DanielleInUro
Songster
Last august, I hatched a clutch of Welsh Harlequin eggs, intending to keep two girls for my two drakes, Bork and Willie (evening out my male to female ratio is an ongoing process and could take up a whole post). In a moment of weakness, I also kept a WH drake, reasoning that if I wanted to hatch more welshies, it would be good to have a drake on hand. Matthew, Janis, and Bertie have been together every minute of their whole lives.
You guys...I know they're just ducks, and they're operating on instinct, and birds mostly love for what they can get out of someone. But since they were ducklings, Janis and Bertie have LOVED this drake. I have never seen and probably will never see such a perfect love as these little girls have for this big, beautiful boy. From the time they were little, they just follow him everywhere going "Oh Matthew, you're so wonderful, oh Matthew, you're so handsome, oh Matthew, you're so sweet..." When we put the ducks up and there's a little bit of squabbling, I sometimes pick him up and hang onto him while everybody settles in, then put him down when they've sorted themselves out and it saves drama. The entire time I'm holding him, his Little Sister Wives crawl all over my feet, peeping (even as adults) "Oh please, don't hurt him, Oh Matthew, be brave, oh please bring him back..." I tell them "Stop that, have some dignity, I'm not going to hurt him! I'll give him back to you in just a minute, get ahold of yourselves." Then I put him down and they throw themselves all over him and comfort him and preen him. It looks like middle schoolers putting on Romeo and Juliet, but with two Juliets.
I am well known as a Crazy Duck Lady, and I know I've earned that particular rep, but it's not just me--the better half, who is not a Crazy Duck Man, shakes his head and laughs about how completely and how unreservedly the Little Sister Wives love Matthew. I don't want to be one of those people who draws inspiration from ducks, because I'm too young to be that crazy, but...dang.
Anyway, here's some pictures of them, both when they were younger, and recently. My yard is a mess because I'm expanding the duck yard and we just felled a tree, and their swimming trough had JUST been emptied and rinsed an hour before the shot of them in it was taken, don't judge me.
You guys...I know they're just ducks, and they're operating on instinct, and birds mostly love for what they can get out of someone. But since they were ducklings, Janis and Bertie have LOVED this drake. I have never seen and probably will never see such a perfect love as these little girls have for this big, beautiful boy. From the time they were little, they just follow him everywhere going "Oh Matthew, you're so wonderful, oh Matthew, you're so handsome, oh Matthew, you're so sweet..." When we put the ducks up and there's a little bit of squabbling, I sometimes pick him up and hang onto him while everybody settles in, then put him down when they've sorted themselves out and it saves drama. The entire time I'm holding him, his Little Sister Wives crawl all over my feet, peeping (even as adults) "Oh please, don't hurt him, Oh Matthew, be brave, oh please bring him back..." I tell them "Stop that, have some dignity, I'm not going to hurt him! I'll give him back to you in just a minute, get ahold of yourselves." Then I put him down and they throw themselves all over him and comfort him and preen him. It looks like middle schoolers putting on Romeo and Juliet, but with two Juliets.
I am well known as a Crazy Duck Lady, and I know I've earned that particular rep, but it's not just me--the better half, who is not a Crazy Duck Man, shakes his head and laughs about how completely and how unreservedly the Little Sister Wives love Matthew. I don't want to be one of those people who draws inspiration from ducks, because I'm too young to be that crazy, but...dang.
Anyway, here's some pictures of them, both when they were younger, and recently. My yard is a mess because I'm expanding the duck yard and we just felled a tree, and their swimming trough had JUST been emptied and rinsed an hour before the shot of them in it was taken, don't judge me.
