Not a mallard duck
Almost every other domestic duck breed comes from the wild Mallard. The Muscovy does not. Metzer describes it as genetically different from all other domestic ducks [4], and Kentucky Extension calls it a different species that is believed to come from South America [2]. Kentucky Extension adds that it nests, attacks predators and hisses more like a goose, and roosts like a chicken [2]. A Muscovy crossed with another duck produces sterile offspring, often called mules or moulards [2], and its eggs take 35 days to hatch compared with 28 for other ducks [4].
Size
Muscovies are sexually very different. The drake is large, at 10 to 12 pounds in the extension table, while the hen is much smaller [2]. Metzer says males are almost twice the size of females [4]. The extension document is inconsistent on hens, giving 6 to 7 pounds in its table and 5 to 6 in its text, so our range spans both [2]. Metzer's own breeders run 6½ to 13 pounds, which fits the same picture [1].
Noise and temperament
Metzer calls Muscovies calmer and quieter than other ducks and says the hens lack the loud quack of other females [4]. It scores them 1.0, the calmest value on its scale [1]. That is a hatchery's description, not a decibel measurement. The drakes are the exception to "gentle". They are very strong, and Metzer advises gloves because their claws can scratch even when they are not being aggressive [4].
They can fly
Unlike Pekins and Runners, Muscovies fly well, and Metzer notes they will often perch in trees even though they nest on the ground [4]. Rate their flight as strong, not none [1]. Plan for taller fencing or a covered run, and look at a flock before you assume they will stay put.
Mothering and foraging
Metzer says no duck does a better job of hatching and raising young than a broody Muscovy, though the eggs can be hard to hatch in an incubator [4]. It rates mothering and foraging both excellent, and says they eat more grass than other domestic ducks [1] [4]. Muscovies also lay later in spring than other ducks [4], and their yearly egg numbers are lower and more disputed than for the laying breeds: the extension table says 60 to 120 and Metzer says 100 to 150 [2] [1].
What we have not pinned down yet
We do not yet have a source we trust for the Muscovy's lifespan or how it copes with heat and cold, so those rows are blank. The breed is not on the Livestock Conservancy's 2026 priority list [3].