Thu, 04/06/2009 - 18:05 | 
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Send to friendIt is with great regret that I announce the untimely death of 2 of our newly aquired Indian Runner Ducks!
Whilst a group of us were enjoying a Curry & Comedy evening in Newport yesterday evening, a fox was helping his/herself to our new drake. Usually the 3 ducks pack themselves off to bed, but not last night. A late night search revealed nothing but this morning a few feathers were the clue to what had happened. However, the sad story continues: I assume one of the 2 remaining ducks had had such a fright (do ducks have heart attacks?) that we found her dead in the stable this morning. So not a very happy start to our new hobby!
I've already made sure that a full 7000 volts are protecting our chickens in the orchard... just in case we have another visit!
Does anyone have Indian Runners for sale?
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That's a pity, but how would you feel if those little fox cubs didn't get their dinner!?
Sad news. So many perils attached to nature. We've taken duck off the menu as a mark of respect. Don't get any guinea fowl as that has replaced the duck.
Funnily enough I did think about getting guinea fowl, they are rather smart but make a sound like a creaking gate. BH would get totally fed up with that in a very short time! Trouble is, now it's a real chore to get the single duck off the pond in the evening. BH has to don his fishing waders and brave the smelly, murky depths of the pond armed with the shepherd's crook which he waves about from side to side. The little duck just swims around him in circles. Of course it's hugely funny except if we are going out and need to get her in in a hurry! We shall have to get her some friends as soon as possible. On the other hand we could build one of those floating duck houses that only MP's can afford!
On the subject of finding more ducks, I came across the Indian Runner Ducks Association (web link below), just one of the many websites I subscribe to! When looking closer at the site, I noticed that they list a few breeders across the UK, two of whom are based in Powys, Mid Wales.
http://www.runnerduck.net/
If you want me to pick up a couple before I come back to St Dogwells then please send through an order to the usual address, remembering to allow for 75p per mile getting there and back.
On the subject of "do ducks have heart attacks?". I cant find any common evidence online of ducks dying from shock/ fright or heart attacks after an attack like this. However, I did read that it is quite common for chickens to "keel over" after an attack but only if they themselves have been bitten. Depending on (if and) where the lady duck was bitten, apparently they can just drop instantly!
As for floating duck houses, Brian, do not try to float the "newly restored" chicken house I recently finished on the pond, there is enough Creosote on that thing to kill anything that gets within 10 feet of it*
It's Saturday night, I'm 24 years old and I'm writing about dead ducks at 9:30pm. I really need to get out more.
* PS, before I get complaints, it's a creosote substitute and friendly to the environment (i'm told)!!!
You certainly do!!!