Flashback: August 2009

August 29, 2017

Flashback: August 2009

Eight years ago. The end of July. Seven ducklings shipped in a box--something I would never do now. I was so ignorant then. They came from Nature's Hatchery. Another ignorant decision. Just because the place had "Nature" in the title, I wrongly assumed this meant the hatchery was humane. Back then I knew nothing, except that I wanted six girls and one boy duck. After years of experience, I know that "wanting" is never enough, because ducks of all ages are being dumped to fend for themselves every day. Anyway, when I opened the box the two-day old ducklings skittered around, all of them walking and alert, only one fixed his eye on me, his head cocked to the side and I knew, certainly, that this little fellow was the male. I named him Iliya. The other six were all girls. They became known collectively as The Quack Squad and they grew up together beneath the shadows of their older flock members Lucy Goose, Augie March--King of Doodles, Mista Clyde, and Little Ming. At first the older ducks picked on them, but over time, and since they were all so young, the two flocks were integrated.

Of those seven ducklings, today there are four still living. The first who passed away was little Mary Doodle. She had brittle bone disease--something genetic and likely from poor breeding conditions at Nature's Hatchery, which was a place that floundered shortly after my order and closed down. Mary's femur severed and upon x-ray at WSU veterinary center it was found she had dozens of fractures all over her tiny body. We had to let her go peacefully. WSU sent a sweet webbed-footprint in the mail after I'd returned home. That was a very kind and thoughtful gesture.

Mary Doodle

The next of the Quack Squad who left was Beetle. She was considered first partner to Iliya, along with her sister Bella, who was second partner. Beetle, along with Bella, was a Cayuga like Augie March, although they both appeared more brown than black and lacked the green iridescent sheen that most Cayuga ducks have to their feathers. Beetle was lying down in the duck house one morning and when I picked her up, she could not move. By the time I took her inside the house, she gasped a few times and passed away. It was a shock. I never knew what happened to her.

Emily never had a mate until young Henry came along. Several years his senior, Miss Emily Doodle became Henry's fixation from the moment he matured and set eyes on her. A black Indian runner, Emily had slowly grown white feathers here and there, and by the time she was in her latest couple of years she was also known as the Dalmatian duck. Beautiful and sweet, she had always had a small paunch between her legs and her toenails had started growing out of control during the last year of her life. Only later would I learn that this can be due to liver failure. I thought she was egg bound and took her to the veterinarian where she was sedated, a risky procedure, and whatever was felt inside her could not be worked out, so we had to go home and wish for the best while she was on a low dose of anti-inflammatory meds and antibiotics. Emily improved, but slowly she became more sedentary. And one day she lacked all pep in her step. I started her on meds again, but she declined and passed away at home. Upon examination it was found that she might have had an internal hemorrhage or organ failure. I beat myself up, of course, and held her close to me for her last night, there in the chair crying with her in my arms, but there was nothing more that could have been done for her, but to make her as comfortable as possible. Henry was devastated.

Young Emily Doodle

Emily, aged 7-years

And for all the ducks and geese who pass away there is a funeral. The flock has the opportunity to see for themselves that their friend and flock member has died. In this way the flock members discover their loved one's body outside in the morning and can approach or stand and look or whatever it is that duck or goose prefers according to their relationship with the deceased flock member.

Members of The Quack Squad who are still with us include, Iliya (fawn & white Indian runner drake), Bella (Cayuga hen--Iliya's partner), Olga (fawn & white Indian runner hen--Ming's first partner), and Noi (fawn & white Indian runner hen--Ming's second partner).