New Duck - Meet Charlie

Well unfortunately our beautiful Jessie Duck had to leave us. While we had all become very attached to him - with his non quacking growl like sound, his little mohawk that tried to scare you out of the pen, his 'i am the brave scary one here' attitude as he came right up to you - half wanting you to pat him - half trying to look after his ladies, and his 'I CAN fly - I CHOOSE not to fly' abilities - he did finally get a little too agressive. The other morning when 'A's' 8 year old girl was down feeding the poultry - 'A' heard a screeching terrified 'mummy, mummy, mummy'. 'A' couldn't have been there quick enough - lept over the kitchen bench and down to the back yard in about two seconds flat to find her little girl pinned up against pen fence by Jessie biting her leg quite visciously. Jessie is a Muscovy duck - and they are the one type which are known to get quite agressive as a pet. So with no fanfare or discussion - we decided to take him that very day straight down to the RSPCA and surrender him. It was sad. A was more moved than expected.
The next day we paid a visit to our local 'chookman sheepman' - who is the old guy who breeds poultry on a few acres nearby. Hes' lived in a caravan since his house burned down years ago. ANd is surrounded by all these chooks, ducks, his two dogs and the odd fox! We visit semi regularly to buy chooks and in this case our new duck! We told him our story of having two lonely girls who just lost their drake. And he sold us a beautiful calm white Pekin duck. Charlie. He also said we should have brought Jessie to him - as he would have used him as a breeding duck - as it's good to get non-related ducks into his breeding program. So we (8 year old and me) proceeded to go to the RSPCA and to reclaim our Jessie - who looked miserable and lonely in one of those awful zoo like concrete jungle cages. He kept flying away from the keeper - so I had to go in - he knew me and let me pick him up into the box. We returned to 'chookman sheepman' and gave him Jessie. He will have a happy life now. And we are all much happier for it!.
Anyway - meet Charlie... The funny thing that has happened now - is that Bob - one of the ducks has bonded and started laying. And Puddleduck - the rescued duck from Wentworth falls Lakes - has stopped laying. !

From various for blog