I have had something very trgic happen my ducks....... Yesterday was like any other day, went down to the duck pen to let them out for the day, as usual they were all eager to get straight out on the lake. I have two mothers that sat on the same nest and were very good with each other, they hatched out 9 ducklings, and teamed up together to raise their brood. One was a blue fawn Australian call named Amelia, and the other a snowy call named Harley, Amelia was the most feirce mother that I had ever witnessed with all the mothers that I have had, she would not tolerate anything coming to close, she attacked a full grown male peacock for sticking his beak a little to close for comfort! Harley was more reserved and would prefer to hide her ducklings, and only attack if absolutely neccessary, but small ducks can only do so much.
I had gone to work so wasn't here but my father and my housemate were here. And all the rest of the story I was told when I had returned late that afternoon. Ashley (housemate) noticed them not at the house for their lunchtime feed, which was very unusual for them, so he decided to go looking for them, he looked all around the lake , and no sign of them. So he decided to head through the bush where recent rain had flooded through that area, he walked about 300 meters and found a big pile of feathers, they were Amelia's, he continued through the bush and much further down he found Harley and 3 ducklings hiding at the base of a big gum tree in the long grass, he said she was terrified, she would'nt move had was making really soft alarm calls to her ducklings. Finally Harley headed cautiously home, obviously feeling alot safer with Ashley there, about thirty meters past the pile of feathers in the direction of home, Ashley spotted Amelia paralised with her back skinned, dragging herself with her beak through the mud trying to get home ( this broke my heart) the 3 ducklings and Harley heard her and ran to reunite with her, she made happy motherly noises, I seeing them really calmed her, Ashey scooped her up and she still was trying to bite him, they continued home and from out the bushes ran 2 more ducklings, unscaved, they quickly joined Harley and the other 3. When they got back home one duckling was hiding inside one of the chicken nesting boxes..... he made it home all alone!! Ashley locked them up and ran back to search for the remaining 3 ducklings, he eventually found them all dead with thier eye balls hanging out of thier heads ( tears where just streaming down my face when I saw them) He rushed Amelia to the vet with one duckling for comfort, but she died on the way, I loved this duck so much, and her story is so heartbreaking, such a beautiful girl ... so brave, if it wasn't for the team effort I don't think any of them would be alive, Haley has several pucture wounds on her and she is not herself, but she is on atibiotics, so I pray she will be ok. Haven't had this happen before, but I still feel as though if I haden't of let them out they would all be alive..... Amelia I will never forget you, you brave little girl RIP
2 pics of Amelia, and bottom pic of Her with Harley.
I had gone to work so wasn't here but my father and my housemate were here. And all the rest of the story I was told when I had returned late that afternoon. Ashley (housemate) noticed them not at the house for their lunchtime feed, which was very unusual for them, so he decided to go looking for them, he looked all around the lake , and no sign of them. So he decided to head through the bush where recent rain had flooded through that area, he walked about 300 meters and found a big pile of feathers, they were Amelia's, he continued through the bush and much further down he found Harley and 3 ducklings hiding at the base of a big gum tree in the long grass, he said she was terrified, she would'nt move had was making really soft alarm calls to her ducklings. Finally Harley headed cautiously home, obviously feeling alot safer with Ashley there, about thirty meters past the pile of feathers in the direction of home, Ashley spotted Amelia paralised with her back skinned, dragging herself with her beak through the mud trying to get home ( this broke my heart) the 3 ducklings and Harley heard her and ran to reunite with her, she made happy motherly noises, I seeing them really calmed her, Ashey scooped her up and she still was trying to bite him, they continued home and from out the bushes ran 2 more ducklings, unscaved, they quickly joined Harley and the other 3. When they got back home one duckling was hiding inside one of the chicken nesting boxes..... he made it home all alone!! Ashley locked them up and ran back to search for the remaining 3 ducklings, he eventually found them all dead with thier eye balls hanging out of thier heads ( tears where just streaming down my face when I saw them) He rushed Amelia to the vet with one duckling for comfort, but she died on the way, I loved this duck so much, and her story is so heartbreaking, such a beautiful girl ... so brave, if it wasn't for the team effort I don't think any of them would be alive, Haley has several pucture wounds on her and she is not herself, but she is on atibiotics, so I pray she will be ok. Haven't had this happen before, but I still feel as though if I haden't of let them out they would all be alive..... Amelia I will never forget you, you brave little girl RIP
2 pics of Amelia, and bottom pic of Her with Harley.
