The Ducks

These are our Muscovy ducks.  The pair in the background are over 10 years old.  The duck in front is a young female.

Muscovy ducks are not aggressive.  In fact, ours waddle right up to us wagging their tails like a dog.  Old Roy dog food is a favorite food of theirs.  The ducks will eat it out of our hands.

This duck has a chicken for a mama!  That's right...it happened at Shelby's farm!  A mother hen sat on two eggs and hatched a chick and a duckling!  The two grew up together and became inseparable.  The duck seemed happy being there with the chickens. Seems the chickens did not like this odd pair and bullied them.  That's when Shelby, being the tender hearted person that she is, moved the duck and the chick to a separate pen.  Here is where the story gets sad.  A hawk went in through a small opening in the top of the pen and killed the young chicken, leaving the duck in shock. Thankfully, Shelby and Jimmy found them in time to save the duck!

The duck now lives with Poppy and me.  It took some time for her to figure out that she is more like our ducks than our chickens.  We kept her in a pen for a few weeks then Poppy took her out on the pier and sat her on the pond.  That is when she really learned to be a duck!

She still wanders up occasionally and watches the chickens like she is looking for her companion, which makes me sad.  That bird house she is standing on overlooks the chicken lot.

I suppose all is well that ends well.  Still feel sorry for the little chicken though!

Love,
Henny Penny