OliveGreen
Chirping
Hello lovely peeps!
I’ve been a long-time lurker on this forum... For years it’s been my go-to place for any duck related info, and it’s always reaffirming to read the stories of equally poultry obsessed people!
Recently, I’ve had some bad luck in losing two of my older ducks to age and illness, and now, feeling ever more protective of my remaining flock, and with most of them becoming elderly, I could often do with some good advice, so finally I’ve decided to sign up and introduce myself.
I fell in love with ducks when I was given a fuzzy Pekin duckling as a child, and always had a lingering desire to have ducks in my life again as soon as I was settled and my housing situation allowed for it. So 12 years ago, shortly before my partner and I purchased our first house, I went to the local market and bought myself two sweet little ducklings, one a little Khaki Campbell I named ‘Frankie’, and the other, the only little Mallard-type duckling in amongst the many Khaki’s in the cage that day that I named ‘Albert’.
Little did I know, this was the beginning of a long duck-love story, and the day that ducks started to take over my life!
As ducklings do, Frankie and Albert would follow me around everywhere, watching on as I tended the garden. It was such a pleasure to see them amble around, taking immense pleasure in the simplest of things, grass, sunshine, splashing around in the bathtub, and of course making mud! Dependable and willful little Frankie had made it his life’s mission to protect the very handsome, but ditsy and skittish Albert and they were totally inseparable buddies.
A few months later after Frankie and Albert’s peeps had turned to strange honking noises and then to raspy drake voices, I knew they were both boys, so I decided to get them a girlfriend and this time went to a commercial poultry farm to buy a sexed day old duckling.
I looked into the tray of still-wet tiny downy little bodies and placed my upright palm inside, and when one plucky little spirit stepped right up onto my hand and then pecked me straight on the nose, my heart was stolen.
This was my beautiful ‘Olive’ my one-and-only, a little Dark Campbell girl with a very big personality.
Well of course nature took its course and exactly one year later Olive became broody (apparently very unusual for a Campbell) and out of her 8 eggs hatched 6 beautiful ducklings... and the rest is history!
Along the way, once my girls had stopped laying, I bought sweet gentle ‘Ivy’, a beautiful lustrous black and beetle green young Cayuga girl, who now 6 years later is almost completely white.
After 12 years of raising my little flock of 8 without too many illnesses or injuries, I recently lost ‘Oscar’ at the age of 10 & 1/2 to a large slow-growing tumor in his belly. A very handsome, calm fellow, he was the tamest and friendliest of Olive and Albert’s babies. Then just over a week ago I suddenly lost Frankie just short of his 12th birthday - the first of my ducks and Albert’s constant friend and protector.
The loss of two of my boys was heartbreaking. A duck’s love is so special.
Nothing beats the sight of a duck hurtling up a hill to greet you making happy noises!
With two of my flock gone and the rest growing old, two days ago I decided to buy ‘Lilly’. She’s a standard Appleyard who is around 6 weeks old and still has bits of down clinging to the ends of her feathers and under her wings, a lovely happy friendly little thing full of the joys of duckling-hood.
I hope I haven’t bored you to tears with my long duck story!
My ducks are my little buddies and their antics bring me so much happiness!
I look forward to chatting with you all in the forum!
OliveGreen
I’ve been a long-time lurker on this forum... For years it’s been my go-to place for any duck related info, and it’s always reaffirming to read the stories of equally poultry obsessed people!
Recently, I’ve had some bad luck in losing two of my older ducks to age and illness, and now, feeling ever more protective of my remaining flock, and with most of them becoming elderly, I could often do with some good advice, so finally I’ve decided to sign up and introduce myself.
I fell in love with ducks when I was given a fuzzy Pekin duckling as a child, and always had a lingering desire to have ducks in my life again as soon as I was settled and my housing situation allowed for it. So 12 years ago, shortly before my partner and I purchased our first house, I went to the local market and bought myself two sweet little ducklings, one a little Khaki Campbell I named ‘Frankie’, and the other, the only little Mallard-type duckling in amongst the many Khaki’s in the cage that day that I named ‘Albert’.
Little did I know, this was the beginning of a long duck-love story, and the day that ducks started to take over my life!
As ducklings do, Frankie and Albert would follow me around everywhere, watching on as I tended the garden. It was such a pleasure to see them amble around, taking immense pleasure in the simplest of things, grass, sunshine, splashing around in the bathtub, and of course making mud! Dependable and willful little Frankie had made it his life’s mission to protect the very handsome, but ditsy and skittish Albert and they were totally inseparable buddies.
A few months later after Frankie and Albert’s peeps had turned to strange honking noises and then to raspy drake voices, I knew they were both boys, so I decided to get them a girlfriend and this time went to a commercial poultry farm to buy a sexed day old duckling.
I looked into the tray of still-wet tiny downy little bodies and placed my upright palm inside, and when one plucky little spirit stepped right up onto my hand and then pecked me straight on the nose, my heart was stolen.
This was my beautiful ‘Olive’ my one-and-only, a little Dark Campbell girl with a very big personality.
Well of course nature took its course and exactly one year later Olive became broody (apparently very unusual for a Campbell) and out of her 8 eggs hatched 6 beautiful ducklings... and the rest is history!
Along the way, once my girls had stopped laying, I bought sweet gentle ‘Ivy’, a beautiful lustrous black and beetle green young Cayuga girl, who now 6 years later is almost completely white.
After 12 years of raising my little flock of 8 without too many illnesses or injuries, I recently lost ‘Oscar’ at the age of 10 & 1/2 to a large slow-growing tumor in his belly. A very handsome, calm fellow, he was the tamest and friendliest of Olive and Albert’s babies. Then just over a week ago I suddenly lost Frankie just short of his 12th birthday - the first of my ducks and Albert’s constant friend and protector.
The loss of two of my boys was heartbreaking. A duck’s love is so special.
Nothing beats the sight of a duck hurtling up a hill to greet you making happy noises!
With two of my flock gone and the rest growing old, two days ago I decided to buy ‘Lilly’. She’s a standard Appleyard who is around 6 weeks old and still has bits of down clinging to the ends of her feathers and under her wings, a lovely happy friendly little thing full of the joys of duckling-hood.
I hope I haven’t bored you to tears with my long duck story!
My ducks are my little buddies and their antics bring me so much happiness!
I look forward to chatting with you all in the forum!
OliveGreen
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BYC is a helpful site providing all the information you need to know about poultry! There is always space for more members on the BYC roost!
R.I.P. Frankie and Albert. Hope you enjoy it here as much as we all do!
We are glad you joined our flock!
