We have one Mr Duckie who lives by himself. He’s always been a loner and now his missus has lost interest in him. The other males are fighting with him and it never ends well – these days he is looking very beaten up.

A few nights back, I decided Mr D should sleep in the shed behind the house, which is close to where he spends his lonely days.

Of course he decided he wasn’t going to help and after a good chase, and rugby tackle (Muscovy ducks are very strong), I succeeded in picking him up, spraying his fight wounds and putting him my chosen shed for the night.

The next day, I built a tunnel of hurdles into the chosen shed and in the evening, Mr D walked in without the battle.
Today, he was waiting to go into his shed, which I felt was a huge improvement in attitude.

This is a result of the ratio of boys to girls is not being ideal. I don’t like the idea of Mr D sleeping outside, which he was beginning to do because soon the polecats will appear and that will be it.

So, for as long as he partipates, Mr D will live in his own bedroom at night. For me, it is just another shed to occasionally muck out. I will have to work out a ramp system for the door in winter and then we will be all set.

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So Sad Mr Duckie is living solo. But it sounds like the shed will do quite nicely for him.
It is a wonderful thing that your property has so much accomodation for the various family members. I mean this is like the Shetland Animal Spa Bed & Breakfast. Each time you tell their stories & supply their pictures, my heart melts & my smiles are instantaneous. I can just see that little duck waddling in & out of his shed.
I wished that I could have made 2 separate flocks each with their own drake that never met and fought relentlessly. It was possible in our garden. Reliance on one drake against predators was not sustainable