Bobby and Dodo
Their chatter spread panic
Sometimes things turn out differently than you think. An animal-loving lady took in a gray goose chick because its mother had died. She didn't want the goose to live all alone and went in search of conspecifics.
There were no goslings to buy, so two ducklings were acquired.
The three chickens got along well - until sexual maturity set in
The gander became panicky when the two drakes began to chatter, and even tore off its feathers out of stress. It couldn't go on like this. What had happened?
Geese and also ducks are not monogamous, and can be kept in pairs or groups. However, keeping multiple male geese and/or drakes is not always without problems, and unrelenting fights can occur. That this is true is shown by the story of Bobby and Dodo.
Goose and duck - do they want to be educated by humans?
Waterfowl species such as ducks or geese are so-called nest fledglers. Raising such birds, which leave the nest immediately after hatching, in captivity requires not only a great deal of knowledge about the animals' nutritional needs.
It is of utmost importance never to raise waterfowl individually. It is imperative that these birds grow up together with conspecifics, because otherwise they would hardly be able to survive later if released into the wild.
For the sake of the animals, people should not try to raise a waterfowl. In any case, it is better for the birds to put them in expert hands, because experts in raising waterfowl usually have several birds in their care, so that the birds grow up in a natural, social environment. The birds learn important behaviors from each other that will help them survive and survive danger in the wild after release.
Bobby and Dodo are half mallard, half crested duck
What now?
Bobby's mom was a mallard and dad was a crested duck. Normally mallards have powerful pectoral muscles, they can take off and fly, and use their tail feathers to control their flight in the air.
In Dodo, the crested duck is probably more pronounced, defending its territory very much. Maybe that's where the problem with the gander comes from?
Nobody wanted to take the two ducks from the lady, in the worst case they could still have been slaughtered, but this was not an option for the desperate, animal-loving lady. She said, "I would be very happy if you could take in my two boys ..." - Dieter Ehrengruber agreed, and now Bobby and Dodo live at Gut Aiderbichl Deggendorf.
The new life of Bobby and Dodo in Deggendorf
Bobby and Dodo have meanwhile settled in very well at their new forever home in Deggendorf. The ducks Wilfried, Sofia, Maja and Lida introduce Bobby and Dodo to the conditions of the farm and everything works out wonderfully.
Nature shows us day after day that everything has and needs its time.
Learn from the speed of nature: Her secret is patience.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
