My mucovies have become recluses.

[sommrluv]

I don't believe so, because I think I would hear them. Or they would venture out at some point...maybe?

I waited around this morning but they are no-shows. I'm going to keep haunting the coop. Yesterday I tried spraying water but they wouldn't come out.

Can you tell I'm a little frustrated? lol

They get vitamins and ACV in their water already...but obviously they can only go so long. Their stools are also very loose now.

Part of the issue is that my coop is literally, 70 or 100 years old and there are several piers underneath supporting the floor. There's no clear sight all the way around it.

The good part is, I'm pretty certain there was a mouse family or snake living under there, that I've seen no signs of recently. So, at least the muscovies are policing their new cave.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't believe so, because I think I would hear them. Or they would venture out at some point...maybe?

I waited around this morning but they are no-shows. I'm going to keep haunting the coop. Yesterday I tried spraying water but they wouldn't come out.

Can you tell I'm a little frustrated? lol

They get vitamins and ACV in their water already...but obviously they can only go so long. Their stools are also very loose now.

Part of the issue is that my coop is literally, 70 or 100 years old and there are several piers underneath supporting the floor. There's no clear sight all the way around it.

The good part is, I'm pretty certain there was a mouse family or snake living under there, that I've seen no signs of recently. So, at least the muscovies are policing their new cave.

Something must be wrong for them to not come outside though. I hope you can get them out from under there soon, I feel like their health is suffering. but at least they may have gotten so fresh meat.

 

[sommrluv]

I don't want to be unclear...as I said in my OP, they DO come out...I've seen them eating, drinking. They no longer go OUTSIDE.

We have a large coop with a big covered run (20 x 40ish? little bitter) and it's roofed, so shady. There is a door to the run, and a door to the outside. We will go days without seeing them, but they do go out in the run, and eat and drink, and promptly return to sit under the coop. But they are faded from bright red to orange now in their coloring.

My husband said he saw one come out this week (into the yard, outside)...look around, poop, than go back in the coop.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't want to be unclear...as I said in my OP, they DO come out...I've seen them eating, drinking. They no longer go OUTSIDE.

We have a large coop with a big covered run (20 x 40ish? little bitter) and it's roofed, so shady. There is a door to the run, and a door to the outside. We will go days without seeing them, but they do go out in the run, and eat and drink, and promptly return to sit under the coop. But they are faded from bright red to orange now in their coloring.

My husband said he saw one come out this week (into the yard, outside)...look around, poop, than go back in the coop.

The bahavour is so strange, after my muscovy girls have brooded for 35 days they have orange carnicles so I am thinking these girls are in broody mode? Muscovies are very persistant in their broodiness as I am constantly having to evict them from a nest box even when they have already brooded once this year It seems to be their main goal in life. lol Sorry I miss understood you. I hope you can find a way to get them out and maybe see whats going on under there.

 

[sommrluv]

I FINALLY last week was able to be in the right place, at the right time, and locked them out of the run.

Now...if only my husband was as motivated. So currently...EVERYONE is locked out of the run.

The first day they were frantic to get back in, I thought they were going to hurt themselves. That quickly dissolved and they seem to be back to their happy, trilling selves. They dislike the other ducks, though. By Saturday they seemed to be significantly redder.

So WHEW. It was becoming an exercise in futility there, for a while.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I FINALLY last week was able to be in the right place, at the right time, and locked them out of the run.

Now...if only my husband was as motivated. So currently...EVERYONE is locked out of the run.

The first day they were frantic to get back in, I thought they were going to hurt themselves. That quickly dissolved and they seem to be back to their happy, trilling selves. They dislike the other ducks, though. By Saturday they seemed to be significantly redder.

So WHEW. It was becoming an exercise in futility there, for a while.

Wow i was wondering what ever happened. Thanks for updating. Now to get hubby motivated to fix the problem so everyone can be safe at night.