Star Gazing Farm, Maryland: Animal Biographies: George, Harry, and Tati

Animals: Biographies

The Three: George, Harry, and Tati-pata
George: Rouen duck, hatched April 2000
Harry, Pekin duck, hatched 2003
Tati-pata, Pekin duck, hatched 2003

George was the first duck - he and Betty came to live with me as tiny ducklings, and they were a delightful pair, and inseparable. In October of 2002, however, Betty met with a bad end - a predator got to her and I found her partially eaten. George was inconsolable, and stood staring into the wall, refusing to eat. Very quickly I arranged to bring another duck for him from a duck rehabber - Phoebe, a scared Pekin with a limp. Phoebe was extremely gentle and quiet, and she had a permanent limp which made it hard for her to move fast. George didn't like her much, but she did get him eating again.

Then Harry came on the scene. Harry had been kept in a tiny cage out in the snow, all by himself. He had never even met another duck before, and the first day he arrived, when George approached him, Harry hid behind my knees. However, very quickly he fell in love with Phoebe and then George was a bachelor again.

Fortunately I got a call about a female Pekin whose whole flock had been decimated one by one, and a kind person rescued her before she could be eaten. This was Tati-pata, a loud, squawky, funny creature who built a two foot high nest in the barn and sat there singing duck opera. Phoebe died soon thereafter, however. She could not move fast and one day a fox came into the pasture and grabbed her. I went running after him and he dropped her, but despite medical care for her wounds, Phoebe died during the night. It is very sad to lose an animal in this way.

Now, George, Harry, and Tati have formed a little group - they are always to be seen together. Sometimes they join the other ducks and sometimes they go off on their own, but the three are never apart.

Care:

FOOD
The ducks get about a cup each of specialty flock (or duck grower) grain, along with whole corn, and lettuce and peas for treats.

MEDICAL
There is not regular medical work performed on the ducks. An occasional fecal sample is advised to make sure they do not have parasites.

OTHER
The female ducks lay eggs every day, on average, between the months of March and October or November.

HOUSING
During daylight hours the ducks roam the property, bathing in the stream and catching bugs. They all stay in a large steel covered dog pen at night to protect them from predators. It has pine shavings and straw for bedding, two small doggie houses (used mostly for laying eggs but also to give them additional protection from the weather), and a kiddie swimming pool.