We have a large property / pond / etc. We have 17 geese, chickens, dogs, goats, cats, etc... all have their own pens and place and housing and heat and etc... My dad is 80 and lives with me so this is my fantasy but mostly the hard effort is for him.
Anywhoo.... up shows a Muscovy drake about a year ago. He was young and came from a neighbors pond no doubt a Easter duck dumped there. He was small last year and this year we know he is full adulthood and male.
So, we named him TED. My dad loves TED. TED gets more attention than anyone around here but Muscovys are so awesome anyway in character if you are smart enough to get to know one.
Last year it got cold, Ted sat on the pond through all the rain/cold/wind/etc. We are South of Houston but still high country and it gets below 29 here for many nights in the Winter and close to the coast that is coupled with RAIN and WIND - BAD.
So.... this year I don't want to see TED sit out there and freeze his now huge red carbuncles on his head AND everyone else has a nice house with shavings/hay and some have a constant temp of 50 degree to ward off OMW. (Old Man Winter).
My dad built Ted a house, nicer than mine really. I swooshed him into the pen around the house and let him take a look and check it out but Ted ABSOLUTELY --- A _ B _ S _ O _ L _ U _ T_ E _L _ Y does not like being told what to do or "swooshed" by anyone or anything. BUT we have hawks and BIG BIG River Owls at night (size of my dog Buddy) so there in lies the conundrum.
Ted check it out (probably to suit me) and then he jumped up on the fence and flew back to the pond. The wind is blowing 30 right now and it is raining and 42 dropping to 39 tonight and 34 tomorrow night with the high in the 40's all day tomorrow.
HELP!!!!!!!! What do I do with Ted, leave him out to freeze, I know all articles online say ducks need shelter in cold/wet/wind conditions and he had a respiratory infect when he got here (eyes foamy) that went away eventually on good feed and water but still...
Do I just swoooosh and lock his ***** up in that coop for the night whether he likes it or not every night until he understands it's my way or the highway... or give up and let "mother nature" do whatever...
Any advice, help, opinions, experience, or know-how is VERY VERY VERY APPRECIATED!!!!
Just trying to do right by TED..... and my dad worries about him (so do I).
Ted deserves a awesome house out of the wind and rain with feed water and shavings and an automatic door like everyone else around here (including me but I get coffee instead of water)
..
Anywhoo.... up shows a Muscovy drake about a year ago. He was young and came from a neighbors pond no doubt a Easter duck dumped there. He was small last year and this year we know he is full adulthood and male.
So, we named him TED. My dad loves TED. TED gets more attention than anyone around here but Muscovys are so awesome anyway in character if you are smart enough to get to know one.
Last year it got cold, Ted sat on the pond through all the rain/cold/wind/etc. We are South of Houston but still high country and it gets below 29 here for many nights in the Winter and close to the coast that is coupled with RAIN and WIND - BAD.
So.... this year I don't want to see TED sit out there and freeze his now huge red carbuncles on his head AND everyone else has a nice house with shavings/hay and some have a constant temp of 50 degree to ward off OMW. (Old Man Winter).
My dad built Ted a house, nicer than mine really. I swooshed him into the pen around the house and let him take a look and check it out but Ted ABSOLUTELY --- A _ B _ S _ O _ L _ U _ T_ E _L _ Y does not like being told what to do or "swooshed" by anyone or anything. BUT we have hawks and BIG BIG River Owls at night (size of my dog Buddy) so there in lies the conundrum.
Ted check it out (probably to suit me) and then he jumped up on the fence and flew back to the pond. The wind is blowing 30 right now and it is raining and 42 dropping to 39 tonight and 34 tomorrow night with the high in the 40's all day tomorrow.
HELP!!!!!!!! What do I do with Ted, leave him out to freeze, I know all articles online say ducks need shelter in cold/wet/wind conditions and he had a respiratory infect when he got here (eyes foamy) that went away eventually on good feed and water but still...
Do I just swoooosh and lock his ***** up in that coop for the night whether he likes it or not every night until he understands it's my way or the highway... or give up and let "mother nature" do whatever...
Any advice, help, opinions, experience, or know-how is VERY VERY VERY APPRECIATED!!!!
Just trying to do right by TED..... and my dad worries about him (so do I).
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