Getting Our Ducks In A Row

I try to keep my ducks in order,
but chaos seems to be more the way of the world,
doesn't it?


Seriously, though, these seven Muscovy ducks are the embodiment of chaos.


Oh, how I wish I could turn back the hands-of-time to the day
when seven adolescent ducks came home to live at the barn.
My only wish is that I had known at the time that those adorable,
fluffy, multi-colored ducklings were going to grow up to be 
these red, wrinkly-faced, testosterone-driven, barn-pooping, chaos-causing quackers!


If I had had that knowledge when they arrived,
they most definitely would have become pond ducks, rather than barn ducks.


Our runner ducks are delightful.


They roam all over the farm, 
in a somewhat orderly fashion,
like big-billed penguins without their tuxedos.



They fill their day with all sorts of merriment as they run here and there,
in search of tasty morsels.


The Muscovy ducks, also roam the farm-
much more slowly, however.
They emerge from their hut every morning and spread their wings...
shaking off the stiffness of the previous night's roosting.
Then two or three of them take to the air
on a perimeter flight around the farm.
They quietly circle the farm about fifty feet in the air,
their wings "fluff, fluff, fluff"-ing like velvet blowing in a breeze.


Then they land on the barn roof, or any other structure than the ground,


where they spend a few minutes preening before hopping back down to the ground
to start their day of foraging.


Meanwhile, the Runners have logged their first mile or two of running.
The Runners seem happy until one of the slow-waddling, single-focussed


male Muscovy ducks decides to pin a Runner down and have his way.
This is usually followed by another Muscovy and sometimes a third male joining
in the "attack".


It takes human intervention to stop this nonsense,
and if we are present, 
we intervene.

Luckily, the Runners are fast and hard for these heavy-footed, slow waddlers to catch.


Jack and I are beginning to think that the barnyard would be a happier place without
the seven Muscovy ducks -
at least without the five males.


The odd thing is this:
one of the Muscovy ducks spends every day following the Runners around.
This duck doesn't seem to be interested in anything but searching for food.


It's almost as if he thinks he might be a Runner duck himself...
except for the fact that he cannot run to save his soul.
But as they say, "slow and steady wins the race"...
and this Muscovy just keeps on waddling...
wherever the Runners go.


Our tentative plan is to take the Muscovy ducks down to the pond and see if they will stay there.
My bet is that they will be right back up at the pond within minutes.
Jack suggested that we cover the cage that we use for transporting with a sheet, so that they
cannot see where we are going.
I added to that... that perhaps we should drive them to the pond in a rather
circuitous manner.

Jack countered with the idea that most likely, as soon as they hear the
familiar sound of donkeys braying,
they will head right back up to the barn.

So, you see... we might never have our ducks in order!

Comments

colleen said…
That's a lot of ducks to get in a row!! Runners please take your hands out of your pockets then maybe you wouldn't get pinned down so :) They amuse me and I could watch them all day. TFS
Rita B Caldwell said…
I've never cared for the muscoveys and they can become mean around small children.
We do love our white Pekin ducks and I'm wondering how they survive the winter when they can't get out on the pond to bathe. I'm so afraid a varmint will sneak in on them and right now they're my only egg layers. Thirty + chickens and all I get are duck eggs but the wonderful during this baking season.
I think I would try to find another farm for the muscoveys if I were you, especially those males!!
diane in northern wis said…
I have always loved your runner ducks, but ugh, I don't like the Muscoveys, especially the males. I'd be finding a new home for them for sure. I'm sure you guys will figure something out. So many things to consider and worry about with all the critters running around your farm. You do such a great job of taking care of everybody!
Dee J. Hartman said…
While you are trying to put your ducks in a row, tonight I am trying to count sheep! Blame it on drinking coffee in the evening! LOL...Sweet dreams....
Anonymous said…
Love watching the ducks. You may not have your "ducks in a row" but you have them in the same pond.