In 2016, I was staying on a friends rural North Loburn property, alongside up to 150 or so wild mallard ducks.
That winter, a strange thing started happening... ducks started showing up with ducklings....
A long warm autumn had seemingly messed up the ducks normal breeding calendar and caused many of the females to start laying eggs and hatching ducklings from late autumn.
Unfortunately for these ducks, winter was late, but not absent, and soon after the ducklings started to arrive, so did the cold, frosty, freezing weather...
Weather that even the hardiest of ducklings, with the most diligent of mothers, could not withstand.
So rather than watch these innocent, intelligent and endearing creatures suffer and die, I decided to try and help them out..... That winter I rescued and raised around 60 ducklings and their mum’s, most of whom survived to adulthood. I intended this to be a one off, short term thing only - I was not in a position to raise ducks long term! Unfortunately for me, by the end of winter, I was smitten, and the ducks just kept on coming..... injured ducks, older ducks, ducks with no voice, disabled ducks, and more....
And almost 3 years later, my spur of the moment decision in winter 2016 has become what I know will be a lifelong passion. The ducks now number close to 200, including rescued wild mallard ducks and ducklings, rescued domestic ducks, my special needs duck (and moth hunting fury), ‘Mills’, and my domestic egg laying flock who help cover some, but by no means all, of the costs.
We are now located in Eyrewell Forest and with the help of volunteers and donors I have built a ~600m square enclosure containing a large (~8m sq) pond, and numerous shelters, houses and runs. A place where any duck who needs it will find food, shelter, basic medical care, and if needed, a long term home.
The costs continue to rise, but the rewards cannot be given a monetary value. The ducks living here need your support, either via direct donations of your money, materials, or time, or by the sharing of posts and fundraising links. Your donations and support will literally save lives. I’ve well and truly lost coubnt of the ducks who are here now, that simply wouldnt be alive if it were not for donated money, materials, medical supplies and time.
The weekly feed is well over 100 kg, the cost, every cent of which comes from my own, extremely limited income, or from donated funds.
If you would like to learn more about these intelligent, complex, social and very worthy creatures, or can donate any money, materials, feed or time, please get in touch via the message button, or by texting 020 406 41485.
If you, or your friends, family or kids have any questions about ducks or duck behavior, from the serious, to the humorous, please post them on the page and I will answer them for you!
