Just a Little Different?

I should preface this by stating that it was never my intention to raise an indoor duck. Nature, I've always considered, was best left to its own devices though I was free to provide food and safety to those animals I thought might benefit from it.

This same mindset applied when we purchased our first pair of ducks: A Rouen drake and a Pekin hen. Since they were both babies at the time of our acquisition, we (humans) experienced some significant (and quite understandable) gender confusion which would account our first boy-duck named Lola. Their purpose was to populate our pond, completing the image of serenity that I'd imagined ducks would bring.

Two ducks led to more ducks and before you know it, there were eight of  'em out there. Six Rouens, one Crested Pekin and our loveable Golden Cascade.

At this point in my life, I considered that perhaps I should seek out people of like-mind and find answers to those questions that come up when raising waterfowl. An internet search led me to a few "duck support" boards.

Who Would Do Such a Thing?

That's where I found what I'd considered people who TRULY needed support. I mean - some of these people had ducks living...get this...IN THEIR HOMES! But wait - it gets better. When I asked how they kept the mess I knew ducks leave in their wake, down to a minimum, I was calmly and quite naturally told, "Why, we use diapers, of course."

I know what you're thinking. I've said it myself.

"These people are insane. *I* would NEVER have a duck live in my home." Of course, this didn't include the few weeks necessary to keep ducklings (purchased from breeders) toasty warm until they were big enough to handle outdoor weather. "Let alone diaper them."

Wait for It

Life went on until this spring came along. Up until now, we collected the eggs and either ate them or gave them to friends who wanted free-range, organic duck eggs. That is - until Quiche decided to build herself a nest outside of the pen. There was nothing I could do to lure her out of her mystery hiding spot when it came time to put the gang up at night. This is how she came to be sitting a nest of 13 eggs right by my bedroom window.

Wait for It

When I discovered the nest, the eggs were about 2 weeks from hatching. I'd check in on Quiche every now and again, bringing her food and bowls of water since I knew she was reluctant to leave her egglings. I even counted and candled the eggs along the way, teaching myself to recognize certain stages of gestation.

The Fall and the Rise

Then one morning, I noticed Quiche was two eggs short of a full nest. The following morning, another was missing, and so it went until the morning of July 30 - when I found Quiche sitting on a single egg. I moved her aside to make sure I wasn't missing anything and saw then that this little eggling was watching me through a teeny-tiny hole it had poked through it's shell.

I sat there for a time, contemplating the night-snatching habits of whichever creature it was that had taken 12 eggs - and wrestled with the idea of letting nature take it's course in this particular situation.

To bring the egg indoors would guarantee an imprinted duckling which was a huge responsibility. Though he could eventually learn to adjust to living as a duck - the truth would be, according to all that I had read, that he'd be the outsider. Imprinted ducks don't just 'think' they're human. They know, with every fiber of their feathered beings, that they are every bit human as we are. Ducks can live to be a good 20 years old. We're talking LONG commitment. Would I be ready to handle something like this? Could we do it?

The answer was a whisper in my spirit. I was more willing to raise a duckling indoors than I was willing to let it be eaten by the nocturnal nightmare that kept visiting it's nest.

I welcomed the insanity I swore I would never fall prey to as I brought in the eggling that would deliver (on August 1st) our imprinted duckling, whom we named Peepers, into my 8 year old daughter's hands.

I contacted Nancy Townsend (one of the elite group of indoor, imprinted duck owners - author of "DUCK, There's a Goose in the House"), designer of the ducky diaper harness and ordered all that I would need, to do what I swore I would never, EVER consider.

But I was NOT going to simply have a diapered humuck (imprinted duck). I determined, just a few days after his hatching, that his would be a purpose driven life. I began taking him to work with me when I would care for my bed bound friend every morning. We consider this to be his "internship" for his future job as a Quack Therapist.

Friends with Benefits

His job is to bring a smile, give a snuggle and just generally, brighten her day. Before long, I realized that Peepers was providing some essential physical therapy for my friend, Di, as well.

To elaborate, Di has MS and is prone to muscle spasms which makes petting an animal like Peepers a little difficult. In order to perform the fluid movement of petting an animal, Di needs to concentrate on her muscle control. If she lapses, Peepers gently lets her know by 'whenking' softly. It's something we don't often think about as stroking an animal is something we generally take for granted.

What He Can Do for You

You would be hard pressed to find someone to argue the benefits of pet therapy which include:

• Entertainment
• Socialization
• Mental Stimulation
• Physical Touch
• Physiological Benefits

Who could benefit aside from bed bound patients like Di?

• Nursing Home Residents
• Rehab Patients
• Special Needs Students
• Children's Reading Centers
• Retirement Communities

Fees

Email name, address and phone number to QuackTherapy@aol.com

Contact Info:

Email: QuackTherapy@aol.com with your inquiries.