Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary

09/10/2024

Stoney & Royal debut at LGRS

Over the weekend, the highly anticipated BLM Mustangs Stoney & Royal arrived at the sanctuary. They are very bonded to each other and get along famously! Despite being rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada and Utah, these precious beasts are now quite tame. I would like to express my gratitude to several people for their involvement in rescuing these guys. I want to give a special thanks to Jill Robertson-Fuoco, a friend and advocate for wild horses and burros, along with her fellow rescuer and fundraiser Nicole Scholl. I'd also like to thank Melanie Witherspoon and her daughter Mallory for quarantining, feeding, and transporting these bay geldings to us. Additionally, we are grateful for our dear friend and ranch hand Connor Lowery for his assistance with both the intake and care of these fellows here at the ranch.

In this short video, you will see that Stoney (on the left) and Royal are quite tame. Our new (giant) Hanoverian warmblood, Eli, was looking on and kicking up a fuss over all the attention the newbies are getting. Eli is very interested in these Mustangs and has been "talking" to them, and even grooming them from over his pasture fence.

Stoney is 3 years old and was rounded up in the wilds of Antelope Valley, UT. He stands at 14.3 hands. Royal is 6 years old and was taken from the wilds of Indian Lake, NV. He too is 14.3 hands high. Based on their interactions with the donkeys and Buddy the mule, it looks like these fellows are fast friends and will do just fine here. If any of you animal lovers are interested in seeing them face to face, let me know if you are passing through the Waco area and we can make arrangements.

Over the weekend, the highly anticipated BLM Mustangs Stoney & Royal arrived at the sanctuary. They are very bonded to each other and get along famously! Des...

08/01/2024

Dear friends and family, I am running a special, one-time fundraising campaign for two BLM Mustang geldings, "Royal" and "Stoney," who are destined to join us at the LGRS ranch in a few weeks. We are seeking to partially defray the cost of quarantine care and transport. Any amount starting at five dollars would be a big help. Click on the link here to the special fundraising page to donate securely. Many thanks!

😃P.S. Don't be confused about the link photo here that shows two of our sanctuary donkeys Zeus and Kharma

There is an epidemic of unwanted and abandoned animals in the United States. These include exotic pets and domestic animals that are often "let loose" or neglected. All too often small exotics are purchased "on impulse" at trade shows, flea markets, and pet stores. Breeders and sellers of these anim...

07/26/2024

This is our newest addition to the sanctuary. His name is Eli and he's a four-year-old dark bay Hanoverian warmblood. He's a bit toed-in at his front hooves so he cannot be ridden. Our donor friends Roxanne and Bryan, who traveled four hours to get here with Eli, thought he'd be well-paired with our dear mare Cowgirl, who watches over the sheep herd. We agree!

Eli is 17.3 hands high. That's just shy of six feet at the withers, making him a pretty big boy. He weighs about 1,800 pounds... With the help of our sanctuary staffers Connor and Emily, Eli is settling in just fine. He's starting to get used to those sheep running between his legs when it's time to eat, and he's friendly with all of us. Next time you visit LGRS, we'd be happy to introduce you to him!

07/06/2024

Mule And Donkey Dirtbath

At the beginning of the video, you'll notice some interesting body language. A line of John Donkeys is being closely watched by Buddy (the chestnut mule), positioned on the left. Herschel, the brown donkey, bends his knees to get ready for a dirt bath. However, at the 20-second mark, the mule gestures towards him. The donkeys make way for the mule, who typically prefers to disrupt whatever activity the donkeys are involved in. Buddy is dominant and will often chase them around. They never really hurt each other, but Buddy likes to boss them.

Now Zeus and his son Kharma (the Piebald John Donkeys), provide a defensive shield for Herschel so he can take his dirt bath in peace. Zeus and Kharma position themselves on either side of Herschel during his bath. Afterwards, Zeus gives him a loving nudge indicating that it's time to move on so father and son can have their turn.

It's common for donkeys to "bookend" another donkey who is dirt-bathing to show support, as being on one's back is a vulnerable position. Therefore, at least one donkey will always stand guard while the other is taking a roll.

In the last frame, you can see the donkeys moving off to the shade of a line of hackberry trees on the east side of their pasture. See you this afternoon at feeding time, guys!

At the beginning of the video, you'll notice some interesting body language. A line of John Donkeys is being closely watched by Buddy (the chestnut mule), po...

03/13/2024

Mule Chases Donkeys

Our Buddy, the sorrel mule, loves to show off by chasing the John Donkeys around. It's all good fun, and the donkeys will even chase Buddy.

Here he is running down Hershel, a 15-year-old donkey who came to the sanctuary when we were located in Van Alstyne, Texas. Our friend Connor took this video before he was about to feed Buddy and his donkey friends. At the end of the video, you'll notice that Buddy stops chasing the donkeys and comes running to Connor for food.

Our Buddy, the sorrel mule, loves to show off by chasing the John Donkeys around. It's all good fun, and the donkeys will even chase Buddy. Here he is runnin...

12/19/2023

Hackberry tree silhouette sunrise in Bosque county Texas this morning….

11/27/2023

Donkeys Raid UTV

Our dear friend Connor captured this image as he was doing a perimeter check with the Cub Cadet UTV. It's a good idea to check for breaks in the fence line because if there is a break, the donkeys or mule will inevitably jump through it onto a neighbor's property. It's a real chore to round them up so checking and fixing fence is a constant chore.

Donkeys are not only very curious, but they are always begging for food and treats. If fact they act as is they are not fed - always scrounging and braying and kicking at gates for more food. Here, these rambunctious fellows are poking around in the UTV convinced that there's food to be had. Well, three of the John Donkeys and Buddy the Mule anyway. Herschel was a somewhat of an innocent bystander.

No, there was no food, but they hung out waiting for the next best thing: attention.

11/08/2023

Backhoe Back Where You Belong

Our 50-year-old International Harvester 2500 Series backhoe is home again after a stint at the backhoe "hospital." Here's a shout-out to Alphatech Hydraulics (Speegleville TX area) for breathing new life into this beautiful old machine. They just finished replacing o-ring, u-seals, wiper rings, piston seals, swing cylinder seal kits, valve seals etc. It was leaking hydraulic fluid from the right-hand outrigger (stabilizer) and the swing boom quit moving to and fro. In the process, the team at Alphatech disassembled and reassembled the swing, outrigger cylinder, and valve body. All told about 35 hours of work. Although not brand new, the backhoe can now dig holes again!

At first we were concerned that after selling the old F-350, that the lighter-weight F-250 would be able to haul this machine. The flatbed itself weighs over 5,000 pounds and is rated for a payload of just shy of 15,000 pounds. The backhoe itself weighs 13,500 pounds. So the F-250 is hauling close to 19,000 pounds... We put it in "tow" mode and just took it nice and slow for the 50-mile round trip. Thankfully, the F-250 fared well and did not overheat.

The process of getting that old backhoe up on to the trailer and securing it is a bit tedious. The only way to get it up the ramp without catching any parts on the trailer is to back it in. This is a little scary because there's not a lot of room on one side or the other side. I secure the boom to the front part of the trailer frame with chains and then use a long-necked padlock to secure the chains in place.

We also use four ratcheting load binders to cinch-up the chains that hold the backhoe in place at four other points. Same trick with the long-necked padlocks for those points... It ain't overkill. You don't want this machine slipping off and causing deadly mayhem on the road! Here is a photo of the whole rig from truck to flatbed to backhoe.

10/09/2023

Ducks meet at water buckets

You've heard the phrase: "like a duck to water." Yep, it's really true. Our ducks - all ten of them - just love to stick their heads in the mud, in water buckets - anywhere they can. Sure they have a little mud pond and two stock tanks to paddle around in, but these little ones just love lining up at the communal water bucket to dunk their heads and socialize.

Much like dogs, a duck will wag its tail if it is happy or when they see someone familiar approaching or when they see food. Head-bobbing is also a sign of excitement and happiness. I guess the black and white one on the left-hand side is the happiest!

You've heard the phrase: "like a duck to water." Yep, it's really true. Our ducks - all ten of them - just love to stick their heads in the mud, in water buc...

09/19/2023

Buddy the mule takes a dirt bath

Right towards the end of the heat wave here in central Texas, we got a small sun shower and Buddy the mule could not wait to wallow in some light mud. Now, because he is kind of a bully, the donkeys do not watch over him as he's on his back (like they do for one another).

Despite the solo nature of his bath, he takes two full dips and does a nice shake afterwards. Aww, now doesn't that feel good Buddy! One of these days Buddy will warm up to the donkeys and they will take communal baths. Maybe that's not too far from now because we did see him playing tag with them last week. Stay tuned!

Right towards the end of the heat wave here in central Texas, we got a small sun shower and Buddy the mule could not wait to wallow in some light mud. Now, b...

06/26/2023

Eastern Hognose Snake

Although the Eastern Hognose snake enjoys a wide range in the Eastern United States, it is also common in Central- to Eastern Texas. We've posted here before about one individual we encountered during a hay ride at the sanctuary. This one came up on to the back patio at the house and was content with sliding up to the door to take a rest.

What's truly interesting about the hognose is that it will puff up its neck like a cobra and hiss loudly in a terrific defensive display when bothered. We've seen this and it's spectacular. A second behavior that we have not seen is rolling over on its back and convulsing. It then plays dead even to the point of staying limp when picked up off the ground.

You might wonder what this snake does with its upturned nose... In search of food, it will use its snout to dig in to the ground, much like feral hogs do. It feeds frogs and toads who hibernate underground just like this snake does. They can get pretty large, too. We've seen them at about three and half feet long. Despite being targeted by hawks for food, these snakes are abundant here.

05/28/2023

Goose Kisses from Hotlips

Our geese are so noisy when it's time to come feed the critters at the old barn! They really make a racket, not because they are hungry but rather to get attention. They crave attention and petting as this video shows. Hotlips the Chinese goose is always front and center to get attention. The white one (Gilligan) usually just hangs behind Hotlips but still likes to stay close when she's hogging up all the affection. Meanwhile, Hawkeye stays out of arms' reach. He's the cautious one of the bunch.

You can see that Hotlips returns her affection by nibbling at my arm and hand with her massive beak. She is not full-on biting but rather just making contact I suppose in an attempt to return the favor of the attention she is getting. You an also see a lot of vegetation that has grown up in their little goose corral. They have been there for years now not even attempting to fly out. Of course, they know how to fly and have the ability to leave the corral and their portion of the barn any time they want. But they don't. Instead, they waddle around in their two pools and lounge under the vegetation.

Our geese are so noisy when it's time to come feed the critters at the old barn! They really make a racket, not because they are hungry but rather to get att...

05/14/2023

We have been fortunate these past few weeks to get some rain here in North Central Texas. Bosque County is a veritable wildflower canvas with dozens of plant species touting their beauty. We are also happy to see the prickly pear cactus in full bloom - with a surprising array of colors and shades. The ranch animals are very happy right now. The grasses are rich and they are not hanging out in the barn waiting to be fed hay. Instead, we are happy to report, they are happily grazing. We hope the rain keeps up during the summer as well. Sure beats the drought conditions we've suffered so many years.

04/18/2023

Barn Kitties Playing Hide and Seek

OK besides goat kids in pajamas cavorting and gamboling about, what's the cutest thing ever? Yep kitties playing hide and seek. Here they are, just shy of two months old, having fun playing around a hay bale.

The adults are slated to be spayed/neutered this time next week, then it will be the turn of the little ones and their mom. Meanwhile, yet another female is expecting so we are working hard to stay ahead of the cat population explosion around here.

Although they are technically feral, these cats are warming up to us and it should not be too hard to trap them and carry them over to our friends at Bosque Spay Neuter. (See http://www.bosquespayneuter.org/).

https://youtu.be/-xBgDWX4Xm8

OK besides goat kids in pajamas cavorting and gamboling about, what's the cutest thing ever? Yep kitties playing hide and seek. Here they are, just shy of tw...

04/08/2023

Rooster Relaxation

Our Black Australorp rooster just loves to sunbathe in the dirt. He shares a chicken house and aviary with 18 hens and five ducks. While the hens are feeding he patiently waits for them to finish their breakfast as he contemplates rooster things...

He's thinking: First, I will position myself in a way that I can get some direct sunlight at the edge of the aviary. Second, I will dig myself a hole in the dirt and wallow around a little. Third, I will just relax as the girls have their meal. Ahh, life at the ranch is sublime.

Yes, especially as predation has dropped to zero when the aviary was constructed. Now, none of the flock have been decimated by owls and hawks. We loved seeing them free range, but there is a cost to that: predation. So although the flock cannot go wherever they want to go, they nonetheless have plenty of room to scratch in the dirt, play in the mud, and change scenery from the house to the aviary.

Our Black Australorp rooster just loves to sunbathe in the dirt. He shares a chicken house and aviary with 18 hens and five ducks. While the hens are feeding...

04/02/2023

Kitties Share Meal

The five barn cat kitties are coming along development-wise. They've moved from the bucket which served as their home for about a month and now wander about and next in different places in the barn. They are beginning to venture outside of the gated feed room area where they were born. Fortunately, the donkeys are tolerating them and have so far not harassed the little ones.

Here, you can see a few of them plopping themselves down in the middle of one of the food bowls to have a meal. Yes, they are eating solid food at five weeks old. In five more weeks, they have an appointment with the doctor for neutering and inoculations.

The five barn cat kitties are coming along development-wise. They've moved from the bucket which served as their home for about a month and now wander about ...

03/20/2023

Sunrise this morning at the ranch... March 20, 2023

03/16/2023

Barn Cat Kitties!

One of our barn cats had kittens three weeks ago and their eyes are now open. Mom has been keeping the kitties in an old paint bucket despite the fact that we've set up better comfy boxes for her. She is doing a great job of caring for them!

At twelve weeks old, we will be taking them over to our friends at Bosque Spay Neuter (http://www.bosquespayneuter.org/). These folks are a local non-profit that helps families get their cats and dogs fixed. They do this by transporting them to Waco where they have an arrangement with the ABC clinic for very affordable spay/neuter and rabies shots. If you can please donate to these folks on their web site.

03/01/2023

Goat Treats for Rufus and Friends

Wow do these goats at the sanctuary love carrot nibs as a treat! We usually spread them around on the ground so they can forage but sometimes we are surrounded and of course the big blonde "Rufus" horns in to take more than his fair share.

Rufus is a Boer / Nubian mix wether that's about 12 years old. He's still going strong considering the life expectancy of goats is between 8 - 14 years. He's already outlasted some of his buddies, and he continues to crave attention, boss around the other critters and take front and center when it's feeding time. As most visitors to the sanctuary are aware, you cannot simply walk past Rufus without him blocking your path to demand attention. His nickname therefore is the "Toll Taker."

Unlike sheep, who are primarily grazers, goats both graze and forage. Goats are opportunistic in their search for vegetable matter including leaves (up in trees), fruits, and even bark. Goats will devastate saplings and smaller trees by stripping their bark and stripping leaves off branches. They are also great at eating pervasive species such as bamboo and poison ivy. A popular yet false belief is that goats will eat anything - even tin cans. That's not true. They may eat the paper off of a tin can, but they won't eat the can!

Wow do these goats at the sanctuary love carrot nibs as a treat! We usually spread them around on the ground so they can forage but sometimes we are surround...

02/14/2023

This morning we got a lot of rain and then the sun came out and produced this fine rainbow that you an see on the left of the house. So beautiful!

01/26/2023

Buddy the Mule is the Boss

Here is another installment in the series dealing with the dynamics between the John Donkeys and the Mule at LGRS. Here, sorrel mule "Buddy" is lording it all over the John Donkeys at feeding time. They know the routine... When they hear the sheep bleating and the chickens cackling, the donkeys come running to the edge of the dry lot for their evening meal.

Buddy knows that the long, black trough is his. He does not like the idea that Zeus, Kharma, and Jules are waiting at his feeding place to steal food from him. Those John donkeys have their own feed buckets and they know well that the trough is Buddy's.

Nonetheless, they are "poking the bear" by hanging out there when they know it's time to be fed. We cannot explain this behavior except to say that the donkeys, while smaller, are tough and are trying to assert their own sense of domain.

When it is not feeding time, these critters are often playing and chasing each other around and hanging out together peacefully. But when it is feeding time, no more mister nice guy!

Here is another installment in the series dealing with the dynamics between the John Donkeys and the Mule at LGRS. Here, sorrel mule "Buddy" is lording it al...

01/12/2023

Donkeys Play Musical Feed Buckets

As kids we used to play "Musical Chairs" and when the music stopped we'd scramble for a seat and one person was always stuck without a place to sit down. Progressively, a chair would be removed until only one person was seated. Brutal if you were a sensitive child...

Donkeys, on the other hand, would not take that type of game "sitting down." Therefore, we try to spread out the troughs and buckets to minimize the fighting at feeding time. These animals love ritual and social order, so the order of feeding is pretty much established from most dominant to least dominant.

Here, the donkeys start to crowd in to the mule's trough as usual. They know very well that trough is not for them, yet they try to pilfer some of the mule's food before he comes charging up to snort at them or otherwise push them out of the way. I reckon the donkeys consider it a badge of honor to steal food from the mule before they are summarily run off! And the mule kind of goads them into it by hanging back a little as they do their pilfering. He too knows it's his trough and I guess he delights in running them off.

Once the mule establishes his eating priority the donkeys crowd the first, then the second and finally the third bucket ritualistically. This time, Zeus and his son Kharma pair-off and share the last bucket. Sometimes Jules (the dark brown one) will run back and forth jamming his head into each bucket to assert his dominance amongst the other donkeys. Herschel (the light brown one) is on the low end of the pecking order so sometimes Jules will hog two buckets and leave Herschel wanting. This time; however, Herschel is fortunate enough to hang on to his own bucket...

As kids we used to play "Musical Chairs" and when the music stopped we'd scramble for a seat and one person was always stuck without a place to sit down. Pro...

12/23/2022

Blankie for Cowgirl

First, yes we know how dirty this mare is. She rolled in the mud and then the temperature plummeted to about 9 degrees. Usually, we will brush off most of the mud and then wash it out. But it's just too cold for that. So she'll have to wait until it warms up a bit to get entirely clean...

Here I am fitting Cowgirl for an insulated horse blanket. Some folks say horses are tough as nails and don't really need to be blanketed in the winter. Sure, but for a 25 year-old mare, I'll make an exception. Cowgirl likes to roll whilst blanketed because she often wants to rub it off. But there are belly bands and fasteners below the neck at the shoulder so it stays on pretty well.

Although Cowgirl is pretty patient, she gets restless in the morning before she's been fed. When I call her and she runs into her stall, she's expecting to be fed, not fitted with a blanket. Despite the fuss, she cooperates and gets her reward quickly.

I'll take off the blanket when the temperature goes back up to the thirties, but until then, it stays on. Speaking of warmth, it is interesting that the sheep - even though they have thick wool - have a tendency to crowd around the horse when it's cold. She allows this and is very tolerant of their crowding. This morning, eight sheep were at her feet in the barn!

First, yes we know how dirty this mare is. She rolled in the mud and then the temperature plummeted to about 9 degrees. Usually, we will brush off most of th...

11/29/2022

Muddy Donkey Hay Time

Boy do those John Donkeys love to roll in the mud after a big rain! Here they are down at the old hangar barn jostling for hay and showing off their dirty hides. Once it clears up, the mud will flake off and they'll groom chunks dirt clods out of each others' manes.

Even "Buddy" the mule has been rolling in mud. He's slowly integrating in to the herd as well. He's much larger than the donkeys so he has a tendency to dominate the smaller equines. Here, you can see Buddy loitering outside the barn as I go in to the feed room to fetch some hay. The donkeys are bunching up at the entrance to the feed room kind of crowding me. Buddy will usually wait until there are only two donkeys before he exerts dominance at feeding time.

At the beginning of the video, Jules (the dark donkey) peers at Buddy through the swinging gate to the feed room. Buddy stays outside for a little while, biding his time until he sees an opportunity to maneuver himself.

After tossing some hay into the middle of the barn, Jules and Herschel go after that and I'm able to clear a path so I can get a flake or two closer the the entrance to coax Buddy in to the barn. Here you can see Kharma and his dad Zeus make for the bucket right away.

Equine body language is very nuanced... It only takes a moment for Buddy to cross the threshold into the barn to assert control of the hay. Note how he offers a few clues to the others: 1) Upon entering, he bends his ears all the way back; 2) He gestures towards them with a slight head nod; and 3) he swings his hips in towards them ever so slightly. This combination is a clear sign that he means business! That's all it takes for Kharma and Zeus to back away.

Boy do those John Donkeys love to roll in the mud after a big rain! Here they are down at the old hangar barn jostling for hay and showing off their dirty hi...

11/16/2022

Mouse Ball in Chicken Coop

We are surprised to see just how brazen these field mice are down at the hangar barn. Despite the fact that chickens are omnivores, they have failed to dispatch these mice. Typically, mice will brave entry into a chicken coop to pilfer food while the birds are sleeping. But to do it in "broad daylight" is not normal.

However, just outside the nesting box the mice are balled-up in, shines a heat lamp. Perhaps a chance to warm up together is just too much of a temptation for them!

It is interesting to observe how mice will ball-up into a close huddle and rotate their positions from the center of the ball - then to the edges - and then back again. This organizational behavior can also be observed with penguins that huddle together in sub-zero climates.

Meanwhile, the eight feral barn cats sit idly by as mice scurry in and out of the barn. The cats are seemingly oblivious to the rodents. Perhaps they are spoiled by us feeding them so well as has been asserted by our old friend Tom Marks in an earlier post about the cats...

We are surprised to see just how brazen these field mice are down at the hangar barn. Despite the fact that chickens are omnivores, they have failed to dispa...

11/08/2022

Hognose Snake Encounter

This past weekend encountered a hognose snake during a hayride here in Bosque County. These strange-looking snakes are active during the day so you will see them out and about quite often here. When they get alarmed by something or threatened, they will stretch out and flatten their necks like a cobra does. Some people call them "puff adders" for this reason, although they are not highly venomous like a real African puff adder.

They do manufacture venom in their saliva. That venom is useful in subduing small critters, but it's not effective in hurting humans. And they do not often try to bite humans so most experts don't classify them as "poisonous" like rattlesnakes or copperheads.

In fact hognose snakes are known for "playing dead" like an opossum. Since they are somewhat timid, they are often often sold and kept as pets. If you raise them as snakelets, they will become very accustomed to humans and even friendly.

If you do get bit by one; however, it's worth a trip to the doctor for a tetanus shot and antibiotics. They can grow up to four feet and live up to 10 years in the wild. Some folks who keep them as pets and treat them well can extend this life expectancy to 20 years.

10/26/2022

Goat Day Afternoon

No matter how old they are, goats have a tendency to stick close to mamma when resting. Here, our sweet little doe "Sheba" is bookended by her two sons Sydney (foreground) and Saul (background). Sheba is a Nigerian Dwarf. Sydney is mostly Nigerian Dwarf as well. Saul; however is half Nigerian and Half La Mancha. You can see the mark of a La Mancha with Saul as his ears are very small and he has wattles on his neck. His dad, Guinness is the brown La Mancha you see 32 seconds in to the video.

Notice how Sheba comes up to me when I approach. She's always been affectionate and eager to get attention. Her sons are a bit stand-offish compared to her.

As is typical, Rufus, the big blonde-colored Nubian/Boar whether bleats out his disapproval as I pay attention to Sheba. He wants to be the center of attention so he will either cry out to me when any other goat gets attention or on some occasions, he will run up and butt the other goat out of the way so he can have center stage.

No matter how old they are, goats have a tendency to stick close to mamma when resting. Here, our sweet little doe "Sheba" is bookended by her two sons Sydne...

10/07/2022

Ducks Paddle and Drill Mud

The ducks at LGRS (Lucky Glider Rescue and Sanctuary) are so fun to watch. When we built the aviary, we were sure to add stock tanks for them to paddle about in. We also routinely flood one part of their enclosure with water. Why? Well, not only do ducks enjoy water, but they doubly enjoy drilling into the mud.

You can observe ducks jamming their bills into the mud and a lot of folks think they are actually eating the mud. They are not really eating the mud. Instead, they are using their bills to sift the mud in a search for edible bugs or plant material.

What's interesting is after we feed them the good stuff (a mixture scratch grains, protein crumble, cabbage, and cantaloupe), they will eat some of that but five minutes later make a bee-line for the mud so they can drill. I reckon it's just part of their DNA that they gotta drill!

We have both Cayuga and Khaki Campbell ducks. The Khaki Campbell (brown ones) are kind of famous because of a Thai tradition in which ducks are used to clean recently harvested rice paddies.

There's a great video on YouTube that describes this. It features a Thai duck producer who releases 10,000 ducks for a few months on the rice paddies to eat snails and left-over rice husks. They call it "ped lai thoong" which translates to "field-chasing ducks." They use the ducks to "clean" the paddies which is apparently a big tradition in Thailand. For the duck producer, the benefit is they don't have to feed the ducks until they mature, because there are plenty of bugs and snails to eat in the rice stubble. For the rice farmer, the benefit is a reduced need for pesticides and other chemicals. And amazingly, the ducks make it easier for the farmers to plough the land for the new plantings because the ducks flatten out the ground as they move along. It's a win-win for both duck producer and rice farmer. This gargantuan raft of ducks is corralled, loaded up ramps onto trucks, then transported to different rice fields in the area.

In the wild, ducks will eat seeds, pond weeds, frogs, tadpoles, crustaceans, and of course, as the famous ones in Thailand - snails.

The ducks at LGRS (Lucky Glider Rescue and Sanctuary) are so fun to watch. When we built the aviary, we were sure to add stock tanks for them to paddle about...