My next door neighbour raised a Pekin duck from a tiny duckling. He got Ducky from a farm that breed ducks for eating. When the neighbour went away recently, Ducky seemed distressed making loud quacking sounds. I climbed the fence to investigate. I found Ducky trying to get out of a kids wading pool which was full of filthy water but everytime he attempted to clamber over the sides, they would collapse under him. I also discovered that the bag of pellets my neighbour had left out for Ducky had closed over and he couldn’t reach them any longer. I don’t know how long he had been like this, thirsty and hungry. I got Ducky out of the pool and filled it with clean water then opened up the bag of pellets so he could get at it. (I learnt that ducks MUST have fresh clean water to wash their eyes otherwise they can get cataracts, that’s why you see them dipping their whole heads, not just their beaks into the water. And of course they need fresh water to drink.) Everyday I climbed over the fence to feed and water Ducky and enjoyed watching him.

A month later, my neighbours finally returned home. They said that someone was supposed to come around to feed Ducky but I knew that nobody had been coming because the bag eventually ran out of pellets and I had to go out and buy a new one. I felt sorry for Ducky so I asked the owners if they wanted to give him away and to my surprise they agreed. I couldn’t keep a duck myself because I don’t have the space and I already have two guinea pigs, a dog and a cockatiel. But I was lucky to find a home for him with one of those travelling animal farms.
I went to visit him the other day. The animals were working at a school fair. The owner of the animal farm is tall and wears a farmers hat. He is a nice man and very knowledgeable about animals. Ducky doesn’t have to work everyday and he has the company of other ducks, as well as food, water and shelter. So I said goodbye to Ducky and have renamed him LUCKY.