French White Muscovy Ducklings

$12.00 – $15.00

French White Muscovy are poor egg producers – A breed that you don’t want if you are looking for eggs. When they do lay, they’re LARGE and tinted khaki. Muscovy are NOT snuggle ducks, as they have a very aggressive claw that will cut you open – an ideal ground-only duck.

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Description

🇫🇷 French White Muscovy Duck – Overview

  • Origin:
    Derived from the native Muscovy duck of Central and South America, but selectively bred in France for white plumage and meat quality.

  • Breed Type:
    Heavyweight meat duck (not a true “mallard-type” duck).
    Muscovies are actually more closely related to geese than to mallard-derived domestic ducks.

🕊️ Appearance

  • Color:
    Clean white plumage with bright red facial caruncles. The white color is especially preferred for meat production because the carcass looks cleaner after plucking.

  • Size:

    • Drakes (males): 10–15 lbs or more (4.5–6.8 kg+)

    • Hens (females): 6–8 lbs (2.7–3.6 kg)

  • Body Type:
    Broad-chested, muscular, and well-fleshed—especially prized for breast meat.

🌿 Temperament and Behavior

  • Quiet and calm:
    Muscovies are much quieter than other ducks—they don’t quack. They make soft hissing or cooing sounds.

  • Good foragers:
    They enjoy roaming and eat bugs, weeds, and other forage. Great for pest control!

  • Flyers:
    Especially the hens. Muscovies are strong flyers unless their wings are clipped or they’re kept enclosed.

🥩 Meat Production

  • Flavor:
    Leaner, darker, and richer than typical duck meat—more similar to veal or beef than chicken. No greasy layer like Pekins.

  • Dressing Weight:
    High meat-to-bone ratio. The French White Muscovy is often raised to 11–12 weeks for females, and 12–14 weeks for males before processing.

🥚 Egg Laying and Brooding

  • Egg Production:
    Lower than most domestic ducks—around 60–120 eggs per year.

  • Excellent broodies:
    Muscovy hens often go broody and are fantastic mothers.

  • Incubation Time:
    35 days (longer than mallard-type ducks, which are 28 days).

🏡 Care Tips

  • Housing:
    They can tolerate both cold and heat fairly well but need dry shelter and space to roam.

  • Water Needs:
    They like access to water for bathing but don’t require a large pond.

  • Wing clipping:
    Consider clipping wings if you don’t want them flying off (especially hens—they’re light and strong fliers).

âś… Pros

  • Quiet and gentle

  • Great meat yield with less fat

  • Good mothers and natural breeders

  • Clean white carcass (ideal for meat sales)

⚠️ Cons

  • Lower egg production

  • Longer incubation period

  • Can fly if not managed

  • Males can be aggressive during mating season

Summary

French White Muscovy ducks are ideal if you’re looking for a calm, self-sufficient, and meaty bird with excellent table quality. They’re not for high-volume egg production but shine in sustainable, pasture-based systems or for homesteaders wanting natural breeders.

Want help comparing Muscovies to another duck breed? Or tips on raising them from ducklings?

Additional information

Sex

Male, Female