Muddypaw now with webbed feet

Hey there,
I guess I'm supposed to do intro"duck"tions ... I've known about and read BYC for years and years ... and referred friends here with their poultry questions. Just never expected to be a poultry-parent myself.

In December last year, 13 ducks adopted me. They waddled over from a field where a (*3 time convicted) animal abuser lives. He's "not supposed to have dogs" (his former abuse convictions) but he has poultry all over ... and guess where they go. My house. Ducks, chickens, peacocks. (And he does have two dogs and several cats) ... Don't get me started.

These ducks just hung around my front yard, eating bugs, so I put out a few water tubs for them and started feeding them. They were STARVING! (Grrr!) Sadly, a few months later, two town terrorist dogs jumped the front fence and massacred 9 of them. I was able to get the surviving four into the backyard. (a Pekin, Rouen, Mallard, and Orpington).

A few weeks after they moved in back, the mallard started drinking tons of water and not eating. Her neck was swelling up and she was drooling. My friend paid for a trip to the avian vet. Lo and behold, this mallard (Lucky Duck!) had grown into the STRING that was KNOTTED around her tiny little neck! Once the vet clipped that string (after digging deep into the feathers), the "swollen neck" full of water drained! It took her several weeks to recover fully, but she's good now. she has a funny little hoarse quack, but she's happy. The Pekin (Snow White) broke her wing at the end of March when she was startled by a neighbor dog that barked at the fence she was near. She had to be put down in April after the wing became necrotic. :( Darkwing, the Rouen, is the leader of the pack now ... And Oddy the Orpington, is the tag-along. They're all most happy when they're foraging in the mud ... and they're all learning their names. Darkwing even wags her tail when she hears it. They still don't come to me, although, they don't run away AS FAST as they did. LOL.

They're funny little creatures. I don't like duck eggs, but I found a friend who does ... so she's happy, too. :)

Thank you folks for all your insight!
Kristy (Meandering with Muddypaw)
Welcome to BYC!! ❤️
 

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