4 good reasons to eat Muscovies (& 2 reasons not to)

Muscovy meat is a popular meal in many Asian countries and France. Casey Patten says she gets at least one call a week from people looking for ducks for meat.

“I don't breed them for meat, but if I did, I could breed three times as many as I do (each year) and still not have enough.”

Muscovy meat is quite dark, tender, and has a depth of flavour some people compare to veal or sirloin. It's also very lean, so while the ducks don't grow as fast and aren't as easy to manage as the most popular duck meat breed (the Pekin), it's still farmed overseas as a healthy meat option.

The breast meat on a 13-week-old male fed a good diet can be around 700g. But that's much slower than a well-fed Pekin which is ready to eat in just 8 weeks.

Another disadvantage is that males and females need to be raised separately, as the males eat more and are more aggressive in a mixed group.