Baby Duck – the smallest of the ducks that hatched last year – has always been an outsider. Last summer he was viciously attacked by his siblings and nearly lost an eye.  On the advice of friend Carmen we isolated him from the others and then, with Grandson’s logic, we placed him with his parents and away from the other ducklings.  Slowly we were able to reintegrate him into the group.  Always last out of the duck house in the morning and last in at night, all seemed calm……..until this morning when I noticed that BD (baby duck) had some nasty wounds on the back of his head and blood on his neck feathers.

I ushered all the ducks, bar BD, back into their run and gently picked him up and stroked him.  As I held him I spoke to Jeremy who was in the office in London.  “Put him in with the Silkie chicks and mothers” was his advice.  So off we went to the paddock talking and stroking as we went.  Then it was into the run with a large container of water and some duck food and no problems from the Silkie chicks or the hens.

Just now I checked on BD for the umpteenth time and he was rooting around in the soil with his beak and the wounds were drying.  Destined to be a lonely duck unless anyone knows how to stop ducks from behaving like bullies or teaching BD to turn on his attackers.