freshprincess87
Active member
On Tuesday the 10th May 2022, my worst nightmare happened. For the past 6 months, my partner and I had been caring for three ducks. One was a bit older, a junior named Mr Patito. The other two were only a few days old when they came. My partner became a wildlife carer (only birds) in 2021, and prior to that we have had (still have) other birds in the house as pet family, mostly lovebirds, but also diamond doves, and a few other medium sized species of parrots. But this post is in honour of the ducks who took over my life for the past 6 months in the most positive way until they were taken from me this week so suddenly.
Mr Patito was a pacific black duck who was found at the local airport with a neck problem/injury. He was a junior and his neck problem was solved eventually and he mostly lived in the garage with the pigeons that my partner cares for and rehabilitates. He also had a playpen in the backyard that he loved being in as it was large so he could bathe and eat and enjoy his life there. Little did I know this playpen would not protect him or the ducklings. A few months ago he was brought into the house at night time instead of the garage as I was heard a loud bang when I was putting the others to bed and I went to check and his cage had fallen down, likely because he was trying to get out. He was happier in the house, and still enjoyed the daytime in the backyard.
Princess duckling was a grey teal duckling who was found at someones house. She apparently knocked on their door and marched right inside to look for food. The wildlife organisation notified my partner and he went and brought her here at 10:30 at night on october 31st 2021. Halloween. We fed her a bit of corn and put her to bed. The next morning I told him to ask the local pet shop what to feed her since shes still so young and they recommended which starter pellets to give her and this helped her grow and become a special big girl. Actually, a small big girl, because she is a smaller duck species. She loved sleeping on my partner's shoulder, and on my slippers and leg. She loved her starter food, and peas, and corn and broccoli.
Enano, was an Australian wood duckling, who came two weeks after Princess. She was extremely small. Someone had her for 6 days and only gave her grass and it was amazing that she was still alive. She didn't really know how to eat though so sh would chase Princess duckling around thinking it's her mummy. Princess wasn't too happy about that, but eventually Enano just copied her and learned how to eat and survived and grew up to be a big tall girl. She had a small head, and big body, and she was quite clumsy and adorable. She fiercely protected Princess. They became best friends, despite being two different species and probably not understanding each other's sounds. but Princess still loved us humans a lot, and Enano was more alert and still retained some wildness to her, but followed Princess everywhere nonetheless.
They stayed in the house all the time and loved baths. The lounge room was their territory. A few weeks ago we took Princess to the vet to see why she was sneezing quite often. the vet listened to her heart beat and said she didn't have any respiratory conditions and that we should consider her environment. We decided maybe she needed more fresh air. After all, Mr Patito spent lots of days outside in his playpen and he was ok. So they had their own playpen and they spent a few hours outside. Not too long, as its quite cold here in Tasmania, Australia. They had to get acclimated to the temperature after being indoors most of their lives.
This tuesday 10th of May. I was a bit hesitant to put the two ducklings outside. Sure, it was a sunny day and a tad warmer. But Princess had a bath and wasn't sneezing as much. After she was dry, they were put outside. It was roughly midday I think. I went outside to do groceries and when I got home I really wish I had changed my chain of events. I should have gone outside to check to them. Maybe they would still be here. I asked my partner if they topped up their food etc, he said yes. I decided to put my groceries away and prepare some items for the next day's dinner. My partner also has a plover bird that lives in the backyard but is still young so she sleeps in a pen as well but roams around during the day. I thought I had her scream but I wasn't sure. A few minutes later I heard banging in the backyard. I went to open the back door and saw this monster dog there and screamed and my partner came straight away and found all three ducks DEAD. Enano had her head ripped from her body. I was in shock. My partner chased the dog away and found where he lived and banged on the door of the owners and screamed at them telling them he will call the police as their dog killed our ducks. The local council are the ones who came and seized the dog whom is now in custody marked as "not to be released" while the investigation is being conducted. The same day I saw that the playpens were still zipped up. The nxt day when we had to clean up the bloodied feathered mess, my partner found that the dog had made a hole and got to them. They were trapped. I TRAPPED MY BABIES AND THEY ENDED UP MURDERED.
How could such a cruel thing happen to such innocent little ducks? How? I am riddled with guilt. I didn't even want to put them outside. Fresh air ended up killing them all. Why didn't I go outside first to check them? Why didnt they come inside the house sooner? Why all this on tuesday? Why? I let them down. They loved us and I let them down. Princess and Enano were only 6 months old. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Mr Patito was a junior and didn't deserve this trauma.
People keep telling me it's not my fault. But it is. I don't know if Princess and Enano wanted to be outside. They loved exploring the lounge room and our slippers. I thought it would help the sneezing. Mr Patito liked being outside but he should have been inside that day.
The house feels so empty and quiet. I've suffered from anxiety and depression the last two years to the point where I've had to get medical exemptions from my study requirements and it's now just exasperated. I can't eat properly, I can't sleep properly. People don't seem to understand the pain. I raised them almost from birth. I watched them grow up. Then I saw their dead faces after being murdered. My precious Enano and her head stolen from her body. IT'S CRUEL. It's been 4 days and I can't move past this. We've lost birds before, but it was from sickness. Not murder.
I tried to attach their photos at the end of this post. I haven't posted on this website since 2016/2017. I was also a Tailfeathers Network member and posted there regularly, but I hadn't posted there since 2019. I was actually looking for it and was redirected to ParrotForums.
I'm sorry that my post is long. I feel so helpless. Everyday feels meaningless. I let my babies get murdered. I thought they were safe in their playpens but it ended up trapping them and getting them murdered. I'm so broken inside. I just cry most of the day. I have to hold back tears when cleaning up the other birds here. They don't know what's happened. Only the diamond doves seem to know as they slept in the lounge where the ducklings slept and Enano would chatter most of the night. Now they coo a bit more because they don't hear the chattering duckie. I can't stand the sound of a train honking anymore because Enano would reply the train. I guess she thought it was another duck. Princess talked like a cricket when she was a baby, and as she grew up her voice slowly changed and her junior sound became "chh chh chh". Her species also develops a crimson coloured eye as an adult. Now I'll never see her develop this.
The first photo is Princess the grey teal, on top of the couch.
Here is Enano, the Australian Wood duck, on top of a container.
And Mr Patito, pacific black duck
Mr Patito was a pacific black duck who was found at the local airport with a neck problem/injury. He was a junior and his neck problem was solved eventually and he mostly lived in the garage with the pigeons that my partner cares for and rehabilitates. He also had a playpen in the backyard that he loved being in as it was large so he could bathe and eat and enjoy his life there. Little did I know this playpen would not protect him or the ducklings. A few months ago he was brought into the house at night time instead of the garage as I was heard a loud bang when I was putting the others to bed and I went to check and his cage had fallen down, likely because he was trying to get out. He was happier in the house, and still enjoyed the daytime in the backyard.
Princess duckling was a grey teal duckling who was found at someones house. She apparently knocked on their door and marched right inside to look for food. The wildlife organisation notified my partner and he went and brought her here at 10:30 at night on october 31st 2021. Halloween. We fed her a bit of corn and put her to bed. The next morning I told him to ask the local pet shop what to feed her since shes still so young and they recommended which starter pellets to give her and this helped her grow and become a special big girl. Actually, a small big girl, because she is a smaller duck species. She loved sleeping on my partner's shoulder, and on my slippers and leg. She loved her starter food, and peas, and corn and broccoli.
Enano, was an Australian wood duckling, who came two weeks after Princess. She was extremely small. Someone had her for 6 days and only gave her grass and it was amazing that she was still alive. She didn't really know how to eat though so sh would chase Princess duckling around thinking it's her mummy. Princess wasn't too happy about that, but eventually Enano just copied her and learned how to eat and survived and grew up to be a big tall girl. She had a small head, and big body, and she was quite clumsy and adorable. She fiercely protected Princess. They became best friends, despite being two different species and probably not understanding each other's sounds. but Princess still loved us humans a lot, and Enano was more alert and still retained some wildness to her, but followed Princess everywhere nonetheless.
They stayed in the house all the time and loved baths. The lounge room was their territory. A few weeks ago we took Princess to the vet to see why she was sneezing quite often. the vet listened to her heart beat and said she didn't have any respiratory conditions and that we should consider her environment. We decided maybe she needed more fresh air. After all, Mr Patito spent lots of days outside in his playpen and he was ok. So they had their own playpen and they spent a few hours outside. Not too long, as its quite cold here in Tasmania, Australia. They had to get acclimated to the temperature after being indoors most of their lives.
This tuesday 10th of May. I was a bit hesitant to put the two ducklings outside. Sure, it was a sunny day and a tad warmer. But Princess had a bath and wasn't sneezing as much. After she was dry, they were put outside. It was roughly midday I think. I went outside to do groceries and when I got home I really wish I had changed my chain of events. I should have gone outside to check to them. Maybe they would still be here. I asked my partner if they topped up their food etc, he said yes. I decided to put my groceries away and prepare some items for the next day's dinner. My partner also has a plover bird that lives in the backyard but is still young so she sleeps in a pen as well but roams around during the day. I thought I had her scream but I wasn't sure. A few minutes later I heard banging in the backyard. I went to open the back door and saw this monster dog there and screamed and my partner came straight away and found all three ducks DEAD. Enano had her head ripped from her body. I was in shock. My partner chased the dog away and found where he lived and banged on the door of the owners and screamed at them telling them he will call the police as their dog killed our ducks. The local council are the ones who came and seized the dog whom is now in custody marked as "not to be released" while the investigation is being conducted. The same day I saw that the playpens were still zipped up. The nxt day when we had to clean up the bloodied feathered mess, my partner found that the dog had made a hole and got to them. They were trapped. I TRAPPED MY BABIES AND THEY ENDED UP MURDERED.
How could such a cruel thing happen to such innocent little ducks? How? I am riddled with guilt. I didn't even want to put them outside. Fresh air ended up killing them all. Why didn't I go outside first to check them? Why didnt they come inside the house sooner? Why all this on tuesday? Why? I let them down. They loved us and I let them down. Princess and Enano were only 6 months old. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Mr Patito was a junior and didn't deserve this trauma.
People keep telling me it's not my fault. But it is. I don't know if Princess and Enano wanted to be outside. They loved exploring the lounge room and our slippers. I thought it would help the sneezing. Mr Patito liked being outside but he should have been inside that day.
The house feels so empty and quiet. I've suffered from anxiety and depression the last two years to the point where I've had to get medical exemptions from my study requirements and it's now just exasperated. I can't eat properly, I can't sleep properly. People don't seem to understand the pain. I raised them almost from birth. I watched them grow up. Then I saw their dead faces after being murdered. My precious Enano and her head stolen from her body. IT'S CRUEL. It's been 4 days and I can't move past this. We've lost birds before, but it was from sickness. Not murder.
I tried to attach their photos at the end of this post. I haven't posted on this website since 2016/2017. I was also a Tailfeathers Network member and posted there regularly, but I hadn't posted there since 2019. I was actually looking for it and was redirected to ParrotForums.
I'm sorry that my post is long. I feel so helpless. Everyday feels meaningless. I let my babies get murdered. I thought they were safe in their playpens but it ended up trapping them and getting them murdered. I'm so broken inside. I just cry most of the day. I have to hold back tears when cleaning up the other birds here. They don't know what's happened. Only the diamond doves seem to know as they slept in the lounge where the ducklings slept and Enano would chatter most of the night. Now they coo a bit more because they don't hear the chattering duckie. I can't stand the sound of a train honking anymore because Enano would reply the train. I guess she thought it was another duck. Princess talked like a cricket when she was a baby, and as she grew up her voice slowly changed and her junior sound became "chh chh chh". Her species also develops a crimson coloured eye as an adult. Now I'll never see her develop this.
The first photo is Princess the grey teal, on top of the couch.
Here is Enano, the Australian Wood duck, on top of a container.
And Mr Patito, pacific black duck
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