One Crazy Duck (well. Make that two)
February 25th 2009 01:11
Talli is the perpetually pissed off duck, where Wist is the eternally happy duck. Im serious, you cant believe it until you've seen it. Everytime you walk out on to the back deck, Talli is frowning. Wist is smiling. Its their constant state of being.
If you would like to read about Talli her posts can be found here -
Really Long Link
Really Long Link
And if you'd like to read about Wist I cant actually find his posts, so I would suggest going to my homepage and searching my posts for 'duck' but if he's mixed in with other animal posts that wont work. If there is a demand for Wist stories I will do it for you.
Ok. So, I was hoping these two might breed. Wist is just on his second birthday, Talli is about 7, a comfortable young middle age for a duck. And they are definitely male and female. I know he is breeding her at night when I lock them up, but I dont think he's actually impregnating her. Why? Because she is enticing him outside. If she were pregnant, she wouldnt bother. In the water, on the land, she does this weird thing where she stretches and flattens her body out as if she's a plank, and to make it even easier, she dips her tail down as if its a ramp. How could she possibly make it any easier?
I think it must be done in the water, Im pretty sure thats how the actual pregnancy happens. A few weeks ago, she started asking me for a nest. Where she's kept, she cant make one herself. So I found a basket...The same basket we had the kittens in, filled it with straw and gave it to her. She was overjoyed (though still with her perpetually pissed off frown) and sat in it instantly. She sat in it for days on end, getting mine - and Wists - hopes up. Oh, hasnt he been an upset Daddy since his last children - the kittens - flew the nest? He wants babies, he so wants to be a Daddy. He's so sure he's doing everything right. When we got those 40 degree days, Talli refused to go near the nest. Some thinking by me about when these two were rescued - both in autumn - led me to think they are late layers, cold ducks. So she may not do it no matter what until it gets cool. But what does that matter, when I dont think he's actually got the deed done anyway?
So, she shunned the nest. Wist started sitting on it, eternally happy smile on his wide beak, as if to say, "if you wont, then I will". He's just so determined to be a dad. I started finding her in the strangest places. Hiding under tables or stools, under the horse rugs or behind the rubbish bag.
When I bring up the night time hay, I used to put it on our old fridge. Then the fridge started to malfunction. So I started putting it on the floor again. And Talli started sitting on it. Which is the whole reason it had been put on the fridge. Horses dont exactly enjoy a side of duck shit.
Just a few minutes ago, Talli started up a distress call. A very loud, high, "Wack. Wack. Wack. Wack!" That didnt stop. Out I go. There could be so many reasons for it. One of the (Very Many) feral cats could be hunting mice. The Rouge hawk could be over head. Could be a snake. Could be a big juicy bug went under the pigeon cage and now she cant get it. Really, the possibilities are endless. They quieted down when I got there, Wist looking up at me with bright eyes and trademark smile and Talli frowning at me with her perpetually pissed off face. I dont know whats going on. But my Beast talker talent says this -
The high call was - "I need to lay eggs! Wheres my nest!" meaning the hay that was fed to the horse. And even right now Im feeling the urge to run down to the shed and get her an old chunk of hay from the straw sweepings. And see what happens.
Cos theres been fierce debate. Mum says she wont lay if I keep moving it. I say come on - this is one spoilt duck. She wacks and I go put out more food. She's friggin obese for a pacific black duck. And Wist? He's going for some kind of heavy weight championship belt we arent aware of. Ive seen domestic drakes that big, never wild pacific blacks. And, if you read the posts above, you'll know that Talli herself has survived multiple surgeries and trips to the vet that, lets face it, wild animals just cant hack. She's pretty special. She knows I'll move her eggs. In at night, out during the day.....Would you like them in the sun today Ma'm? Or under the table near the pond? Come on.
So, even though Im busy - I had to create a new email account and now Ive got about 300 files I need to email to myself, not to mention cleaning and clearing in the front yard and moving star pickets that got moved in the recent hard rain Oh, yeah, and dishes and vacuuming and kitty litter boxes Oh, almost forgot, barbed wire needs re tensioning in the new fence and lets not forget the washing OR the fact that Magnus hurt his eye and needs a saline bathe three times a day - I have to go get Talli an old hay to sit on. So I can see what happens.
If you would like to read about Talli her posts can be found here -
Really Long Link
Really Long Link
And if you'd like to read about Wist I cant actually find his posts, so I would suggest going to my homepage and searching my posts for 'duck' but if he's mixed in with other animal posts that wont work. If there is a demand for Wist stories I will do it for you.
Ok. So, I was hoping these two might breed. Wist is just on his second birthday, Talli is about 7, a comfortable young middle age for a duck. And they are definitely male and female. I know he is breeding her at night when I lock them up, but I dont think he's actually impregnating her. Why? Because she is enticing him outside. If she were pregnant, she wouldnt bother. In the water, on the land, she does this weird thing where she stretches and flattens her body out as if she's a plank, and to make it even easier, she dips her tail down as if its a ramp. How could she possibly make it any easier?
I think it must be done in the water, Im pretty sure thats how the actual pregnancy happens. A few weeks ago, she started asking me for a nest. Where she's kept, she cant make one herself. So I found a basket...The same basket we had the kittens in, filled it with straw and gave it to her. She was overjoyed (though still with her perpetually pissed off frown) and sat in it instantly. She sat in it for days on end, getting mine - and Wists - hopes up. Oh, hasnt he been an upset Daddy since his last children - the kittens - flew the nest? He wants babies, he so wants to be a Daddy. He's so sure he's doing everything right. When we got those 40 degree days, Talli refused to go near the nest. Some thinking by me about when these two were rescued - both in autumn - led me to think they are late layers, cold ducks. So she may not do it no matter what until it gets cool. But what does that matter, when I dont think he's actually got the deed done anyway?
So, she shunned the nest. Wist started sitting on it, eternally happy smile on his wide beak, as if to say, "if you wont, then I will". He's just so determined to be a dad. I started finding her in the strangest places. Hiding under tables or stools, under the horse rugs or behind the rubbish bag.
When I bring up the night time hay, I used to put it on our old fridge. Then the fridge started to malfunction. So I started putting it on the floor again. And Talli started sitting on it. Which is the whole reason it had been put on the fridge. Horses dont exactly enjoy a side of duck shit.
Just a few minutes ago, Talli started up a distress call. A very loud, high, "Wack. Wack. Wack. Wack!" That didnt stop. Out I go. There could be so many reasons for it. One of the (Very Many) feral cats could be hunting mice. The Rouge hawk could be over head. Could be a snake. Could be a big juicy bug went under the pigeon cage and now she cant get it. Really, the possibilities are endless. They quieted down when I got there, Wist looking up at me with bright eyes and trademark smile and Talli frowning at me with her perpetually pissed off face. I dont know whats going on. But my Beast talker talent says this -
The high call was - "I need to lay eggs! Wheres my nest!" meaning the hay that was fed to the horse. And even right now Im feeling the urge to run down to the shed and get her an old chunk of hay from the straw sweepings. And see what happens.
Cos theres been fierce debate. Mum says she wont lay if I keep moving it. I say come on - this is one spoilt duck. She wacks and I go put out more food. She's friggin obese for a pacific black duck. And Wist? He's going for some kind of heavy weight championship belt we arent aware of. Ive seen domestic drakes that big, never wild pacific blacks. And, if you read the posts above, you'll know that Talli herself has survived multiple surgeries and trips to the vet that, lets face it, wild animals just cant hack. She's pretty special. She knows I'll move her eggs. In at night, out during the day.....Would you like them in the sun today Ma'm? Or under the table near the pond? Come on.
So, even though Im busy - I had to create a new email account and now Ive got about 300 files I need to email to myself, not to mention cleaning and clearing in the front yard and moving star pickets that got moved in the recent hard rain Oh, yeah, and dishes and vacuuming and kitty litter boxes Oh, almost forgot, barbed wire needs re tensioning in the new fence and lets not forget the washing OR the fact that Magnus hurt his eye and needs a saline bathe three times a day - I have to go get Talli an old hay to sit on. So I can see what happens.
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