Duck rescued from ice

[Feefo]

This is a heart warming story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...er/7155656.stm

[Charis]

That is a heart warming story. Odd, because it's a little late in the year for a duck to be laying eggs.
I love ducks.

[Feefo]

Odd, because it's a little late in the year for a duck to be laying eggs.

That is what John and I were just thinking. Pigeons do, but I have never seen a baby duck in winter.

Cynthia

[Charis]

Now that I think about it...I did have 2 Muscovy ducklings hatch on Valentines Day. Still, they were very early and a complete surprise!

[Vasp]

Waterfowl are superbly amazing creatures... So much emotion in those little ones (and the big ones, too, of course). As the proud owner of a goose, I have to say, that was very heartwarming. I'm so glad someone was there to rescue her.

[MaryOfExeter]

I'm glad the poor little ducky was saved! It must've been pretty scary for it...being stuck out there for so long

My ducks used to lay eggs all the time, almost like chickens. But that was probably because they were at least part Khaki Campbell, which are supposed to lay more eggs in a year than your average chickens. Different ducks lay different amounts of eggs. Plus, that one looks like a domestic breed as far as I know.

[PigeonQueen]

It's always reassuring to hear acts of kindness like this. All too often there is bad news in the press. Thankfully this is positive, good news!!

[TAWhatley]

Great rescue! Just curious why everyone seems so keen on releasing this duck back to the wild? It appears to be a domestic duck of mixed heritage and probably doesn't fly well at all.

Terry

[maryjane]

Glad the duck is okay. I wish someone would tell Fussy Gussy that most birds don't lay during the winter. . .she's been "announcing" at top volume that she's going to lay an egg for three days now, starting before sunrise. Worse than a rooster!

[AZWhitefeather]

Wonderful story, Cynthia.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

Cindy

[Feefo]

I know very little about ducks, the closest that I have come to recognising one was snatching a duck away from an over amarous group of mallard drakes.

Just curious why everyone seems so keen on releasing this duck back to the wild? It appears to be a domestic duck of mixed heritage and probably doesn't fly well at all.

We have many hybrids and even domestic ducks living successfully in the wild, so the first thing rescuers will consider is release and failing that a sanctuary. The Three Owls will probably keep her on an outdoor pond and give her the option of staying or flying off.

Below is a photo of the ducks that I have been feeding for two or three years now: the big white one is an Aylesbury, she disappeared during the summer with several mallards (a lot of our wildfowl have been stolen for the table) She is unable to fly but had a mallard mate and would produce a dozen ducklings, one of which would be yellow. The white offspring were always drakes and good flyers. There is one next to her in the photo.

[WildlifeVetToBe]

I used to have two domestic ducks, east indian ducks, both who flew well.

She looks like part mallard anyway, fantastic story. Wish the RSPCA would do more to help other british wildlife.

[Vasp]

Ducks and geese are not as much their breed as they are their situation. A wild duck or goose that grows up in domestic situations with humans thinks it's a human. A domestic duck or goose that grows up in the wild with wild ducks and geese is a wild duck in its mind as well.

You'd never believe the level of fear, worry, excitement, happiness, joy, and anger that waterfowl can show. They're exceedingly emotional. When Moody is afraid, she huffs and puffs very loudly, stands very rigid and skinny, and looks all around her. She also has nervous habits and will chew and bite on things when angry or scared. She also screams, just like a little kid. When she was a baby, if she tripped or fell, she'd scream at the top of her lungs until someone helped her. She still does that, actually, except she's gotten used to tripping over everything--she's very clumsy, after all.

It's a horrible thought what people do to these animals every year. Shooting them from the sky, roasting them for dinner, force feeding them to give them fatty liver disease so they "taste better". They are able to show an array of emotions, contribute to a human family life, raise young lovingly, eat their favourite foods with zest, enjoy snuggle time, understand commands and questions -- such as "Moody, do you want some food?" "HONK HONK HONK!" and feel a vast array of emotions. They are some of the most emotional birds I've ever known. They are at the same level as parrots there. I don't doubt we've completely underestimated their intelligence--funny, we also underestimated the intelligence of pigeons, parrots, corvids and pretty much every other bird out there.

Humanity has a lot to learn.

As for the breed, it looks like a swedish duck mixed with a khaki campbell or something of that sort. Its colouring, along with its bill shape (thick and long) point to a mixed domestic breed. If it was alone, it's likely a domestic duck that got lost, unable to survive well in the wild. It may have laid that egg because it was looking for nest materials or a place to nest and got stranded from its home, and was in the process of laying its clutch. Domestic ducks can lay all year round, so as long as they're kept in a warm place (like a barn) and it may have gotten out to search around, like lots of laying ducks do.

Here are the breeds I'm thinking:


(Ignore the crest on its head--just the coloring and the bill)

It's possible that some Khaki was in there--which would explain the egg laying, as well. Take a look at that little duckie's beak, if you will--it has a greenish quality to it. That definitely points towards the Khaki campbell duck being involved, and also explains the egg laying.


On the left is a female khaki with a trademark greenish bill.

[TAWhatley]

Thanks for the info and photos, Cynthia. I do realize that many domestic ducks do just fine in places like my local duck pond park, but I also know that once one has had a problem .. illness/injury .. and has been removed to be treated and cared for, it rarely works out well to put them back to fend for themselves after they have recovered.

Hopefully things will work out just fine for this rescued duck. It is a great rescue story.

Terry

[MaryOfExeter]

Originally Posted by Vasp

As for the breed, it looks like a swedish duck mixed with a khaki campbell or something of that sort. Its colouring, along with its bill shape (thick and long) point to a mixed domestic breed. If it was alone, it's likely a domestic duck that got lost, unable to survive well in the wild. It may have laid that egg because it was looking for nest materials or a place to nest and got stranded from its home, and was in the process of laying its clutch. Domestic ducks can lay all year round, so as long as they're kept in a warm place (like a barn) and it may have gotten out to search around, like lots of laying ducks do.

It's possible that some Khaki was in there--which would explain the egg laying, as well. Take a look at that little duckie's beak, if you will--it has a greenish quality to it. That definitely points towards the Khaki campbell duck being involved, and also explains the egg laying.

On the left is a female khaki with a trademark greenish bill.

Those two breeds where the exact first two that came to my mind when I saw the picture and the part about it laying an egg in the winter.
Great minds think alike?