Wednesday morning, we braved the snow and piercing wind to buy some ducks at a local bi-monthly farmer's market.  We got four Muscovies: one drake and three hens. We put them in the stable with the chickens, having sectioned off a secure place for them that would still give our chickens access to both their coop and the outdoors.

Well, the ducks were stronger than we accounted for, and they were able to push through the barrage we had made.  I went to close up the hens a little before sundown and found that the ducks had literally flown the coop.*  I spent almost 2 hours looking for them in the rain and dark, to no avail. I went out yesterday, checking all the nearby ponds, again with no luck. I think they are well and truly gone.  I'm so bummed, and it isn't just for the financial loss. We have so many foxes around here; I don't know if the ducks can make it out there on their own.

It is a long shot, but if the farmer we bought them from is at the next market, I'll ask him if they flew home. I don't know where he lives, but I understood from what he said that his farm is minimum 40km from here.

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* It didn't even cross my mind to ask the farmer if he had clipped their wings, and while I don't know for sure if they flew, I could find no trace of them around the house.