In March , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service passed a serial of regulation to reduce the bedspread of ferine and complimentary - kitchen range Muscovy duck’s egg population . As feedback regarding the regularization has trickled in , the FWS is continuing to retool the regulations and is expected to write them for public panorama within the next couple of months .
The control ofMuscovy duckshas been complicated for the FWS because in the U.S. , the Muscovy duck’s egg is a domesticate coinage , says George Allen of the FWS ’s Migratory Bird Management division who wrote the Muscovy duck’s egg regulations . The species occurs of course in Mexico and the southern tip of Texas , but are raised as farm flocks or for food yield throughout the U.S. Expanding savage universe , particularly in parks and residential field of Florida and Texas , have caused hybridization with other duck mintage and dimension damage . complaint regarding the ducks ’ trespassing action prompted the March regulations .
Although the Muscovy ducks are protect by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act , placing responsibility to manage the ducks in the hands of the federal government , the new regulation set in March give these responsibleness back to state and metropolis official , who will be allowed to blast and fascinate the ducks in club to control the feral population .
These news regulations , however , are potential to have little effect on hobby farmerskeeping Muscovy duck’s egg .
“ They can keep their good deal , ” Allen says . “ The regulation as written say you’re able to not breed them . I believe the rescript will allow for people to keep them as they have , with the revise of strike out the ducks they grow . ”
It ’s probable the forthcoming revision will require husbandman to tag their duck’s egg according to FWS regulations .
Currently , the regulations set in March are not being enforced , though concern over shelter of the duck’s egg and control of the ferine populations is still being discuss . These offspring , which include the guardianship of Muscovy ducks for show , keep Muscovy ducks for egg sale and selling unrecorded Muscovy ducks for food for thought , will be treat in the next round of regulation . The hunting of Muscovy ducks and Muscovy hybrids will also be examined in the revision .
“ Until it is proven that we call for to be more tight in these rule , I ’m trying to keep them as heart-to-heart and as uncomplicated as I can , ” Allen says . “ My intent is to forbid release in the state of nature , while allowing people to keep them for meat , bollock and keeping around farmyards for control fly and the similar . ”
Allen say he does n’t wait too much of a trouble of Muscovy ducks being release into the wilderness , specially in the North where the ducks have not adapted to the cooler clime .
“ Most masses who keep them , keep them in the pace and bring them into the barn at night to protect them from the frigidity or coyotes , ” he says .
While Allen enjoin the FWS will border on the restraint of the Muscovy ducks as they would other invasive metal money , in the expectant flick of U.S. wildlife , Muscovy duck are one of the least problematic exotic species .
“ If you were a province agency looking to control zebra mussles or aninvasive plantversus Muscovy duck , you would likely choose one of the former , ” he says .
Download the FWS ’s final opinion on the Muscovy duck’s egg regulations .
