Size the kit for the largest duck in the yard
A Muscovy first aid kit needs saline wound wash, generous gauze pads, cohesive wrap, blunt-ended scissors, thick gloves, large towels, and a big, sturdy recovery crate with a solid lid, plus your vet's number kept in the lid. Muscovies are unlike other domestic ducks: drakes can be genuinely heavy, both sexes carry sharp claws for perching, and they hiss, flap, and scratch when frightened. A kit sized for a small laying duck fails twice over with a Muscovy, once because the dressings are too small and once because nobody can hold the bird safely long enough to use them.
Caruncles and claws: the wounds this breed actually gets
The red, knobbly caruncles on a Muscovy's face have a rich blood supply and bleed freely when torn in a scuffle or caught on wire, so keep extra gauze for patient pressure on facial wounds and expect the injury to look worse than it is. Claw damage runs both ways: a Muscovy can break a claw scrambling on a perch or fence, and her claws can open scratches on you or on a flockmate during breeding scuffles, so gloves and towels are treatment supplies, not optional extras. Also check the broad webbed feet after any handling, since a heavy Muscovy landing badly from a low perch can split webbing that only shows when the foot is spread.
Restraint and recovery for a strong, perching duck
Wrap a Muscovy in a large towel with her wings pinned gently and her head covered to settle her before you clean anything, and work with a second person for a big drake rather than struggling alone and risking a torn wing. The recovery crate needs a lid she cannot lift, a low, wide shape she cannot tip, and a solid floor, because an injured Muscovy will still try to climb and perch, and a fall inside the crate can undo your treatment. Keep her somewhere she can see the flock; Muscovies are quiet, observant birds, and isolation within sight of companions is far less stressful than shut-away silence.
Water access and feeding while she heals
Like all ducks, a recovering Muscovy needs water deep enough to submerge her bill and clear her nostrils, but she should not swim or soak a fresh dressing, so provide a narrow, deep drinker she can dip her head into without climbing in, and change it often, because she will foul it quickly. Muscovies are excellent foragers with strong appetites; a bird who refuses favourite greens in the crate is giving you a meaningful sign to record. Note her droppings, appetite, and whether she is weight-bearing evenly each day, since a heavy duck favouring one leg can shift damage into the good foot if the original injury drags on.
Muscovy problems that belong to the vet
Contact your vet if a Muscovy's bleeding does not slow under steady pressure, if a caruncle tear is deep or near the eye, if a wing hangs at an odd angle, if she cannot bear weight, or if she stops eating and sits hunched and withdrawn apart from the flock. Describe her size honestly when you call, because handling a large drake may shape how the vet plans the visit. A running record of each knock and how it healed makes that call far more useful, and KinsLe Pet Passport gathers your Muscovy's history into one packet you can share before you even leave the yard.