Life on the farm is never dull. . . . tiring, yes – but dull – never.  So many friends have asked about the welfare of our duck – that I thought I would update her status.

This sweet duck was hatched with a pair of chicks – and they have been inseparable since.  They have shared a suite and are very attached to each other.

In mid June, we took several days to travel and pick up our granddaughters – bringing them home with us for the summer.  While we were gone, this little duck was attacked by some very naughty – but soon to be tasty young turkeys – who for lack of a better word, scalped her.  We returned to find her with about 3 inches of her skin and feathers gone – and picked nearly to the spine, having one eye so damaged we weren’t even sure it was still there.

We cleaned her up, dressed her wounds and brought her and her roommates up to the house to watch her.  She healed up nicely and we were pleasantly surprised to find she still had her eye. . . . and so, after several weeks, we moved them all back to their original pen – where she continued to heal. . . Then, several weeks later, on a beautiful Sunday morning, we were getting ready to leave for church when the girls found her – scalped again – and this time – it was much worse (the culprits days are numbered – as soon as I make a little more room in the freezer  – – – need I say more?).  The scab had been picked clean, there was little meat left on the top of her neck/head,  and she was a bloody mess.  We brought the poor thing back up to the ducky triage unit at the house, cleaned her wounds, dressed them and bandaged her up as best we could.  We had her in isolation for several days – and found that she refused to eat.  We weren’t sure if it was trauma, the bandages, injury or? – but it didn’t look good for her.  Then it occurred to us that we had separated her from her roommates – (because we were concerned that the chickens may peck at her injuries) . . and wondered if she might be lonely as she had never been away from them before.

We reunited her with her family – and she began eating again.  After a week of changing dressings and tending to her wounds, we decided to fortify her pen and return the three of them to their suite. . . . We were quite sure that if she survived, there would never be feathers on her head again. . . and that she would never be able to be in with the other ducks.  . . . .

Well, we still don’t know if she will ever be able to be in with the drakes, but she has made a miraculous recovery – don’t you think?

She is still as sweet as ever, her buddies have tended her well – and it appears that she will make a full recovery – feathers, eye and all.

If nothing else, farm life is a constant reminder of the miracle of creation. . . . and God’s tender mercies.

 

She is one lucky duck.