Muscovy
| Muscovy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Category | Egg Colour | Sitter |
| America | Heavy | White | Yes |
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
SHAPE OF DRAKE AND DUCK
HEAD: Rather long; in drake, large, the top covered with long, crest-like feathers, which are elevated or depressed by the specimen when it becomes excited or alarmed; sides of head and face covered with caruncles— the larger, the better. The sides of the head in both sexes should be covered with bright red caruncles similar to those on the head and neck of a turkey. A feature which distinguishes the drake from the duck is a fleshy knob at the base of the upper bill. This knob when well developed adds to the quality of the specimen.
BILL: Rather short, of medium width. The bill is rather small for so large a duck, being proportionately shorter and narrower than in other larger breeds. The top line of the bill is very slightly concave, the front part of the skull carrying out this effect. The bill is set onto the head in line with the top of the eye, which is located somewhat lower in the skull than is characteristic of other domestic ducks.
EYES: Of medium size, having slightly over-arched socket.
NECK : Of medium length, well-arched.
WINGS: Very long, stout and strong.
BACK : Long, broad, somewhat flat. The back is long, having a slightly arched contour over the shoulders, where is also the point of greatest width.
TAIL: Rather long, with abundance of stiff plumage.
BREAST: Broad, full. Keel is not desirable in the Muscovy nor is excessive abdominal development, although old females are sometimes inclined to appear rather full in the posterior.
BODY: Long, broad; carriage, nearly horizontal.
LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs, very short and large; shanks: short and large; toes: straight, connected by web. The legs located in the center of the body, resulting in the horizontal carriage characteristic of all Muscovys.
COLOURS
COLOR OF DRAKE AND DUCK
HEAD : Plumage, glossy black and white. BILL : Pink, shaded with horn. EYES : Brown. FACE: Caruncles, red.
PLUMAGE COLOURS
NECK: Black, may be slightly marked with white. WINGS: Fronts, white; bows, black intermingled with a num ber of white feathers; primaries, black, with white feathers per missible; secondaries, black; coverts, rich, lustrous, greenish black. BACK : Lustrous, greenish black. TAIL: Black. BoDY AND BREAST: Lustrous, greenish-black, broken with white—the blacker the plumage, the better. LEGS AND TOES: Lower thighs, black; shanks and toes, varying from yellow to dark lead.
WHITE MUSCOVY DUCKS Disqualifications Smooth heads; feathers other than pure white in any part of plumage, except dark markings on head of young specimens. (See General Disqualifications and Cutting for Defects.)
COLOR OF DRAKE AND DUCK BILL : Pinkish flesh-color. EYES: Blue. FACE: Caruncles, red. SHANKS AND TOEs: Pale orange. PLUMAGE: Web, quill, and fluff of feathers in all sections, pure white.
STANDARD WEIGHTS
- Adult Drake 10 lbs minimum.
- Adult Duck 7 lbs.
- Young Drake 8 lbs.
- Young Duck 6 lbs.
(Note that the APS2 gives 5lb as minimum female duck weight.)
DEFECTS
- Smooth and small caruncles, allowing for sex differences.
- Feathers growing in caruncles.
- Caruncles impeding eyes and nostrils.
- Short bodies.
- Mobility problems.
- Structural defects.
- Poor legs.
SOURCES
- The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of recognized varieties of fowls, as revised by [the Association at its 62d-67th annual meetings, 1937-42.] Public Domain accessed from: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004
- Ives, Paul Pomeroy. Domestic Ducks and Geese. New York, Orange Judd publishing company, inc., 1951. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924090294343&view=1up&seq=7