#and brood on this production like its an egg i need to hatch. like my effing child

[beckmessering]

guys ik she’s severely mentally ill and the costume is very much a symbol of unprocessed & deeply traumatic grief but like. tcherniakov’s elektra is a fcking nonbinary icon ok. this is EXACTLY the vibe i want to bring to the function.

[riverboundao3ff]

Riverbound, Chapter 16

You are THE GUARDIAN and it is currently Sad Bitch Hours.

It’s not like you were expecting Zebruh to do a complete one-eighty, see the light, and join the rebellion, but you definitely weren’t counting on him trying to lock you in one of his rooms and almost give you a concussion in the process. Granted, you could have easily just zapped out, but still. Why wouldn’t he just listen?

Your arms hurt where his claws pierced your skin. With your luck they’d be infected by morning, if not sooner.

“You okay, robobuddy?”

Mallek’s striking blue eyes are soft and full of concern when you look up at him, and it fills you with guilt. This guy threw hands with an indigoblood for you and he’s asking if you’re okay?

“... Yeah. Just tired.” You lean against him, ignoring the drying salt on your face from your tears. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“Nah. Just a little scratched up.”

You nod.

“No concussion?”

“I don’t think so.”

A loud whoop pulls you from your pity party and back into the real world, and you look up to see Diemen Xicali waving at you from down the sidewalk. Leaning on him is the little kid, looking a bit shocked by everything that had just happened but thankfully much less injured than two nights ago. Zebruh must have let her use a medicalizer to heal her broken leg; her calf is still bruised up but she’s putting weight on it. By her side is some kind of oversized rodent lusus.

“Guys that was crazy!” he shouts joyfully, hauling the poor kid with him as he makes his way over to you and Mallek. You two meet him halfway with the rest of the group close behind.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Mallek demands.

“Not really. He just… wouldn’t let us leave. Said that we owed him for letting us take shelter at his hive. Also, his lusus is frickin’ terrifying,” Diemen complains. He hisses under his breath, which surprises you because you’ve never, ever heard him make a noise like that before.  “If I ever see him again it’ll be too soon.”

The girl is staring at you in the way little kids like to stare at things, so you smile and do your best to appear as non-threatening as possible. You’re a mess from getting roughed up by Zebruh, but Daraya is still holding her new black eye from getting kicked by a pissed-off horse lusus, so at least you’re not alone.

“And alien! I can’t believe you’re alive! I’d give you a hug, but…” Diemen pats the kid’s shoulder and shrugs.

“Don’t even worry about it. I missed you too, dude,” you tell him warmly. Man, the look on his face when you two saw each other in Zebruh’s living room was priceless. Luckily, Zebruh had been way too distracted by ranting about some new rustblood singer to notice you desperately signaling him to stay quiet, or else you would have totally blown your cover.

The rodent lusus squeaks, looking up to the girl, who startles and then nods. “T-Thanks for saving us.

“I was glad to. We all are,” you promise.

“As long as I never have to get kicked in the fucking face again,” Daraya mutters.

Lanque scoffs. “At least you didn’t get bucked off and thrown clear across the hive.”

“Oh, shut up--”

“Anyways,” you say loudly, “Good job tonight, everybody.”

“Would have been better if I got to rip Codakk’s bulge off and shove it down his THROAT,” Konyyl growls.

“Kinky,” Azdaja says. Tyzias snorts and Stelsa smacks her shoulder in disgust.

“Guys, there’s a kid present,” you remind them patiently before turning back to Diemen. “Let’s go get oblong meat products sometime, okay?”

“You bet!”

Mallek ends up going with him and the kid to make sure they get back to their neighborhood in one piece, and Konyyl and Azdaja split off after making you promise them you’ll be around for flavordisk dinner next wipe. Polypa does the same; apparently Tegiri texted her with an urgent request to come to his hive immediately. Knowing ‘Giri, the poor guy probably finished another sad-ass anime and needed somebody to help pick out a new series to watch.

The teals walk you and the jades as far as the city limits before turning back to go to class. Apparently, this was one lecture they all really wanted to attend because it has something to do with the history of several legislations passed concerning the limited income provided for lowbloods, specifically up to the olive caste.

“The more we know about systemic oppression, the more we can do to fight it,” Tyzias growls determinedly. “I’ll tell you later how many controversial questions I got to ask before I get kicked out of the class group chat.”

“That’s kind of badass,” Daraya says with a small smile.

“You’re risking your marks, babe,” Stelsa frets. “I mean, it’s admirable, I just worry.”

“My marks will survive. All that extra credit I did is gonna save my ass, don’t worry,” Tyzias assures her. Stelsa seems pacified for the time being, but as soon as her back is turned Tyzias winks at Daraya before strolling off with her matesprit and Tagora.

Daraya’s face flushes jade until her entire face is dark, much to your delight.

As soon as your other friends are out of earshot Lanque is on her like fleas on a stray dog. “My, my, Daraya, are you feeling well? Your face is so green!”

“I’ll teleport us back to the caverns so Lanque can take your temperature,” you jump in, smacking the backside of your hand to her forehead as if feeling for a fever. “You’re not nauseous or anything, right? No loss of appetite?”

Daraya smacks your hand away with a snarl and stomps off to the cavern trail, making Lanque laugh so loud it echoes off the mountainside.

You grin and chase after the younger jadeblood, coming up on her left side. “Come on, dude, tell me how it's going! Have you told her yet?”

“Shut up! No, not yet, I haven’t-- it’s gonna happen, Bombyx, don’t give me that look! We’re just… busy right now! I’m a leader!” Daraya hisses, trying and failing to squirm away from you and Lanque.

“Exactly why you should tell her as soon as possible! Imagine how much better you two might lead together if you were moirails,” Lanque argues.

“You two are perfect for each other,” you sing, grinning at her.

“And Stelsa likes you, which is a bonus.”

“Oh, yeah, I definitely wouldn’t wanna be on Stelsa’s bad side. Look, we just want you to know that we support you no matter what--”

“And that there’s no time like the present.”

You signal Lanque to hold off for a second and pat Daraya’s arm. “We just want you to be happy. You deserve it more than anybody.”

“Except for Wanshi,” Lanque interjects.

“I’d gladly kill somebody for Wanshi,” you agree wholeheartedly. “But are ya picking up what we’re laying down?”

Daraya looks unsure of herself, crossing her arms and hunching in on herself, just a bit. “Do you really think she likes me back?”

You look to Lanque for support, and he nods. “She most definitely does. You don’t see the way she looks at you when you have your back turned.”

Something like hope warms her dark eyes, and she walks with her head held a little higher all the way back to the caverns.

Sneaking back in is pretty easy-- you just zap yourself and the jades to Lanque’s room, the owner of which then kicking you and Daraya out so he can take a nap.

“Ugh. I was hoping I’d get some excuse to not come back here until tomorrow so I don’t have to I.D grubs. Shit takes forever,” she groans as you two walk along a stone path.

From what you remember, I.D-ing grubs involved giving them a sign, recording their weight and blood color, and setting them free in the main caverns to be chosen by a lusus. You’ve helped out a couple of times with Bronya in the past with I.D stuff. Of course she didn’t let you do any of the actual recording, because she’s a perfectionist like that and wanted to do everything herself, but she did have you hold fussy grubs to calm them down so she could work in peace.

“I’ve done that a few times with Bronya. I’ll help you,” you offer.

“Really?”

“Yeah, dude, let’s go.”

She seems a bit less grouchy after that, and even calls a particular plump indigoblood grub you come across a “mega-thick boy”.

Being in the main caverns has always been a game of Russian roulette for you, as drones came and went all the time and stayed on nearly constantly after a new brood hatches. For your own safety you usually just help out in Bronya’s secret nursery, but if you’re feeling extra brave like you are tonight then you take your chances. Besides, after what happened earlier you need to snuggle some babies to get that sweet, sweet serotonin.

You follow Daraya to a natural pocket in the cave wall, where a cluster of eggs was placed. To your delight, two are hatching and one little goldblood is already wiggling around on its back, squeaking irritably as it tries to roll over again and again, failing each time.

“Hang in there, buddy,” you say, reaching in and flipping them over to their stomach. They stop crying and blink up at you with giant yellow eyes. You chuckle and gently scratch under their chin, which makes them give a barely-audible rickety purr.

“Grab her for me,” Daraya says, searching through the nearby lockers before pulling out a scale, binder, and pen.

You scoop up the goldblood and hold her still as Daraya checks her over before scribbling something down in the binder. “So how do you tell which ones are male and which ones are female? They all look the same.”

Her thick brows furrow in confusion. “Uh, their scent? Boys smell a little like rainwater, girls are kind of smokey. Also, girls are bigger.”

You sniff the goldblood. “Smells like cave to me.”

Daraya rolls her eyes, but the corner of her lips are twitching up. “So if you can’t see in the dark, or hear that well, or smell, how are you even alive?”

“If I had a caegar for every time somebody asked me that I’d be able to buy a tank to shoot a big fat hole in Her Imperious Bitchface’s left asscheek.”

“A rebel can dream. Set her on the scale.”

You set the goldblood on the scale. Daraya records her weight and releases her into the wild, or at least into the main cavern.

“Good luck,” you call after her.

“If luck’s on her side, she might not need it when she grows up,” Daraya says, almost to herself.

You both fall into a routine with the next couple of grubs. There’s a rustblood, then a bronzeblood, and after a couple of minutes another egg hatches to reveal an olive. All three are recorded and set off into the unknown. Every time, you ask the universe to look favorably upon them, because there isn’t much else you can do at the moment.

If anything, let them be loved.

“You look like you need to fart,” Daraya tells you after she releases a particularly feisty cerulean girl. “Which means you’re thinking about something.”

You pout. “Yeah, well, your eyeliner is smudged.”

“I smudge it on purpose so everybody can really see the bags underneath my eyes and know that my last fuck has long since departed to the afterlife.”

“That’s valid. If you have to know, I’m trying to telepathically communicate to the grubs that I love them and that they’ll do amazing things when they get older,” you explain.

“... I was trying to be funny, but that’s actually really sweet.” She stares down at the squirming teal grub in her arms. “I wish I could do that.”

“Be telepathic?”

“No. Have enough love for everybody.”

You sigh, leaning back against the cold stone. Above you, bioluminescent fungi glows blue and white in the darkness. “Daraya, I think the fact that you’re leading a rebellion to make the world a better place shows that you’re more than capable of love.”

“But I’m doing it because I’m angry. I hate this place.”

“Why? Because it’s oppressive and unfair and traumatizing?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Exactly. When we’re strong enough to show Alternia who we are and what we stand for, don’t you think there’s gonna be millions of kids like you who realize that they deserve better? Or, if they already know, might finally have the courage to do something about it?”

Daraya sets the grub down and watches it scamper off. “You amaze me. Sometimes you do stupid shit like that one time you got really drunk with Lanque at a party and I had to stop you guys from jumping off the roof of somebody’s hive and into their pool. Sometimes you say stuff so incredibly deep and comforting it makes me think some great cosmic force sent you here to make everybody’s lives just a little bit better.”

You swallow back something hard in your throat. “To be fair, I can swim just fine.”

“Uh-huh. But Lanque can’t.”

Fuck’s sake, why can’t you just tell her? She should know what you are, what you’re capable of, the lengths you’re going, will go to save Alternia. They all should know.

Every single one of your friends so far have been completely overjoyed to have you back. The more time passes, however, the more you feel like you don’t deserve them anymore. You know that one day they’re going to find out. It’s only a matter of time before you accidentally let something slip or have to explain why you have so much power over the fabric of reality itself.

You open your mouth before you can wimp out, fully intent on telling Daraya everything, but when you turn to address her she’s staring down at the tiniest rustblood you’ve ever seen. The thing is no bigger than one of your feet. They’re on the scale, but Daraya isn’t writing anything down. She doesn’t even look like she’s breathing.

“Daraya? You okay?” you ask, concerned. Crap, did you give the poor kid an existential crisis?

“... He’s too small.”

You push off the wall and stride over to her. “Huh?”

She takes a short breath. “He’s too small. He doesn’t meet the weight requirement for male rustbloods. I… I’m supposed to…”

Realization hits you like a crowbar to the face. Your stomach rolls as you look down at this tiny baby, who’s chirping indignantly at being removed from his warm nest.

“He… but he looks completely healthy. He’s moving around and responding to stimuli and everything,” you get out.

“A grub can be healthy and still need to be culled. The Empire doesn’t want runts. Neither do lusii,” Daraya explains tonelessly. “The only reason Karako’s alive is because Bronya raised him herself. Even then, if he makes it to adulthood it’ll be a fucking miracle.”

The thought of Karako at the end of a culling fork makes you want to throw up. “Then I’ll take him to Bronya.”

“You do realize that he still might not make it?”

“Yeah. But that’s what we’re here for, right?”

Daraya nods and hands you the grub. “Don’t come here after you’re done. The drones will be coming back for the day soon.”

“Got it.”

You zap out of there and hope that teleportation won’t give the baby some form of developmental disability.

As you suspected, the lights are on underneath the door to Bronya’s nursery. Glancing up and down the corridor to make sure nobody’s around to see what you’re doing, you carefully tuck the grub into the pocket of your hoodie and knock.

Quiet footsteps approach the door from the other side. You wave at the peephole.

The lock clicks, and Bronya opens the door with a warm smile. Everything suddenly feels a little more manageable. “What a surprise! I’ve been hoping you’d stop by.”

“Hi, Bronya,” you say, stepping in and shutting the door behind you. “Sorry I haven’t been able to come by sooner. Geez, you vanish off the face of the planet for half a sweep and suddenly you’re everybody’s favorite alien.”

“Well, you can hardly blame them, can you?” Bronya tuts. At the table across from the slime pools, she types in something to her husktop before shutting it. “Wanshi cried for ages after you were gone. She was absolutely convinced you were dead in a ditch somewhere, the poor thing.”

“Aw, Bronya, don’t make me feel even more guilty.”

She grins at you. “Just teasing. I’m almost finished wrapping everything up for the day, but you’re more than welcome to hold the grubs if you want.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that. Unfortunately, I think I’m about to add even more to your workload.” With a sigh, you bring out the tiny rustblood and present him to her.

Bronya’s eyes widen, and in a flash she’s right in front of you, nearly making you crap your pants. You’d forgotten how fast trolls can move when they really want to. “He didn’t meet the weight requirement, I assume?”

“No. Other than that he seems perfectly healthy, he’s just…” You chuckle nervously. “He’s really frickin’ tiny.”

You hand him over to her before she can get too itchy about not holding him. She cuddles him to her chest with the softest expression you’ve ever seen. It makes you wonder about how some trolls thrive on nothing but violence but others live to take care of others. On Alternia, is it nature or nurture that makes a person?

“He’s beautiful.” She looks up at you with shining dark green eyes. “Thank you for saving him. I can’t name many others even in the caverns who would have done the same.”

“Daraya’s the one who found him, so… can’t take all of the credit.” Wow, is it hot in here or is it just you?

“Well, I’m glad she made a good choice, even if by our society’s standards it wasn’t the right one,” Bronya tells you as she sets the grub down in one of the slime pools. The other inhabitants, three other rusts, a goldblood, and two bronzes roll over and accept him into their cuddle pile without hesitation.

“Yeah. Sometimes the good choice and the right choice just aren’t the same thing,” you mumble, watching an indigoblood in the adjacent pool kick their little legs in their sleep.

Bronya nods. She looks tired as she sits down heavily at the table, and you want to tell her to go get some rest, but you can tell there’s something on her mind.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” you ask.

She hesitates, looking almost ashamed before drawing herself upright and exhaling quietly. “... Actually, yes. I’m afraid you’re the only person I can trust enough to do this.”

You sit down across from her, looking her in the eyes to make sure she knows you’re being serious for once. “You can talk to me, Bronya. And I promise I’m not making pale advances or anything, because I’m already one-hundred percent taken.”

That gets a smile out of her. “Thank you. You have no idea how much I missed having a listening ear like yours.”

“My hearing might be terrible by troll standards, but I’ll try my absolute best.”

“... It started not long after you… disappeared. Daraya began acting… strangely,” Bronya begins. “She’s always been a bit of a lone wolf, but this was something different. She’d vanish for half a night, and then eventually she wouldn’t be back until the sun was coming up. She fell behind in her duties. Of course I did my best to be understanding, she looked up to you more than anybody-- she still does, even if she’ll never say it. We all missed you terribly.”

You nod. You’ve got an awful suspicion as to where this is going, but you don’t want to entertain the thought that Bronya would ask you to do… what you think she’s going to ask you to do.

“She got a little better with time, but that didn’t change her little vanishing act. I tried to get her to talk to me, which went as well as one thought it would. Then I tried to stop her from leaving. That went even worse.”

“Daraya’s got a hell of a temper,” you say.

“That she does. Then, a couple of perigees in, Lanque started doing the same thing. Leaving at odd hours, coming back smelling of strange places. Thankfully they finally got their act together concerning their responsibilities around here, which I thought would be a turning point for them, but… they just wouldn’t stop!” Bronya hisses, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “Clouds are white, the grass is purple, and jadebloods aren’t allowed to leave the caverns. Three simple facts of life, and yet those two insist on ignoring the latter!”

“Were they happier?” you ask.

Bronya blinks, confused. “What?”

“I get that ignoring their responsibilities must have been a massive pain in the rear, but what about after they figured it out? Did their mental health benefit from going to the surface?”

She looks down at you like you just asked her why the Alternian sun is hot. “From an outsider’s perspective it must seem harsh, I know. But a jadeblood’s purpose isn’t to be happy. It’s to ensure the continuation of our species.”

“So… do you want me to try and get them to stop? Because I’m gonna tell you right now that’s not gonna work. Both Daraya and Lanque are very strong and I am very small,” you tell her.

“Of course not. The thing is, they both trust you very much, possibly more than their fellow jadebloods. Which is why I want you to keep going with them when they sneak out, and then I want you to tell me what they’ve been up to this whole time.”

For the second time tonight you’re struck speechless.

“I know it’s a terrible favor to have to request of you. But I’m afraid I have no other choice. Lanque and Daraya’s loyalty and priorities have become completely skewed over the perigees and as head jade, it’s my duty to steer them back on course,” Bronya declares.

“... Right.”

A nobler version of you would stand up and angrily, but politely tell Bronya that there was no way that you’d ever betray your friends’ privacy like that. You would tell her that you value her as a friend and thank her for letting you stay and work here whenever you felt like. Then, you would explain that as much as you’ve come to respect her, you simply cannot do this for her.

What you do instead is to swallow back your sadness and say, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Bronya looks so happy and relieved you nearly make a break for it in utter shame. “Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I knew that you’d always be brave enough to do the right thing.”

But the right thing isn’t always a good thing! you want to cry.

She sees you out after that, a comforting hand on the small of your back. She tells you to rest well and that everything is going to be okay.

The second she closes her respiteblock door you start to cry as quietly as possible. You walk down the corridor, and when you’re sure she’s out of earshot you take off running. Everybody else is already back in their rooms, which you’re grateful for so nobody can see your pathetic ass having an anxiety attack while sprinting like fucking Usain Bolt.

You want to go curl up in Lynera’s study and cry yourself to sleep, but you’re already keeping one too many secrets from the people you care about so much. You’re not going to be a coward about this, even if it means starting the shitshow to end all shitshows, even if it means losing one of your oldest friends.

You take a moment to catch your breath in a supply closet, and then you go find Lanque.

[one-twisted-sister]

Alive

Continued from survival 

For sweeps it seemed the swan stayed on the egg that the Jadeblood had brought to her, the egg definitely should have hatched she was starting to think it was a dud, a dead egg thus she started to get off of it from time to time which had stunted the growth of the little being inside thankfully the swan was never off of it long enough for the grub inside to die. At long last the night had come when the lusus stood finding no egg but a little purpleblooded grub whom didn’t make much noise and seemed to be barely breathing the constant changing from warm to cool had messed with the grub inside. The lusus was about to push the child out of the nest and let nature take it's course well until a rustblood caught the lusii's attention, beside her the Jadeblood. 

"So the egg did hatch, I had my doubts that Divines young would live". Naylee spoke soft as she leaned down to pick the purple grub up from the ground, the youth beside her glanced up, her own lusus a large four horned sheep stood just a few feet away closing watching as it grazed.

"Is it alive?". The young rust asked standing up on the tips of her toes, as if that would have allowed her to see the grub more the Jade was much, much taller than her. 

"Yes, barely". Naylee answered, her attention going back to the Swan with a disaproving look to which the animal honked at. "I'll be taking the grub back to the brooding cavern to see if we can get it more lively, if not then..". The rust stared at her before looking at the ground , she knew exactly what Naylee meant. "Well I'll be hoping and praying to the saints that the grub makes it". The rust flashed a smile to which Naylee chuckled and ruffled her hair. "You are a sweet girl Apollo, just like your mother". The sheep behind them reared it's head up. "No not you". Naylee corrected which got a laugh from Apollo before parting ways with the Jade. Naylee was honestly surprised she hadn’t expected the egg to mature enough to hatch considering all that had happened, her thumb brushed the little one cheek, tired purple eyes opened looking up at her followed by a weak smile.  When Naylee had arrived back at the cavern the little colony of Jadebloods worked quick to get a space ready for the new arrival in sick bay.  Naylee tucked the grub down into a warm bed hoping that it would be enough to kick it's little body in gear.  "You better survive little one, I didn't travel all that way or lose sister for nothing". It took a good few months or perhaps a sweep  there were a few close calls here and there but now with each day that passed there seemed to be more progress from being able to keep food down to making it's first squeak and scaring the hell out of it's when doing so eventually the grub had grown more and was getting into everything.   "No bad grub you do not chew on my dress". Naylee scolded though the purpleblood barely payed any attention as it squeaked and chirped at her, she would have placed it with the other grubs but Divines offspring was expected was a little more rougher than the other's. Naylee hummed to herself, the grub on her shoulder hitching a ride it being nothing new it seemed a lot of the grub enjoyed such. "Hard to believe that you seemed half dead when I came to check on you". The purple grub gave a small noise, Naylee gave the young a pat on it's little head.  "Tomorrow you'll be placed back with the Swan and everything will be as it should". There were plenty of other grubs that needed some form of care, she had no doubt that the grub would be okay but just to be safe she would of course aske Apollo to keep her eye on the young she was grown enough and mature. When the day came it went smoothly, smother than Naylee had thought it would the grub was now lively the way it was supposed to be squeaking and chirping up a storm especially when it didn't get its way  in time the grub grew and moved into the wriggler stage unlike the others she had no marks on her sides proof that she was a product of two trolls without any help from the mother grub she had gained her horns as well as her name. Domini.

[jeremybthompson]

A New Contender ffxiv unlock

Do you want to unlock your FFXIV account and become a member of the realm? Well, this is for you. In this blog post I will be teaching you how to get an ffxiv unlock code! It's easy and fast. Just follow my instructions below and enter in the information when prompted at step 5!

Step 1:  Enter your email address into the box provided on our website. Step 2:  Choose what type of service you are purchasing from our list of options (e-mail delivery only). Step 3:  Select how many codes that you would like in order to purchase them. You can choose between 1 or 10 games unlocked with one code each or if you're feeling generous, 50 games with one.

The new expansion for Final Fantasy XIV is out, and the team over at Square Enix has been hard at work to make sure that this game will be different from its predecessors. With a renewed focus on story and stronger narrative ties to the original release, as well as an overhauled battle system with a new Job System, it's time we pay some attention to what might be one of the best MMOs on the market today.

FFXIV beast tribe mounts.

The FFXIV beast tribe mounts are a new addition to the game that came with patch 4.2, and they're making it easier than ever for players to get around in-game!  Some of these mounts give you different abilities when riding them, such as being able to fly!  There are even some mounts that let you transform into an animal while riding them! I've compiled a list of all the tribes and their corresponding beasts below:

In the FFXIV game, players are able to acquire mounts. These mounts can be obtained through different means such as purchasing them from a vendor or by completing an event quest. However, there are some special mount quests that require you to complete specific tasks in order for the mount to drop and one of these is joining a beast tribe. This blog post will go over what exactly it takes for someone who has joined a beast tribe to get their reward mount.

What do I need?  - A character on your account that has completed all of the necessary prerequisite quests: "The Behemoth King" (lvl 50), "A Gobbue's Grudge" (lvl 45), and "Forever Burdened" (lvl 51

How do you unlock namazu beast tribe quest?

Do you want to unlock the Namazu beast tribe quest? This guide will help you get started. It's quick and easy!

Namazu are a race of giant, catfish-like beasts that live in the sea. They were once worshipped as gods because they brought fertility to the land with their great water currents.   The Namazu Beast Tribe is comprised of various subspecies of giant catfish like creatures who each lead tribes from underwater villages on different islands across Vana'diel. You'll need to speak with these people before you can progress, so make sure to visit all three islands for this quest series: Qufim Island, Balfonheim Port & Beaucedine Glacier (with an airship.

Have you been playing Monster Hunter World and wondering how to unlock the namazu beast tribe quest? In this blog post, we'll be walking you through what you need to do! Find more.

Once unlocked, the NamaNaju will appear in the Elder's Recess. The NamaNaju is a large whale-like monster that has its own set of attacks. It can also shoot water out of its mouth which deals significant damage when it hits.

The best way to beat this giant whale is by attacking it from behind or with ranged weapons such as bowguns, slingshots and throwing knives. However, if you want to get up close and personal with your prey then use an axe instead! Just make sure.

How do you unlock brooding Broodmother?

Brooding Broodmothers are a powerful type of spider that start out as an egg sac. They hatch into little baby spiders for you to collect and grow up. You can unlock them by finding their eggs in caves, or just waiting for them to hatch on their own. To find the eggs, look for green patches on the cave walls - they're usually hidden pretty well!

Brooding Broodmothers are my favorite type of spider because they have so many babies and I like collecting things. Most people say they're hard to find but it's not at all if you know what you're looking for! If only we could do something with all these little spiders.

How do you get Ananta metalworks?

Ananta metalworks is a company that makes jewelry for men. This post will discuss the different ways to get Ananta products and what they offer. We hope this article has been informative and helpful.

Ananta Metalworks is a company that specializes in making jewelry for men, but also make some pieces for women as well. They are known for their rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more! What's unique about them is that they offer an affordable price point on all of their items- it doesn't matter if you're buying one piece or ten! You can purchase your favorite Ananta pieces right from their website; however, many people prefer shopping through national retailers like Macy's or Amazon because these places often have.

Well, then this blog post is for you. I will tell you the best way to find it.  This is not an easy task but if you follow my advice, it will be much easier than before. There are many different places where you can buy products like this one so pay attention and start looking!

Conclusion:

We’re so proud to introduce our newest addition, the ffxiv unlock. This is a new product that will help you reach mastery in your desired class much faster! All of us at FFXIV Unlock hope you enjoy this innovative and exciting development which we think can really change up the game for players like you who want to be masters of their chosen classes. Be sure to check out all the features and benefits below or on our website www.ffxivunlock.com before deciding if it's right for you - there are some great deals going on now too! What do you think? Sound good? Let me know what other kinds of products would make sense next from FFXIV Unlock by emailing.

[seignoursims-blog]

“The Mer” A Basic guide

By, Vis. 

In dedication to my sister... I will do all that I can to see her released, and prevent this from happening to anyone else... May Anguish save her spirit.

an excerpt from the tome:

There are more than a few Demonic horrors in natural water spots around Halcyon’s globe. Everything known to date on these savage creatures; from the largest, to the slimiest,  will be encompassed in this volume. You can learn everything you need to know, from the safety of Anguish! May her wrath protect you.

Chapter two, the Humanoids

“The humanoids” is a general group for all mer that somewhat look at all like humans. They are the sirens, sea-witches, mermaids... What ever one would so like to call the disgusting beasts. Though the humanoids have the appearance, the are nothing more than primal animals.

-Development of the species

Mer do not live forever, the oldest living one to die from aging was known to be around one thousand. They most often die sooner as they are possibly the most hostile demonic species. Constantly battling each other for territory, and resources with the waters becoming more and more polluted in recent times; which is believed to be the reason they haven't evolved much over the years.

~Added in newer copies: The mer were also poached by humans in the victorian era, for shows, and beauty products.

With all these limiting factors to consider, the mer have begun to create underground aqueducts. They use these to import warm, tropical waters to their darker, more safe realms on the seafloor. They have also been shown to be working on creating in-organic incubators, more research is required on their development of inventions...

-Powers of the deep?

Aside from enchanted singing, the mer usually use crudely crafted weapons to fight. Although that may seem silly for a mer to use close range, poorly constructed weapons against a demon who could shoot pure energy out of their very palms... It’s not.

Any realm the mer shall claim, they claim with their voices. They strip demons close enough of any existing powers (Even beings of light). Demons become as mundane as human while just standing even above the water. Any demon wishing to aid another is also powerless, as the songs cause an interference around the being trapped in them.

Example: Demon A we can say is safe in Anguish, while Demon B is foolish and stands on a boat (or dock)  above water. Demon B has no demonic powers in this situation, but will not feel any different, until she actually tries to use any of her powers. Demon A will not be able to summon demon B, unless Demon B makes it back onto land. Once Demon B is back on land, all her powers will be restored, and Demon A can summon her once again. 

-Communication

All water demons speak in similar tongues.

To pathetic humans, their songs will be the most beautiful sound to ever grace their ears.

Vampires (both pure bred, and other), will hear nothing, as the sea demons have no use of cold bodies. They will still become hostile if engaged however.

Warm blooded demons, will hear songs, and depending on the kind of demon  the frequencies they hear will be different. For instance, a demoness made purely of music, will hear the most horrid screeching sounds, she will hear doom, she will hear cries, for she will hear their wicked truth.

A demon made of light, will also hear horrible shrieking, for them it is because the light will not understand the darkness they preach about.

A demon made of snow will hear their sadness, she may feel sympathetic to them. Her body being too chilled to raise their young will keep her safe from that torturous fate (see breeding), but mer will still attack if engaged. *Snow demons are the only land dwelling breed able to kill them, even in their domain.

Being a druid of the lush, green, forests; I hear a lullaby, it pulls me in, just as it did my sister... I now travel the globe, not only studying the monsters, I do it in hopes of finding capable demons to help me free her... To at least give her mercy, even if they cannot be stopped... If Halcyon will not save her (A PROTECTOR OF HIS GREEN BEAUTY, AND LIFE), she will be united with Anguish.

-Breeding

All are female, because of this they have to artificially inseminate each other, using very promiscuous, and rather disgusting mating rituals. They can only breed in tropical waters, with warm bodied hosts to use as their incubators.

The real reason why the mer have been known to abduct sailors, is because they have no body heart, however their spawn need a warm body to develop in as parasites. The gender of the host does not matter (although female is prefered), as long as the host has an empty area cleared in the abdomen, development is possible. Mer will lay thousands of eggs into the host, however, if the environment is at all wrong none will hatch. Any that do manage to survive long enough, and grow to  become juvenile, the strongest will consume all of its brood mates, then proceed to devour it’s way out of it’s host.

Warm-blooded land breeds of demons, are completely powerless in mer domains, and will be used as an organic incubator for their offspring. Since most land dwelling demons are capable of living forever in any environment, the mer that owns the demon incubator will be crowned queen ~Added later:(until a stronger one kills the queen, and takes the demon for herself).

-DO NOT ENGAGE

~added in newer copies: Never in any circumstance approach ANY demon of the mer variety, after the extinction of snow demons from the Throat of Halcyon, they are untouchable. With their rise in numbers over the last thousand years, they’ve evolved with their technology. They have also become even more agitated, and deformed from increased human pollution!

All Demons are STRONGLY advised to stay away from the ocean, seas, or lakes. TAKE NO CHANCES!

Instagram: @seignour_sims

[megawiseborn]

Every man is like an egg that carries the promise of a beautiful chicken. Hidden in each one of us is a treasure of greatness that cries out for our attention. We are born pregnant with viable seeds that can be planted for extraordinary fruits. Locked up in these vessels of clay, are unimaginable trees and forests. We are wombs carrying embryos that would develop into babies if given the requisite attention, care and support. The seeds of promise we carry, called potential, marks our unleashed talents and skills, unrealised success stories and the “us” that we are yet to “become”. This seed when planted or sown, carries even greater power and potential. Outside the soil, it holds great promise. In the soil however, it has the needed environment and exposure to bust forth in glory. Just give it time, water and care for it, and see the wonder that will be produced from that little seed. You are a treasury field containing great potential. If this treasury field is left unexplored, then we would have done great evil to destiny!

As I lay on my bed yesternight, I couldn’t help brush away the picture of a wretched looking hen laying over her eggs and brooding over them with so much hope in view. It sits on those eggs as a fulltime official, making a run out only for food and water. What’s she thinking I asked? Why would she spend averagely 21 days (3 weeks) sitting on these eggs and limiting her free running movements as a result? Why must it take so many days for those “little” oval shaped eggs to hatch? As these questions continued to race through my thoughts, I could feel the sense of unease that engulfs this hen when any external object draws near. It wastes no time in showing forth her “anger” anytime a hand draws near to her bed of brooding.  After spending days laying its eggs, the mother hen submits to the discomfort of literally staying on these eggs for 3 weeks until they hatch. Unfortunately, not all these may be hatched after the period of unease and isolation that it undergoes. However, what keeps this hen in her little corner, brooding over the eggs laid, is the promise it sees in them. In those eggs are beautiful chicks that will make her a proud mother soon. In those eggs, she sees POTENTIAL that must be protected and brooded over until it busts forth with life.

Every egg (whether of the hen or any other egg-laying creature), contains a great wonder that is waiting to come forth. It will die if the hen fails to appreciate it enough to spend time cooking it with her warmth of focus. When the hen sits on her eggs, she keeps them warm to about 100° F to 101° F of heat. She carefully turns the eggs on a regular basis by using her beak to scoop under the egg and roll it toward her in safety. The humidity required for the eggs “maturation” emanates from the environment and the hen’s body. Interestingly, the hen stops laying any more eggs during the 21 days of incubating the laid eggs. That is called focus; doing what should be done at the time it should be done.

Don’t belittle the eggs that you’ve laid over the years. That business or professional idea is an egg of promise. Others may have laid and hatched many more eggs than you could ever lay, but never be disappointed in the 3 eggs (potential) you have in your corner. Just focus on what God has hidden in you as potential.  In that potential are hidden businesses and dealings that will transform the lives of many. In that potential of leadership, is a unique and extraordinary level of leadership that will transform the lives of many cowards. One day, the poor shepherd boy called David, will become the slayer of giants and a distinguished King of Israel. Don’t go roaming anywhere and everywhere without focus and discipline. This is the time to stay put on your eggs until the 21 days of incubation are over. The miracle of a great hatch, is in your consistency and discipline in sitting on the eggs FULL TIME.

The ordeal of my imaginary hen is not strange to the human society. Captured in our own experience as humans, is the pain and unease that marks the 9-month period of a pregnant woman. For months, the hitherto lively and energetic woman, succumbs to the demands of the seed she carries within. As it were, the lifestyle of a pregnant woman becomes unusual during the period of pregnancy because the health of the baby is very paramount. These 9 months of limited activity and “enjoyment” is a necessary price that must be paid for the coming forth of a potential President, doctor etc. Covered in the womb of the woman, is a seed of greatness that is waiting to sprout forth from the earth called the womb. A careless lifestyle (alcoholism, binge eating, contact sports etc.) will mean a truncation of the promise that is covered therein.

Your potential will be well cooked and developed if only you will stay long enough on your God-given gifts and talents. Keep the food on the fire until it is cooked enough for men to find it worth eating. No one buys a sub-standard or poorly cooked food over time; you must be ready to stay through on the food until it becomes a meal rather than a collection of ingredients and foodstuff. Your attention to detail and the quality of your cooking skills, will ensure that the untapped potentials of the ingredients become evident. The bible makes an amazing statement concerning potential. It says in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” William Purkey got also got it spot on when he posited “human potential, though not always apparent, is there waiting to be discovered and invited forth”. Joyce Meyer further adds “Potential is a priceless treasure, like gold. All of us have gold hidden within, but we have to dig to get it out”.

No matter how difficult and discouraging life could ever get, your potential always remains intact. You can still dig it out even through the discomfort of life and the chaos in society. All you need is a strong mental attitude that keeps you moving even through the seeming failures that may pop up the road. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed”. That is the mental attitude of a man that lived to the fullest of his potential on earth, as an Apostle of Jesus. He had the end in mind; the crown of glory that the Master had waiting for his arrival at the end of purpose. Your mental attitude is therefore very important if the eggs of promise you sit on, will stand the test of time. Even when the rains fall and the winds blow, the hen keeps sitting on her eggs to protect the potential hidden in them. Romans 12:2 says to continue being “transformed by the renewing of your mind”. That is why I so love the Word of God, the Bible. It transforms your mind with the thoughts of God your Creator and builds you up to the level where you operate effectively and efficiently as His grand product.

It is time to go back to the manual of our grand manufacturer, to direct our operation and set us on cause to fulfilling purpose. It’s time to get lost in the principles of the life-transforming Spirit-inspired manual God has given to us. I see you laying many eggs of promise. I see you sitting on your eggs with great focus, discipline and patience. I see you making time to work on your God-given talents and gifts. I see you redeeming your potential by working a little harder on your hidden abilities and on the areas of life where you find fulfilment. You have eggs of promise; brood over them until they hatch out those beautiful chicks hidden therein.

  EGGS OF PROMISE… Every man is like an egg that carries the promise of a beautiful chicken. Hidden in each one of us is a treasure of greatness that cries out for our attention.

[josephkitchen0]

10 Common Mistakes New Poultry Owners Make With Chicks

Most of the mistakes people make when starting out with baby chicks can easily be avoided with a little advanced preparation. Here are 10 typical errors and how to avoid them.

MISTAKE #1 Buying Chicks at a Flea Market

Livestock auctions, swap meets, and flea markets are good places to check current prices, meet breeders, and learn who has quality stock and who doesn’t. They are also the best places to avoid buying poultry because they bring together birds (and their diseases) from multiple sources, and you can’t always tell what the original source is. As an example, someone in my area buys large quantities of hatchery chicks and resells them at various flea markets, causing unhealthful stress to the chicks.

The best way to avoid potential problems created by sales that bring together birds from many sources is to acquire chicks directly from a hatchery, from a farm store that distributes chicks from a hatchery, or from a breeder of your acquaintance. Because such sellers are accountable, they are generally willing to work things out should a problem occur.

MISTAKE #2 Getting an Inappropriate Breed

At the stage of being fluffy peepers, chicks look pretty much alike except for color. But a little online research, along with perusal of Backyard Poultry magazine, reveals that a number of different breeds are available, having different purposes, different characteristic temperaments, different climate tolerances, and so forth.

You don’t, for instance, want to end up with pudgy Cornish cross meat birds when you really wanted Leghorn laying hens. Likewise, you wouldn’t want to start with Sex Links or other hybrid layers if your plan is to increase your future flock by hatching their eggs, because the resulting chicks will lack the same uniform characteristics as their hybrid parents. And you certainly don’t want a typically aggressive breed for a child’s first experience raising a backyard flock.

Hatchery websites, along with books such as The Chicken Encyclopedia or Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds contain a wealth of information on each breed’s primary characteristics. Consider such traits as temperament, climate tolerance, forging ability, size and rate of egg production.

Ready to Start Your Own Backyard Flock?

Get tips and tricks for starting your new flock from our chicken experts. Download your FREE guide today! YES! I want this Free Guide »

MISTAKE #3 Ignoring Gender

If you can’t have (or don’t want) any roosters you shouldn’t start out with straight run chicks, which will average about 50 percent roosters. Look instead for sexed chicks, which have been sorted according to whether they are female or male, allowing you to purchase as many pullets (young females) or cockerels (young males) as you want. For most breeds, sexed pullets cost the most, straight run cost less, and sexed cockerels cost the least. Even if you pay more for all pullets, you won’t have to agonize over rehoming roosters after they have become family pets.

Straight run chicks — also called unsexed or as-hatched — have not been sorted by gender and therefore are mixed exactly as they hatch. Theoretically, a hatch should be 50/50, although nature loves to throw us a curve, and accordingly, some hatches have more chicks of one sex than the other. If you opt for straight run, have a plan for dealing with the surplus roosters.

MISTAKE #4 Brooder Not Ready

Your brooder should be set up and ready for occupancy no later than the day before you expect your chicks to arrive. Getting ready ahead of time helps ensure that you have everything you need and, if not, gives you time to round up whatever might be missing.

Along with the brooder container, you’ll need a chick feeder, a chick drinker, a heater, a source of light (unless the heater is a light), feed, water, and bedding. Once everything is set up and ready to go, turn on the heat so the brooder has plenty of time to warm up.

MISTAKE #5 Brooder Too Small

It’s easy to underestimate both the size of a brooder and the speed with which chicks grow. Failing to provide adequate space for the number of birds can result in such unhappy health issues like coccidiosis or cannibalism.

Initially, chicks don’t need much room, because they spend most of their time either eating or sleeping. As they grow, they become more active and will need more room, both to avoid stress and conflicts and to prevent a too-rapid buildup of droppings.

If your brooder is a disposable cardboard box, have on hand a couple of progressively larger ones to substitute as the chicks grow. Another option is to start out with a too-large brooder and block off a portion for the first few days to confine the birds close to sources of food, water, and heat. When the chicks need more space, simply open up the portion of the brooder that was blocked off.

A hole-top trough feeder has the disadvantage that chicks can roost on top and poop through the holes. From Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks by Gail Damerow.

MISTAKE #6 Offering Feed Before Water

Whether your new chicks just came out of an incubator, were brought home from the farm store, or spent several days traveling in the mail, they will likely be somewhat dehydrated. They should, therefore, be encouraged to drink before they start eating.

Dehydrated chicks that get cold water as their first drink may develop a condition called pasting — also known as paste-up, pasty butt, or sticky bottom — which occurs when soft droppings stick to the vent area and harden. Pasting is less apt to occur when chicks drink before they start eating, and the first water they drink should be brooder temperature. The water will be warm enough if you filled the drinker when you set up the brooder. Otherwise, fill it with warm (not hot) tap water.

Dipping the chicks’ beaks into warm water as you place them in the brooder helps them learn where the drinker is and encourages them to drink more, ensuring timely rehydration. After their beaks have been dipped, some of the birds may start drinking right away, others may not. That’s okay. As long as one chick drinks, the others will follow the leader.

MISTAKE #7 Wrong Kind of Feed

The easiest way to make sure chicks get all the right nutrients is to feed them a commercial starter ration containing a mixture of grains, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Chick starter ration is available at most farm stores. If you are tempted to mix your own chicken feed, wait until you become experienced at raising poultry, have basic knowledge about their nutritional needs, and can recognize deficiencies well enough to make rapid corrections.

If you happen to run out of chick starter, or you forgot to buy some before bringing home your chicks, you can make an emergency starter by mashing cooled hard-boiled or scrambled eggs. Never feed layer ration to baby chicks, even as an emergency measure; the higher calcium content required by laying hens can seriously damage immature kidneys.

This drinker from Stromberg’s is designed for pigeons and is obviously not suitable for baby ducks. Photos by Gail Damerow.

MISTAKE #8 Unsuitable Feeders or Drinkers

Feeders and drinkers designed specifically for chicks come in several styles. Regardless of the specific design, feeders and drinkers should be easy to clean. They should be designed so chicks can’t roost on top or step directly into, and foul, the feed or water. Most farm stores carry feeders and drinkers that are intended for baby chicks.

Even when feeders and drinkers are designed for chicks, they aren’t much use if the chicks are discouraged from using them. An example might be placing a feeder or drinker too high for chicks to reach. Another example is placing a feeder or drinker directly under the heat source, where sleeping chicks might block the way for a hungry or thirsty chick.

Chicks that wander around are perfectly comfortable. Artwork by Bethany Caskey from Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks by Gail Damerow.

MISTAKE #9 Too Much Or Too Little Heat

A chick’s body has little by way of individual temperature control. Given sufficient space to move around within a brooder, baby chicks need a reliable and adjustable source of warmth. As they grow, they require progressively less external heat, because their bodies gradually generate more warmth that helps heat up the brooder. The brooding temperature, therefore, must be systematically reduced as they grow.

The best way to determine if the brooder is not too hot or too cold is to pay attention to how the chicks act. If they crowd close to the heat and peep shrilly, they’re too cold. If they crowd away from the heat and pant, they’re too warm. If they evenly distribute themselves throughout the brooder, whether they are sleeping or actively eating and drinking, they are comfortable.

MISTAKE #10 Failing To Predator Proof

The safest type of brooder is one that entirely encloses the chicks and has latches that must be purposely opened when the chicks need care. If the brooder is set up inside your house, exuberant children and excited pets can harm delicate chicks without meaning to. If it’s in your garage or other outbuilding, it may attract such predators as weasels, rats, and snakes that can squeeze through incredibly small openings.

As tough as baby chicks appear to be, they are actually quite delicate. Children (and adults!) need to be aware that handling them too often or for too long at a time can be stressful to the chicks. Squeezing a chick can be especially detrimental. Holding a chicken tightly enough to restrict the movement of its breast and ribs can inhibit breathing and cause the bird to suffocate, which may occur when a child gets a too-tight grip on a baby chick and “loves it to death.”

The best plan is to avoid handling baby chicks and be content to observe them while they are in the brooder, letting you spend as much time as you like watching them grow. Meanwhile, make sure they remain warm, dry, and well fed, and they will reward you with many hours of enjoyment.

Brooding Ducklings While chicks may be slow to drink, ducklings can be a little too eager. When offering first water to ducklings, watch to make sure they don’t overdo it. A dehydrated duckling that drinks too much all at once can go into shock.

If ducklings appear anxious to fill up on water, let them have access to the drinker for only about 10 or 15 minutes, then remove the water for 15 to  30 minutes. After they have had four watering sessions, with intervening rest periods, they should slow down enough for the drinker to be permanently returned to the brooder.

Originally published in the April/May 2016 issue of Backyard Poultry.

10 Common Mistakes New Poultry Owners Make With Chicks was originally posted by All About Chickens

[josephkitchen0]

Muscovy Duck Breed Spotlight

By Dr. Dennis P. Smith – During the more than 40 years that we have been in business, I must confess that we have hatched and raised several duck breeds. However, absolutely none can compare with the uniqueness, the adaptability, the pure pleasure, and the usefulness of the Muscovy duck. Because many people think that this is a “strange” poultry specimen, I would like to set the record straight. Native to South America, their original name was “Musco duck” because they ate so many mosquitos. The Russian Muscovites were one of the first to import them to their country. Being very hardy, Muscovies are still roaming wild in the South American jungles today. Even here in North America, several states, such as Florida and Georgia, have wild Muscovies. These “wild” Muscovies are responsible for eating literally millions of pests every year. Were it not for them, these states would undoubtedly have more millions of “pests” that like to dine on people.

Muscovies come in several colors. Probably the most numerous is the White. Then there is the Pied (about half black and half white, but actually any Muscovy that has black and white coloring is called a Pied), buff, brown, chocolate, lilac and blue. There are also several other color combinations. We even have some Muscovies that have the feather pattern of a Barred Plymouth Rock. Dark-colored ducks have brown eyes. Whites, lilacs, and blues usually have grey colored eyes. Healthy ducks that have black coloring should have a greenish sheen in the right sunlight.

Ready for Ducks in your Backyard?

Learn how to raise ducks in this FREE Special Report, How to Raise Ducks: Best Ducks for Eggs, What Ducks Eat, Duck Diseases and Other Facts About Ducks. YES! I want this Free Report »  

Muscovies have a “crest” on the top of their heads that they can raise at will. During the mating season, a male sill often raise this crest to fend off other males and claim his dominance. He will also raise this crest to impress the females and help to get them in the “mood” for mating. Muscovies communicate with one another by wagging their tails and raising and lowering their heads at one another.

Muscovies are excellent flying ducks. As a matter of fact, given their preference, they like to roost in trees. If you provide a house or duck shelter for them with “perches” or “roosts,” they will get on these at night. Be careful of the claws on the ducks. They have these to help them cling on to the roost. I have never seen them use these claws to scratch the coil. If you do not want your Muscovies to fly, you can clip off the third section of one wing before the ducklings are one week old. When we do this, we use “Blood Stop Powder,” even though they very seldom bleed very much. While this might seem a bit cruel, it is necessary for people in the commercial Muscovy duck business to do this, otherwise the ducks could all fly off.

Fuller Muscovy Drake: Muscovys, unlike other duck species, have no genetic influence by the great granddaddy of all other ducks…the mallard. They are their own species.

Many individuals believe that Muscovies are more of a goose than a duck. For instance, they do not quack. Many people like this trait since they are “quiet” ducks. The males make a “hissing” sound while the females make a sound known as a “pip.” This “pip” is a very exotic sounding call. It is somewhat similar to a flute quickly alternating between the notes F and G. Also, their eggs take longer to hatch than other duck eggs — 35 days. Unlike all other breeds of ducks, Muscovies did not originate from the wild Mallard.

Mature drakes (males) will weigh anywhere from 12 to 15 pounds, while the females (ducks) actually weigh from 8 to 10 pounds. The females are much smaller than the males. Both sexes have what is known as a “caruncle” on their head.

Muscovy eggs are delicious and are used in many dishes prepared by individuals or by famous cooks. Their taste is rich and they are considered a delicacy. And Muscovy meat is one of the healthiest meats on the market today, being 98 percent or greater fat-free. Many people say that the breast meat of a Muscovy is hard to tell from a Sirloin steak. Famous chefs know this and use Muscovy meat in a number of ways. They have become experienced at cutting and preparing the meat for various delicacies. It is even ground up and used as hamburger in a variety of dishes. Individuals who are required to be on a low-fat diet know that the meat is not only great tasting but very nutritious. And, being so lean, meat from the Muscovy duck is not greasy as is the case with other ducks. Some say that the meat tastes a lot like expensive ham. Others say it is hard to tell from other expensive cuts of meat.

Fuller Muscovy Hen: The popularity of the Muscovy duck stems in part from its superior natural reproductive ability, that has very little need for an incubator. It is quite common for a hen to incubate and raise two and sometimes three broods a year. Tom Fuller’s most impressive hatch was from a white hen that brought off 24 ducklings out of 25 eggs, a record in his history of enjoying these excellent mothers.

So, what do ducks eat … and more specifically, what do Muscovy ducks eat? Once people find out what Muscovies like to dine on, then this duck becomes a must for their farm or estate. Every year, our neighbors complain about the flies and mosquitos that they have to put up with. They purchase lots of chemicals and go to a lot of work to keep these pests down. However, we use nothing except the Muscovy duck itself. Muscovies love to eat flies, maggots, mosquitos, mosquito larva, slugs, bugs of all sorts, black widow spiders, the brown fiddleback spider and any thing else that creeps and crawls. As a matter of fact, they will search in, under, around and through places to find these tasty morsels. They will even eat ants and destroy ant dens. The Heifer Project Exchange of Africa quotes a development worker in Togo reporting that the local people were not bothered by flies because their Muscovy ducks killed them all. They even slaughtered some ducks, opened the crops, and found that the Muscovies had their crops filled with dead flies. The organization ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) has reported the same findings. In addition, a Canadian study of fly controls with dairy goats found that Muscovies caught 30 times more houseflies than commercial flytraps, baits or flypaper. The ducks also ate spilled feed and the flies that were in the feed, along with any maggots that happened to be there. In addition, Muscovy ducks love roaches and eat them like candy.

As for commercial feed, naturally, being a Hatchery, we want to feed a high protein feed. We start babies on a 28 percent Gamebird Starter. We will feed this until the ducks are mature and begin to lay, at which time we will change their feed to a 20 percent Protein Laying Pellet. Young ducks are kept on a restricted diet so that they will be encouraged to look for pests.” Mature ducks, on the other hand, when they begin to drop eggs, have feed before them at all times. This method of feeding helps to increase egg production. Even with feed readily available, the Muscovies continue to search for bugs. On many farms that have Muscovy ducks, about the only feed the mature ducks get is what is spilled in the various pens and in the feed houses. In cleaning this feed up, the Muscovies are making use of a product that would otherwise be wasted, as well as keeping down the mice and rat population that would be likely to eat this feed and multiply.

Some people will tell you that Muscovy ducks are hard to hatch. Actually, we have hatched them for years and have had very good results. The best “incubator,” however, is a Muscovy duck hen. She will lay anywhere from 8-15 eggs and set. (Sometimes more.) Many times, she will hatch every egg. And, she will do this three or four times a year, depending on your climate. In addition, she is one of the best mothers of all.

Many people like to have the Muscovies on their lake or pond. The Muscovies will eat a lot of the algae and weeds. What about their dropping? While it is true that the Muscovy duck, just like other creatures, will “go” when the pain hit, their droppings are a natural part of the ecosystem and are easily biodegrade.

Are Muscovy ducks aggressive? No. As a matter of fact, my children love them. It almost seems that the Muscovies are trying to “talk” when they come up to you, wag their tails like a dog, and look up at you as if to say, “Got a treat?” About the only time a Muscovy male might be aggressive would be toward another male during breeding season. Females will also be “picky” about protecting their young, so we give them their space. So are they nasty? Absolutely not. As stated earlier, their droppings are soft and are very easily biodegradable. We use the manure from Muscovies in our garden every year since it is rich in nitrogen.We even have customers who come to our hatchery and ask to clean out our pens just so they can have the manure. (We do not allow this since we are participants in the State of Oklahoma and the National Poultry Improvement Plan. Not allowing visitors to go into your breeding pens helps to keep down on the spread of disease that visitors might bring to your place.)

Muscovy ducks like to breed with other muscovies. However, if you have a single muscovy male or female, he or she will breed with whatever duck is available. These ducklings are called “mules” because they are sterile and cannot produce offspring. Many people will deliberately cross Muscovies with a Mallard duck and get a Moulard. They use this duck for meat. At Country Hatchery, we do not cross Muscovies with other ducks.

In conclusion, Muscovy ducks are my favorite duck. Each one seems to have his or her own unique personality. We find them interesting to watch, friendly, and just fun to have around the place. If I could have only one breed of poultry, it would be the Muscovy duck.

For more information on the Country Hatchery, please visit their website at www.countryhatchery.net

Originally published in Backyard Poultry October/November 2007 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Muscovy Duck Breed Spotlight was originally posted by All About Chickens