Categories: uncategorized
Date: 01 June 2005 06:57:23
I love ducks. I always have, it is hard to remember a time when I didn't have at least one of these feathered friends. I've always had a few chooks too, but the quackers are the favourites by far...also great for the garden as they love snails.
I had a flock of 30 Khaki Campbells (brown ducks) once, they are very entertaining as they fossick around the yard, but at present I only have one lonely Indian Runner (white ducks, like Ferdinand in “Babe”).
My current duck's name is quacker (very original), she is the sole survivor of four ducks that I purchased about 2 years ago. These ducks were the friendliest I've ever had, when I'd walk up to them, they'd stretch their long necks up my legs as if trying to cuddle me. I think they were only interested in the food I gave them, but it felt good.
One of the four was killed by a neighbours dog (I saw the dog running past my office window with the duck in it's mouth, I threw a broom at it and it dropped the duck, which sadly died later...I'm still trying to repair my relationship with the neighbour as I reacted by hurling a few expletives over the fence). Two more of the four were killed in a fox attack several months ago. I heard the noise at night, raced out with my torch, spotted a fox with duck in its mouth. The fox dropped the duck and ran. I went over to the duck, which was lying straight out stretched on the ground. I picked it up and it was as stiff as a board and couldn't move. I gave it a cuddle and lay the body on some straw in the shed.
The next morning, that duck was (shakily) walking around, I couldn't believe it. The miraculously saved duck was quacker, all that remained of the other two was a few feathers. It was very sad.
Without her companions, Quacker is lonely and she got into the habit of sitting at my office door. Unfortunately she was making quite a mess on the ground so I put a picture of a big cat on the base of the door. Quacker hasn't sat there since...I'll get her some companions soon.