I found this while looking up good dimensions for the nest boxes. What I found was some more info that makes me loves these duckies even more!
"For years, some Canadian farmers have sworn that few muscovies took care of all fly problems on their farms. In 1989, Ontario biologist Gordon Surgeoner and Barry Glofcheskie decided to put this to the test.
"Starting with labratory trials... put a hungry five-week-old muscovy into a screen cage with 400 living houseflies. Within an hour it had eaten 326. ... it took flypaper, fly traps, and bait cards anywhere from 15 to 86 hours to suppress the populations that much."
"For years, some Canadian farmers have sworn that few muscovies took care of all fly problems on their farms. In 1989, Ontario biologist Gordon Surgeoner and Barry Glofcheskie decided to put this to the test.
"Starting with labratory trials... put a hungry five-week-old muscovy into a screen cage with 400 living houseflies. Within an hour it had eaten 326. ... it took flypaper, fly traps, and bait cards anywhere from 15 to 86 hours to suppress the populations that much."
The whole book is well worth a read, and you can download for free. You don't even have to register, just give your email & name and "continue as guest" by following the prompts.
Muscovy are fine to go free-range because they are aggressive towards predators, they definitely have sharp-claws you don't want to get the wrong side of (although mine are fairly tame birds). They can fly, but tend not to fly far or away from the farm at all. Ours travel in a little pack all over the farm looking for tid-bits and bugglies before returning to the coop every night. They do like to swim in the livestock tank, but Muscovy are known for being more tolerant of not having a swimming area then other ducks. Although they do splash around in the chicken's water, they don't usually make that much of a mess. Their poops are not as wet and dirty as other ducks. They are also very easy keepers, our boys are HUGE. They produce tons of eggs they are supposed to be quite delicious.
Plus they wag their little tails when they are happy and barely make any noise at all.
Fly control & all that in one adorable tasty beautiful little package!
This is good to know! Every spring we have cluster flies hatch like crazy in the dirt outside the house - they cover the side of the house and end up inside, too. Am definitely going to research including some Muscovies with our layers plan!!
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