You may remember I wrote about our feral chooks a couple of issues ago. Well, I’m happy to report that all is now under control!
We decided to get a rooster and it’s made a world of difference.

Fed up with the chooks ruling the roost so to speak, and not being able to get them into the Taj Mahal of chook sheds at night-time we decided to call in the big guns. Off I go – again – to Barbara and Warren’s armed with a couple of boxes and we bought a young rooster and 2 new black chooks. Oh, and 2 ducks.

I know, I know. What was I thinking?

The girls are most impressed with Handsome; he’s really pulled them into line. They follow him everywhere, and if they do wander away, he runs after them making a fuss and ensures that they’re ok. All are happy and healthy and not only putting themselves to bed at night-time but also actually laying eggs in the chook house! Amazing! I know that’s what they’re supposed to do – but they hadn’t before so it’s all very exciting for me. (I need to get out more I know).
Handsome’s only a young gun, about 12 months old now and with the young gun hormones to go with it if you know what I mean. He’s not learned the finer points of chook social etiquette yet. Stomping your big fat foot on a lady’s head as she just happens to be passing by minding her own business is not the way to grab her attention. Hopping from foot to foot with absolute excitement at the opportunity of a surprise ambush whilst the lady is quietly enjoying her dust bath is not good manners either. They can see him coming a mile away and he usually has his work cut out to eventually grab a little cuddle time.
As for the ducks. We really haven’t had much success. Not for want of trying mind you. I bought 2 Pekin ducks – Alice and Claire. We filled up a kid’s paddling pool under the house in the shade and it was so nice to hear them splashing around having their evening baths before they would have their tea and retire for the night. I noticed after a couple of weeks that Claire was a bit wobbly on her legs but both were laying, eating and moving around as per normal.
One night, the two of them sat outside the A frame and wouldn’t go in. To cut a long story short, I caught Claire as she could hardly walk. For half an hour I sat on the veranda steps with her wrapped in a blanket in my arms and she nibbled my ear and rubbed her face and neck against my face. She was very calm and I put her into the broody cage in the shed so I could keep an eye on her. She laid her head down and died there and then.
Turns out she had a tick – and I removed a tick on Alice a week later when I noticed her legs were a bit wobbly too, luckily she bounced right back in a couple of days.
Poor Alice was beside herself for the next 48 hrs - not that I coped all that well either.
“A single duck can be lonely so always keep two or more ducks” says Don Burke from Burke’s Back Yard and by this time Alice had attached herself to the chooks. But I agreed with The Don and thought she needed some duck company.
Off I go – again – to Barbara and Warren’s armed with a box and came back with not one, but 3 Pekin ducks. (She’s very persuasive that Barbara). Two females and a drake.
Then there were four.
The Gang Of Four stuck together like glue and waddled around the house most of the day. They never wandered off on their own and appeared to have settled in really well. The were laying 3 eggs a day and I must admit, I poached a couple but they weren’t my cup of tea. Great for baking so I’m told. But as I’m not a great cook I would scramble the eggs up at the end of the week and supplement the dogs diet. Our dogs have the glossiest coats in Dunoon.

Enter Lou Lou stage right. We had visitors arrive and their little dog Lou Lou ran at the ducks as soon as she hopped out of the car. She’d never seen ducks before and was just curious. One duck took fright and we just couldn’t find her anywhere -  she wasn’t on our dam. Just disappeared.
Then there were three.

All seemed to settle down when enter Archie stage left – the sister’s Westie – who gets so excited when he comes to visit his country cousins; he’s beside himself. He was running around in circles as he usually does because he’s mental and he must’ve caught sight of the ducks in the corner of his eye and thought they’d like to join in too. Usually Archie  is very good and doesn’t take any notice of the ducks and chooks, he just got a bit carried away with his joi de vivre.
Then there were two.

So now the drake’s missing too.  I called the remaining duck Christmas. Alice and Christmas were great mates and would snuggle down on the floor of the chook house together of an evening. Then I get a call from Fruity Farmer. “Are you missing a couple of ducks per chance?” Yes! Yes! They are safe and sound on Fruity’s dam having a wonderful time! We tried to tempt them away with an el cheapo loaf of bread, but they had absolutely no interest and turned their bills up at the peace offering.
We ruined those ducks.
Then one hot night at the beginning of November,  Alice and Christmas weren’t interested in going to bed preferring instead to settle on the cool grass. There was no way I could get them into the chook pen and at 3.15am the inevitable happened. I heard a terrible commotion and by the time I shot out of bed and grabbed the torch there was Christmas hightailing it down the paddock in the direction of Fruity’s dam. Alice was nowhere to be found and I’m sure a fox had grabbed her.
Then there were none.
Fruity’s on holidays at the moment with Mrs Fruity, so I haven’t told him yet of his new addition. I don’t think he minds our ducks playing happy families on his big beautiful dam. But I think 3 escapees is enough. I miss having the ducks around the yard but I have to admit that I haven’t been very successful so far in keeping them at home for very long - or alive for very long for that matter.
Let’s hope that Christmas doesn’t become the fox’s Christmas dinner. Or yikes! Is Fruity Farmer planning on having Christmas for Christmas dinner this year?!
Paula McDougall