Super, SUPER post. Firstly, I LOVE Muscovy's; they are my go-to duck and I can't wait to keep them. Your new three friends are just wonderful. But I didn't realise about the fly thing either. I have SUCH an issue with flies and chickens - I wonder if Muscovy's could help solve that?
Do they need a pond or are they happy with just a tub? I'm seriously considering how I might be able to squeeze these into my urban homestead too.
Thanks for the post Ren.
Thank you so much @brimwoodfarms! I think that they attract flies so I don't know if it would balance out, their droppings are a lot bigger that chickens. Although the ducks hunt a lot. The are very happy with a tub, although I am going to get these guys a kiddy pool for when they roam the garden. The tub I gave then is only a few inches deep but the gleefully fling water everywhere and take nice bathes in it. Thanks for reading!
I will keep contemplating then. I'm wondering whether if they were with or near the chickens, their poop might draw the flies in and then they could snack on them. The chickens are quite crap at catching flies!
That could work really well. I love your setup at your homestead, they could be a wonderful addition. And they are fly catching ninjas!
My only slight issue is that when we had the avian flu outbreak last winter, our governing body (DEFRA) said that chickens and ducks were NOT allowed to be kept together during the lockdown period. As a result, I need to make sure that should that happen again, I'd have somewhere separate to house my ducks.
Wow, that is scary! That does complicate things.
I guess it's because waterfowl are more susceptible? I'm not sure. Fingers crossed it doesn't happen again this year as my girls DID NOT like being locked in for 4 months.