"I'm Sorry, Duck"

Posted by Rosie

Remember those two pesky ducks who wouldn't go to bed - now I know why and I feel really guilty. One of them tried to escape the shed 2 nights ago so I grabbed her which was when I noticed the large and rather nasty wound on her back - a wound I suspect was inflicted by Harold the drake and which explains her desire to escape the duck shed. Sorry duck - I really should have noticed it earlier but seeing as she has a black back and the wound was covered by her wings it was only when I held her that I saw it.

So I have cleaned and sprayed the wound and put her and her sister inside one of the Harold-proof lambing pens. Imagine my surpise yesterday then when I found a duck egg in the pen. This morning Simon found another which is all so ironic because I want a brood of ducklings but I dare not leave this poor duck to the less than friendly advances of Harold. It may be her sister laying but I need to keep the two together for company and away from Harold. So I have removed the eggs (Ben had one for breakfast) and I will just have to hope that either Hilda or Matilda come into lay soon.

However, Hilda thinks she is a chicken and I keep finding her in the chicken run and Matilda is a bit of a mystery. She was the duck who started off being a Harold until we decided she was in fact a Matilda but that said, Harold plays almost no interest in her and I have at times seen her mount Hilda. Whether she will lay (fertile) eggs is anyone's guess or she may just end up as duck stew. Time will tell.