A juvenile Muscovy duck, also known as a duckling, looks quite different from the adult Muscovy duck. Muscovy ducklings undergo rapid changes in their first few months of life, developing from a fuzzy hatchling to a full fledged juvenile.
Hatchling (Day 1)
Muscovy ducklings hatch from their eggs fully covered in downy feathers. Their down helps insulate them and keep them warm as they grow. Hatchlings have an overall yellowish or brownish color. Their bill is short, straight, and dark gray in color. Their legs and feet are a dark yellowish-gray. They have black nails on their feet. Their eyes are open at hatching.
Newly hatched Muscovy ducklings weigh around 60-75 grams. They are not able to regulate their own body temperature yet, so they require an external heat source like a brooder lamp. Their activities are limited to eating, drinking, and sleeping.
1 Week Old
At one week old, Muscovy ducklings grow rapidly, nearly doubling in size. Their body is covered in downy feathers that are cream, brown, or black in color. Their bill has begun growing longer but is still mostly black. Their legs and feet are darker black in color.
Muscovy ducklings can stand and walk easily at this stage. They are still unable to fly. Their time is spent eating, drinking, preening, sleeping, and exploring their environment. They become more social and start establishing a pecking order.
2 Weeks Old
By two weeks of age, Muscovy ducklings are entering a period of very fast growth. Their body weight has increased to 200-250 grams. The downy feathers are growing to cover the body more completely. True feathers start to emerge from the wings and tail.
Muscovy ducklings start to venture further from their nest at this stage. They are becoming more independent and testing out their legs on land and in water. Their bill has lengthened and darkened to a black color with a pink band near the base. The nails on their feet are turning a grayish color.
3 Weeks Old
At three weeks old, the juvenile Muscovy duck is covered in a mix of downy and juvenile true feathers. Their feathers can be shades of brown, black, white, buff or combinations of these. The males start to develop the characteristic large black curls on their tails.
By now the Muscovy duckling weighs 500-600 grams. Their bill is black and fleshy with serrated edges for catching food. Their eyes are surrounded by black caruncles. The legs and feet are black or yellow-gray. They are steady on their feet and can flap their wings, though sustained flight is still 1-2 weeks away.
4 Weeks Old
Four week old Muscovy ducklings are developing mature plumage. The downy feathers on the back and wings are replaced by contour and flight feathers. The breast retains some downy feathers for insulation. True tail feathers fill in the tail.
The juvenile male Muscovy duck is noticeably larger than the female at this stage. The drake has more pronounced caruncles around the bill and eyes. His tail curls are longer. The plumage is iridescent with more colorful patterning.
Muscovy ducklings now weigh 700-1000 grams. They are strong and active, spending much of their time foraging, swimming, and roosting with the flock. They can fly short distances if needed.
5-8 Weeks Old
From 5-8 weeks of age, the juvenile Muscovy duck has nearly reached adult size. The males are significantly larger than females, weighing up to 5 kg compared to 3-4 kg for females. Their plumage has the distinctive patterns of adult Muscovies.
Other features of juvenile ducks at this stage are:
- Fully feathered with waterproof contour feathers
- Long black bill with pink band near base
- Red caruncles around eyes and bill are larger
- Legs and feet are yellow/gray to black
- Drakes have large black tail curls
- Make grown-up vocalizations like hissing and grunting
Juvenile Muscovies are strong fliers at this point. They have established social bonds with the flock and are learning adult behaviors like nest building, mating rituals, and establishing territory.
9-24 Weeks Old
Between 9-24 weeks of age, the young Muscovy ducks are difficult to distinguish from mature adults. Their plumage is fully developed, though the males may grow larger tail curls as they age.
Some differences between a juvenile and adult Muscovy include:
- Juveniles are smaller in overall body size
- Their heads and caruncles are more petite and less pronounced
- The bill can be lighter in color
- Juveniles stay in juvenile plumage during their first fall and winter
In their first year, female Muscovies begin laying eggs at around 28-32 weeks old. Males take a bit longer to reach sexual maturity, at 40-48 weeks old. But by 6-7 months of age, the juvenile ducks are nearly indistinguishable from adults.
Conclusion
Muscovy ducklings undergo rapid maturation, growing from hatchlings to juveniles in just a few months. Their changing size, feathers, bill, legs, and behaviors allow them to transform into independent, fully fledged juvenile ducks by the time they are 5-8 weeks old. Juvenile Muscovies establish themselves in a flock while honing abilities like flying, swimming, and foraging. With their magnificent plumage and distinctive features, Muscovy ducks are a treat to observe as they grow up.
