RETURNED TO OWNER!
UPDATE: This duck was claimed by the owner today at Seattle Animal Shelter. Here’s a note we received on this blog post:
“Draco has returned home! Thanks for looking out for him. He’s staying in private quarters in the back while we make sure he is healthy and while the flock learns to accept him back. In the Spring he and a hen will move to a newly constructed house in the front yard where they will be on garden patrol searching for bugs and slugs. Yum.”
Unfortunately his home DOES raise muscovy ducks for meat, but they said “due to the effort and kindness that has gone into rescuing Draco, he will move to the front yard rather than the freezer.”
This young male muscovy duck was picked up from Meadowbook Pond on Sunday, December 30th at 11:30am. Residents report he’s been there for a while, but has been coming up to people and dogs for food, and has been chased by dogs. Right now the duck is on hold at Seattle Animal Shelter in case it is a stray. The hold is for 3 days, starting on Wednesday, January 2nd.
We read that he was relocated to Meadowbrook Pond after he was found wandering Lake City Way. The pond is better, but not a good long-term solution for a too-friendly domestic duck. He could be a stray, but people dump male ducks because they don’t produce eggs and more than one muscovy drake can be aggressive in a flock. This guy was way too friendly to be in a park, but probably only because he was hungry. They can get aggressive when begging for food, especially from kids. And they can get hurt approaching dogs.
If you have a safe, predator-proof home (raccoon-proof/coyote-proof) for this guy, please contact the Seattle Animal Shelter starting on Wednesday. We’ll be looking for a home for him as well, and we’re sorry we don’t have room here.
The last thing the Seattle Animal Shelter needs is a duck, but they will do all they can to help him find a home. I have some calls in to a few places so hopefully someone will get back to us soon with a suitable home. Please share this story and his photo. And special thanks to the residents nearby Meadowbrook Pond who sought out help for the duck. He is lucky to have so many nice people making sure he’s safe.
A little bit about muscovy ducks: They are the only ducks not descended from mallards. They don’t speak the same language as other ducks. They’re domestic but considered feral and invasive in the US, and there are large feral populations in the South (Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas). They don’t get as much oil on their feathers as other ducks, and can’t stay as dry in water. They are originally tree-perching South American ducks. In the Washington area, they are unfortunately used for eggs and meat mostly, though they make great city pets if they can be kept safe. They’re good mosquito eaters and they’re very very quiet (they make a huff huff sound instead of quacking).
Do You Have A Reservation?
Oh hello, Cindy Buttons. I’m afraid the lap is taken at this time. Would you like me to put you on the waiting list?
“I’m pretty sure I have a reservation. Move over, buddy.” – Cindy Buttons
“This is not going to work for me. Put me down.” – O’Malley
You’re not going to let a little chicken kick you off the lap are you?
“Yes. Put me down.” – O’Malley
“Aaaah. That’s much better.” – Cindy Buttons
After Cindy kicked O’Malley off the lap, she enjoyed the view of the yard.
Petunia Peach and Lenora Bea enjoyed a head of lettuce.
“Me first.” – Lenora Bea
“No ME first.” – Petunia Peach
That’s scovy etiquette for you.
“Don’t bug me. I’m taking a dust bath.” – Olly Astro
While Cindy sat with me, Olly and the other hens took dust baths in the pen.
Ruby Tuesday hung out by the pools with Lionel and Miles. They are all getting along really well now. In fact…
Miles and Ruby are now dating, sort of. Miles has a hard time with his bum leg, but neither of them seem to care. All three of them are getting along well-enough to share space now. And today is the first full day that Ruby will spend with them together in a pen. They’re right next door to Lester Leroy and Danny girl, and together they’re a good crew. I think Danny girl likes having another girl around to chat with.
After a flock-filled morning it was time to come inside and make some lunch.
The menu today was vegan tacos. I love this Lightlife ground veggie protein. I add some cumin powder to it to give it even more taco taste, and it’s a great, easy lunch. Daiya makes a good shredded vegan cheddar “cheese” too.
Then it was time to snuggle with the boodle (Simon) and get some work done.
Just another morning at Ducks and Clucks.
Have a good weekend, everyone!
New Girl Picks a Name
The new girl has chosen her name! She is just so very precious, like a Ruby. That made me think of the Rolling Stones song “Ruby Tuesday” so I listened to it…
“She would never say where she came from. Yesterday don’t matter if it’s gone.”
“Don’t question why she needs to be so free. She’ll tell you it’s the only way to be.”
Well that seems fitting for a girl who just turned up on the side of the road.
Please welcome our precious Ruby Tuesday. I’m pretty sure I’ll be calling her “Ruby Roobie Roo!” as a nickname. Also, she asked that you take note of her tiny little head crest near the back of her head. It’s cute and silly and precious, just like her.
Here she is getting acquainted with Miles and Lionel this morning.
Welcome to Ducks and Clucks, precious Ruby.
INCOMING: New Magpie Girl
This has been a busy week for Ducks and Clucks! Lucky duck went to live with Stella on Monday, and just yesterday we had to bid farewell to sweet and sassy Ramona Monster, who succumbed to lymphoma after putting up a valiant 4-month fight.
Then today we took in the sweetest new little big duck, who doesn’t have a name yet.
Isn’t she cute? She’s a magpie duck, and I think she was found scuffed up by the side of the road. A very nice woman rescued her and took her to a wildlife place, but since she’s a domestic duck, they couldn’t take her.
So through the powers of the interwebs, her rescuer found us and we agreed to take her in. This magpie girl was driven almost three hours to get to us, and I have to tell you… it’s a rare “good egg” who will drive a duck three hours to a new home. She’s lucky to have found such a nice rescuer.
Magpie girl is still a little skittish, but she enjoyed swimming and preening and eating today, and tonight she is tucked inside a pen inside the larger night pens so she can safely get to know Lionel and Miles, who will be her roommates. (Lionel is afraid of her so far, but I’m sure that will improve in a few days).
If you’ve been reading about Ducks and Clucks for a few years now, you might know that we used to have a super magpie duck here named Chewy Magooey. Magpies are known for their freckles and their striped feet.
Can you see the resemblance? This is Chewy. He was such a wonderful and sweet little guy, and the new girl reminds me of him already.
He was Flapper’s loyal sidekick, which made perfect sense since he had such amazing striped kicks.
We welcome the new kid and we’ll share her name as soon as she tells us what it is.
Until then, stay tuned, and keep quacking.
Goodbye Ramona
Today it was time to say goodbye to Ramona.
Ramona came to us from the Seattle Animal Shelter in March 2011.
She was a bit of a wild child, not tame, and feisty as ever.
She looked a lot like O’Malley, but smaller. She was O’Malley’s mini-me and they got along really well.
Ramona was known for having a bit of an attitude, and she quickly earned the name “Ramona Monster.”
She was the only scovy to stand up to Cindy Buttons, who can be quite a bully herself.
She was an active, fun kid. And always up to a bit of mischief.
Unfortunately, in August she wasn’t feeling well, and we found out she had a tumor. Most of the tumor was removed and biopsied, where we learned she had aggressive lymphoma.
We almost put her down while she was in surgery when we learned they couldn’t remove the whole tumor. But something told me she still had time. So we had them close her up and we brought her home. She did a few rounds of antibiotics and had been on steroids since then, to keep the lymphoma at bay.
This gave her more time to ask for more treats.
More time to stand up to Cindy Buttons.
And more time to intimidate and haze the new girl, Lenora Bea.
For all of her sass and attitude, Ramona Monster was still a very sweet and funny girl. Since August, I’ve had to pick her up every morning and bring her in the house for a pill. And every day she fought me like Mohamad Ali. She could float like a butterfly and smack me in the face with a wing, like a giant monster bee. Lately she wasn’t fighting as much, and I knew that meant her time was short. In the last few days, she could no longer eat, even though she wanted to. And she also had some balance issues. It was time to say goodbye.
So goodbye, sweet Ramona Monster. Safe travels to whatever’s next for you. And thank you for your time here with us at Ducks and Clucks. We will miss your strong spirit and your attitude and sass. Give ’em hell, Ramona. And much love.
XOXOX
Rest in Peace
Lucky and Stella
Do you guys remember Stella? She was a rescued duck who stayed with us in late 2011 while we found a forever home for her. Her name was “April Shadow” then.
She found an amazing home with a handsome guy named Willard who had just lost his buddy Peepers to a tumor.
Unfortunately, yesterday Willard passed on from old age and cancer. So Stella needed a new buddy to keep her company and help her grieve the loss of her best buddy Willard.
We’ve known Willard had cancer for almost 6-months, and that Stella would eventually need a new friend, so I decided Lucky would be a good match for her. Lucky is a smaller duck, handsome and healthy and young.
And even though he liked it here with his buddies, especially Miles and Lionel, I thought he deserved the chance to have a girlfriend all his own.
So today, Lucky went to his new home. I tried to give Lucky a pep talk this morning, but he was too busy doodling in the mud and the pools to pay attention.
When the time came to go to his new home, he knew something was up. I tried to reassure him that he’d love his new place, but realistically it will take a few days for him to learn the new routine before he feels comfortable and safe.
I can’t help but laugh at this video of Lucky meeting Stella for the first time. Stella couldn’t stay with us permanently because she was too loud for our neighborhood, and you can definitely hear that on the video. I knew Lucky would follow her to feel safe, but I didn’t realize she would wonder “WHY IS THIS GUY FOLLOWING ME!???” She cracks me up.
Luckily, less than an hour later, they were both enjoying their awesome pool together. And we just got this note from Lucky and Stella’s people:
“Stella is in the big pond… she hasn’t been in it since Willard got sick. After 5 minutes Lucky ran out of the pen and hopped in with her! They are really enjoying each other.”
Lucky and Stella have an even BIGGER pond than the one shown here. This is their predator-proof day pen and they sleep inside a garage at night. When supervised, they have a bigger pond and that’s what Stella was showing Lucky today. I think it’s really sweet that she’s showing him around and he’s following her lead.
We are really happy that Lucky is settling in so well. We know it will take a few days, but it already looks like they will be a very happy couple.
All our best to them together, and our condolences to Stella’s family on the loss of their sweet boy Willard.
Thankful
Okay everybody. It’s Thanksgiving, so why don’t we go around and share one thing we’re thankful for this season. O’Malley? How about you start?
“I am thankful for snuggles with my people.” – O’Malley Peepers
“I am thankful for my friends, foraging for bugs and Cheerios.” – Petunia Peach
“Hmmm… I am thankful for naps on the couch and for my magic food dish that is never empty.” – Simon
“I am thankful for my health and for extra time with my friends.” – Ramona Monster
“I am thankful for cookies. I am more thankful for cookies than the others, so they said I can have their cookies too.” – Olivia
“I am thankful for my part-time job as duck masher.”
No no, Cindy. That’s not your job.
“It’s okay. I would do it for free.” – Cindy Buttons
“I am thankful for your help carrying me to the aviary each day.” – Danny girl
“I am thankful for time by myself in the tree trunk pool, and for my stunning good looks.” – Lionel
“I am thankful for tomatoes, corn and lettuces. And sometimes peas.” – Olly Astro
“I am thankful for new friends and a safe home.” – Lenora Bea
“I am thankful for my very own pool so I can soak my bum leg.” – Miles
“And I am thankful for puddles next to the pool that I can doodle in.” – Lucky
“I am thankful that I can fly high, with a little help.” – Lester Leroy
“I am thankful for face pets… I really am. Now pet my face.” – Carol
We have a lot to be thankful for, that is for sure. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
Say Hello to…
The new girl had a great day. She wasn’t picked on too much, and within a few hours, she was able to spend the full afternoon with the other muscovies in the aviary, unsupervised. O’Malley and Ramona mostly leave her alone, but Petunia follows her and threatens her a lot. Fortunately, Petunia is getting old and doesn’t move very fast, so the new girl can just keep walking away. She is a very sweet kid and I think she is fitting in really well. Before the scovies accepted her, she was willing to join the other duck boys or even the chickens. She just wants to be with feathered friends.
So say hello to Lenora Bea. She goes by Bea most of the time, but her full name is for formal occasions and special events.
Nice to meet you, Bea.
New Kid Arrives
A few days ago we received this photo from our friend who’s a volunteer at the Seattle Animal Shelter.
She asked “what kind of duck is this?” and said it had been found in SW Seattle. She’s a female muscovy duck. The shelter posted her photo online and waited a week to see if someone would come forward to claim her, as she seems like she is in good health and was obviously treated well.
My guess is she had a good home, but she grew her new flight feathers after molting and flew out of her yard. Then she couldn’t find her way back home. Unfortunately no one came to get her, so today she came here. We took her to the vet first for a quick fecal test to make sure she didn’t have any parasites, and she’s all good, so she can integrate with the flock.
Muscovies do best with other muscovy ducks. They are the only duck not descended from mallards, so they don’t really have much in common with other ducks. They don’t speak the same language, they don’t quack, and they aren’t able to oil their feathers as well. Historically, they’re South American tree-perching ducks. They are considered a feral invasive species in the southern United States, and are unfortunately also used for meat and eggs.
Introducing a new muscovy duck into the flock takes a bit of time and patience. Petunia gave the new girl the business, but she’s pretty sweet overall, so she didn’t try to chase her or bite her.
She left that job to Ramona.
Here’s a short video of Ramona’s “welcome” for the new kid. It could use some work.
“What were you thinking? You weren’t thinking, were you.”
After giving up on intimidating the new girl, Petunia Peach turned to me and gave me grief for bringing a new kid into the mix.
She consulted with O’Malley and Ramona, and the three of them decided that they are going to give the new girl a hard time for a little while before letting her be part of the group.
The new girl doesn’t care though. She found the pool and made herself right at home.
She had a nice swim and got all the human and Ramona cooties off of her pretty feathers.
Tonight she’s in a pen inside the bigger pen, so Petunia doesn’t give her a hard time. She can see Petunia, but they can’t reach each other. That way they can get all the smack talk out of the way and hopefully become friends.
With the muscovies all tucked in for the night, the new girl is starting to settle in. She hasn’t told us her name yet, but as soon as she does, we’ll let you know. For now, we’ll keep her safe and warm and well fed and let her learn the ropes and the new routine.
Welcome, new kid. We’re happy to have you here at Ducks and Clucks.
Visiting Dobby
This week, my mom is in town. Yesterday I asked her what she wanted to do and she said “could we meet that capybara?”
Well, sure! Our friend in Seattle has a pretty famous capybara named Dobby. He has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dobbywinnick and a blog at http://hippopotatomus.blogspot.com/
I hadn’t seen Dobby in well over a year, but I remember he was a sweet guy. He let my mom scratch his chin and pet him.
Then they had a good conversation.
I told Dobby how sweet and cute he was.
And he got really poofy. His people said that means he’s happy, so that’s a good thing.
Dobby has a great snout.
Fancy feet.
And bristle-y fur like a scrub brush.
I think Dobby liked me.
He kissed my shoes.
And rolled over so I could pet his belly.
Dobby is an all-around stand-up guy. As you may know, capybaras are the largest rodents on Earth. Dobby weighs about 115lbs. That’s right… one hundred and fifteen pounds of capybara goodness.
I’m glad mom had such a good idea to go visit Dobby, and happy his people were so nice to let us visit on short notice.
Thanks, Dobby! Great to see you buddy. Hope we can visit again really soon.
