to sell a lot of them for this very reason. Not many people can resist a cute little duckling.
2. They are calm and collected, especially when they grow up around people. (Daffy definitely was not a Muscovy.)
3. They are quiet. They don’t quack like the mallard type ducks, so even if you live close to another house, the neighbors will never complain about the noise.
4. They will eat the weeds in your grass almost as well as a goose. These ducks like to eat worms, grubs, and even small fish, but they are omnivores so they will chomp on the young weeds in your yard.
5. They make fierce moms. Not everyone with a pet Muscovy wants to raise babies, but if you do, most predators will tend to avoid a mother because she will tear into his face instead of backing down. If your Muscovy decides to sit on her eggs and you are worried about your dog and cat worrying her, don’t be. Your duck will not be concerned.
6. They are hardy and will rarely get sick. Compared to other duck species, they are problem free.
7. They are easy to train. If you are not into spending that much time with your pet duck, that is not a problem since unlike a rowdy carnivore (a big dog), an untrained Muscovy is still a great pet.
8. The drakes are not aggressive with people. When you come home, a drake will often rush at you. It is not aggression. He just wants to see you and find out what is going on. With other ducks, however. Well . . .
9. They will never complain about the heat. Since they are native South Americans, the heat in an area like Florida or Texas will be nothing for them. They do okay in cooler environments but will probably want to come in the house when it is raining or snowing.
10. Muscovies are affectionate. Your pet will most likely not want to nap on your lap, but will be content to sit at your feet when you are typing on your laptop.

The Feds, Regulations, and Muscovies

If you live in the US, you should be aware that these ducks are considered dangerous and illegal immigrants and have been declared illegal for many years. It all came about because some thoughtless people bought a cute little Muscovy duckling as a pet, found out that like any duck they can be messy, and then released them at their local pond.

They are good at surviving and breed well even when competing with mallards and other local ducks, and it wasn’t long before the Fish and Wildlife Department started to consider them a nuisance.

Are Muscovy Ducks Legal as Pets in the US?

The law does not apply to people who keep ducks as pets, but if you want to find a Muscovy duckling nowadays, you will need to get one from a local breeder.

When you have your pet, be sure that it is on your property at all times. If there is a local park on public land and your Muscovy goes over there to take a bath, he or she can be seized and destroyed by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

What Does Your Duck Need?

Your new pet will need:

• Food
• Water
• Shelter
• Diapers
• Nesting

All animals need food and water. Since Muscovies are omnivores, feeding is easy. You can provide some chicken feed, duck feed from a local feed store, vegetable scraps from your table, and of course, your ducks will want to go outside to check the yard for any delicious bugs.

Besides water for drinking, they do need an area to take a bath. If you do not have a pond in your yard, or at least a child's waiting pool for them to splash around in, you need to give them access to your bathtub.

What else could a duck need except food and water? Well, shelter is kind of nice. If your pet ducks do not sleep in your house, they will need some kind of building outside to sleep peacefully at night.

If you provide that shelter in your house, diapers are kind of a necessity. My ducks are all outside, but even they like to come in and sit on the tile in my front room. Muscovies have projectile poop and can make quite a mess. If you allow your ducks to run around the house these are a must.

The only other thing you need to worry about is providing a nesting area if you have a couple and are planning on raising ducklings. They like to nest in the hollows of a tree, but if there is not a safe place around, they will find any little corner to lay their eggs.

References and Useful Links

• This is a US government site that gives some Fish and Wildlife rules on Muscovy ducks.

• Bullying Is Becoming More Common Among Ducks
  If you want a duck and have other pets, bullying is an issue you need to be aware of.

© 2019 Dr Mark