Customer Stories and Helpful Advice About Ducks & Geese

Rose, our five-year-old black Runner, has been acting broody. We gave her several golf balls to sit on. She sat on them for two weeks, so we knew she was truly broody. We rush-ordered ten baby Mallards from Metzer Farms. They arrived at ten o'clock at night at the post office in the nearest city, so my daughter and I went and got them. At home, we let them all eat and drink. Then we went to Rose's shed with them, and turned off the lights. In the darkness, I shoved baby Mallards under Rose, one by one. By the time I had placed about half of them under her, the first ones were running around the duck pen. When the box was empty, I had my daughter very quickly flick the light on and then right off again, so I could make sure I didn't step on any of the babies on the way out. I got out of the pen, and we turned on the lights. Rose still sat on the golf balls, watching the babies as if she were surprised to see them running around instead of being under her. We waited for a while to make sure she wouldn't attack the babies. She seemed to be at peace, so we put food and water for the babies into the pen, and left.

The next day we were treated to the beautiful sight of Rose with all of her babies sheltered beneath her wings. She raised them all to adulthood. I guess she never heard about how Runners are not supposed to be good mothers.