This stinker is reformed!

[ruthhope]

My pekin drake Louie Wilson was rescued from a retention pond where he had been dumped. He was lonely there and cuddled up to an old soccer ball, hence the Wilson in his name. At my house, he was a month see no touch and was in and out of his wading pool all day. But once integrated with my other drakes -- all miscovy at the time although the muscovy were used to having pekins in the flock -- he joined the ranks of the stinkers that never bathe. He only bathed when I put him in the pool and rubbed his undercarriage to clean him up. All through the hot dry weather in May, he steadfastly refused to bathe. He does like the hose though, and, unlike the other stinkers that run away from the hose, Louie Wilson turns and stands facing the water, enjoying it on his chest and back.

Fast forward months to last week. Louie Wilson has suddenly turned back into a water baby. He is now in the pool 2 or 3 times each day although he will concede it when the other clean boy, my big proud muscovy, comes for his daily bath.

How come? Ducks certainly have mysterious ways!!

 

[The Coop Crew]

No more stinky boy!!!!

 

[ruthhope]

He's also a bit of a terror. He is obsessed with trying to bite my white muscovy (another of the stinkers.) Louie Wilson comes out of his dog crate every morning and chases the white muscovy, who is twice Louie's 7lb size. Butter, the white muscovy, can easily stand on Louie and bite him , but Butter mainly just runs away. That just provokes Louie into chasing him further. Of course if there is a chase going on, the other muscovy have to join in. I have these bizarre occurrences with white muscovy running across the patio flapping his wings with a little titch of pekin in full chase shouting away loudly, followed by the other muscovy lumbering after them. Then the chase comes back and they all run past in reverse direction.

Butter does lose his rag with Louie sometimes. He then stands on Louie and bites him hard. If I see it, I intervene, and find myself telling Butter off. Yet I know it's Louie who starts the fights. The little terror.