Saving Terry

My niece has an urban farm on their acreage in Edgewood, Washington, near Puyallup.  She and her husband have done amazing things since moving to the property.  Once overrun with blackberry bushes, the backyard chicken coop has taken on an entirely new and self-sustaining purpose.  Over the time that they have lived there, goats, ducks, turkeys, chickens, pigs, dogs and cats have called this place home with this incredible family, thriving under the care and attention of their new owners.

Recently, my niece attended her first livestock auction.  Her first purchase was what appears to be a Muscovy duck she has named Terry.  Poor Terry was covered in poo, dragging her wings on the ground, and limping when she arrived at the farm.  Erika feared she would not last long.

One month has passed since Terry’s arrival.  Her limp has disappeared; clean wings tuck up along her body, and her feathers are flossy.  She is even laying eggs.  My niece says, “Perhaps she is semi-useless, and will just cost money to feed, however we don’t care.  She will live out her life eating slugs, and eventually will move into the garden this spring with all the other ducks.  Best $7 that I’ve spent!”

I love this story.  It appears that Terry is a Muscovie duck.  According to the web, these are the only domestic ducks that are not derived from Mallard stock. They are a South American species. The original (wild type) coloration is black and white, but domestication has produced many more colors, including white, black, chocolate, and blue. The males are large, weighing up to twelve pounds, with the smaller females reaching only seven.  Their feet have strong, sharp claws, and are built to grasp, so they can perch on branches.  Some people consider them ugly because of the large, red, warty caruncles above their beak and around their eyes. They are, however, very personable and interesting birds, and quite intelligent. Unlike most domestic waterfowl, Muscovies will often fly up and roost. They fly fairly well, especially the smaller females, but are known more for flying around than flying away!

If I were younger, I would love having a menagerie like this.  But caring for a farm takes lots of physical effort I can no longer muster on a continuing basis.  Enjoying their life vicariously however is awesome.  I only wish they were closer to me than the two-hour drive required from our home.  I’d be over there regularly.  I would most certainly become pals with all of these marvelous creatures, and maybe even a pseudo-mother to my niece and her family-the children I always dreamt of having.