WILD AFRICAN MUSCOVY DUCK

[Ecwynes]

Won't allow to copy any text. So can't easily post an excerpt. It is only one page on Muscovies. It appears to be a book quite aptly titled. I was surprised to see that the researcher/author noted that Muscovies were more often kept for meat and fat and less for eggs in the tropical Americas. I was also surprised to see how archaeology found how very far back man has been involved with Muscovies.

 

[zuluchicken]

Please note that I made a mistake in the translation of the specie of these birds into English from my native Afrikaans. They are not Muscovy Duck but Spur Winged Geese.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please not that I made a mistake in the translation of the specie of these birds into English from my native Afrikaans. They are not Muscovy Duck but Spur Winged Geese.

@zuluchicken It's okay even those of us living in USA have a hard time understanding each other at times.

Your very welcome here.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spur-winged_goose

 

[zuluchicken]

We knew that this day had to come, sooner than later. We noticed their unwillingness to go into their night shelter in the evenings. When inside the cage they impatiently patrolled the fence up and down and could not wait to get out in the mornings. ( I had to protect them against predators during the night). Freedom in the early mornings were celebrated with mock runs, flapping of their wings and the occasional short flight. They were roaming further away from the house and they consumed less and less of the food that we gave them.

This morning we open the gate of their night shelter as usual As if being pre-arranged and planned they came out and immediately flew off into the distant horizon. They made a turn and landed in the pastures far behind the house, totally out of sight. My wife could not keep the tears back and we both new that this would probably be the last time that we saw them.

A few hours later I went outside to clean up their night shelter. I was still busy working when I heard them behind me. I looked up and there they were. They flew off, discovered real freedom and they returned home. I took this photo - probably this last one

I rescued them as eggs when their nest was destroyed by the harvester during harvest time. I placed the eggs in my incubator with little hope of any success. We watched them haphazardly trying to get to their feet after hatching. We gave them their first food using a syringe and watched them take their first plunge into the water. We were privileged to share their lives from the first day until today when they took to the sky for the first time.

We don't know for how long will they return home but we always said that we will ensure that there are food and water available for them should they decide to come home.

It was a privilege to take this journey with them. They hatched on 15 October 2015 and took their first flight today, 06 February 2016 - just over 3 months. As I am typing here they are visiting all their familiar places in our yard. They love to take a nap in my garage and I will leave the door open for them for as long as they come back home. If they don't, I pray that GOD will keep them safe from poachers and other dangers and they will always have a safe place to rest.
06 February 2016.

 

[caesargirl]

Beautiful thread. Thank you for sharing your journey.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We knew that this day had to come, sooner than later. We noticed their unwillingness to go into their night shelter in the evenings. When inside the cage they impatiently patrolled the fence up and down and could not wait to get out in the mornings. ( I had to protect them against predators during the night). Freedom in the early mornings were celebrated with mock runs, flapping of their wings and the occasional short flight. They were roaming further away from the house and they consumed less and less of the food that we gave them.

This morning we open the gate of their night shelter as usual As if being pre-arranged and planned they came out and immediately flew off into the distant horizon. They made a turn and landed in the pastures far behind the house, totally out of sight. My wife could not keep the tears back and we both new that this would probably be the last time that we saw them.

A few hours later I went outside to clean up their night shelter. I was still busy working when I heard them behind me. I looked up and there they were. They flew off, discovered real freedom and they returned home. I took this photo - probably this last one

I rescued them as eggs when their nest was destroyed by the harvester during harvest time. I placed the eggs in my incubator with little hope of any success. We watched them haphazardly trying to get to their feet after hatching. We gave them their first food using a syringe and watched them take their first plunge into the water. We were privileged to share their lives from the first day until today when they took to the sky for the first time.

We don't know for how long will they return home but we always said that we will ensure that there are food and water available for them should they decide to come home.

It was a privilege to take this journey with them. They hatched on 15 October 2015 and took their first flight today, 06 February 2016 - just over 3 months. As I am typing here they are visiting all their familiar places in our yard. They love to take a nap in my garage and I will leave the door open for them for as long as they come back home. If they don't, I pray that GOD will keep them safe from poachers and other dangers and they will always have a safe place to rest.
06 February 2016.

@zuluchicken What an awesome thing you and your wife did rescuing the eggs incubating them and now raising them to this day. They flew away and just had to come back to say this is our home thank you for giving us the freedom to choose . I do hope they will be safe and come back for a visit now and again. They are beautiful

 

[pattyhen]

This is a beautiful story and thank you so much for rescueing them.

 

[tmorgan46]

You and your wife are fantastic people!! And to come back is a sure sign they have a sense of gratitude from what you gave them. And I'm sure this won't be the last time you both rescue a few eggs and begin the cycle all over again. Bitter sweet I'm sure. My hat's off to you and your wife.
Very cool.

Troy and Tina

 

[desertdarlene]

Awww, they were so cute and I'm glad they're free. I take it that the laws about keeping wild animals is different in South African than they are in the United States. Here, you can't keep any wild animal unless you have special licenses and permits even if it's an abundant species.

 

[zuluchicken]

Yes it is the same in South Africa. Technically I broke the law. That is why I never clipped their wings and the goal from the beginning was to let them go when ever they are ready.

They flew off yesterday afternoon but came back just before dawn. This morning they left again but now I am watching them thru my office window where they are feeding in our back yard.