The ducks had broken out of their large enclosure – complete with two duck pools – for the last time. MY son-in-laws’ carefully manicured and tended pond are had been pillaged yet again by those wayward creatures. Every flowering plant save 3 or so were severely pruned.
So was the water lily which had bravely recovered from the last attack a month or so earlier. The only thing left were a few floating leaves and the stem where the beautiful flower once bloomed.
The family had tried to warn him, encourage him, cajole him months prior… finally giving up months before. So we put up a temporary fence line in hopes that it would contain the little transients.
But that effort finally failed.
So we put up a temporary fence line in hopes that it would contain the little transients.
Having suffered destruction of his garden area multiple times in the last few months, he’d finally reached a breaking point. And acquired the motivation we were waiting for.
Roast duck? Or fix the fence? We gladly let him decide the outcome this go-round.
Finding the loophole…
One duck in particular, Jemima Puddleduck, had figured out a way to get through the enclosure, enjoying the pond alone. The others couldn’t get through.
We tried in vain to find the opening, plugging up presumed holes through and beneath the fences. Since they were runner ducks, their flying abilities were limited at best, so over the fence was never seen as a viable option.
Until my son-in-law and I had to round up the recalcitrant beasts together one day.
Afternoon roundup…
On a hot, late afternoon, the littlest duck escaped again. Only this time, not to be singled out, she convinced the entire flock to come with her. After all, she wanted to share in her wanton mischief, and what better way to do that than in a crowd of like minded creatures?
Unaware of this little bird brained hatched crime spree, we were sitting in the cool air conditioned front room. Suddenly, my son-in-law jumped up from the couch.
“I could have sworn I just saw all the ducks in the front yard!” He got up to look. “YIKES!”
I heard my daughter yell, “LET THE HAWKS EAT THEM!”. But the kids and son-in-law didn’t agree.
He fled by the front door and I by the back.
“QUACK!!!” one screeched, and they all headed straight for the plastic netting that served as their barrier to the beyond.
As I opened the gate, he was just rounding the corner of the house with all the ducks ahead of him. The herded ducks aimed for toward the fence line, not the open gate.
Then they saw me standing nearby and freaked out.
“QUACK!!!” one screeched, and they all headed straight for the plastic netting that served as their barrier to the beyond.
En masse, they pushed their fat little bodies against the fence using the netting as a rock wall with their toe nails, and scrambled over the top. The fence bent down and over they all flopped.
We stood their speechless.
“What the heck just happened?” We looked at each other in disbelief.
Questions asked, questions answered…
Our questions were answered.
Sort of.
My poor SIL finally decided it was time to actually build a better fence. Being home for the first time when the action occurred instead of at work brought to light the reality of the situation.
Needless to say, excessive summer heat not withstanding, he took the kids and spent the next day building a much more proper enclosure.
While Jemima still managed one last escape (successfully blocked off), the yard now looks so much better. His pond area will recover, but the trauma of watching a group of flightless ducks climbing a fence will never leave our memories.
Animals, left to their own devices, are amazingly talented.
And ducks are far easier to herd than children….especially the ones who keep leaving open the newly built duck yard gates.