Hickory, Dickory, and Duck

About three weeks ago, I spotted three very large, very domestic-looking ducks living in a public pond here in Fallon, Nevada. Unlike the wild ducks around them, these three were clearly farm ducks. Someone had apparently dumped them there and left them to fend for themselves.

I couldn't stop thinking about them.

I spoke with a park employee who was aware of the ducks. He explained that if they didn't leave on their own, they would eventually have to be euthanized on October 19. If we couldn't find another solution, that was their deadline.

The farm ducks, to the left, are 3x the size of wild ducks.

I began feeding them about two weeks ago, gradually earning their trust. I didn't want to chase them around the pond or frighten them. I needed them to feel comfortable enough around people that we might have a chance of catching them safely.

Meanwhile, I put out the word to everyone I knew here in Fallon and the Fallon Facebook Page that three domestic ducks needed a home. I was looking for someone local with the right setup, experience, and willingness to take them in and let them live out their lives.

A friend who’s on the dog rescue board that I’m on had a friend who had a friend that had a Hip Camp called Model Farm. Julie, the owner, was more than happy to take them in! She’s about an hour away in Reno…outside of Pyramid Lake.

Operation Duck Rescue

Finding a home was one thing. Actually catching three ducks who had perfectly good reasons to distrust humans? That was another.

I recruited two dear friends to help me. One of them, I should mention, very much dislikes birds.

We worked together to gently corral the three ducks into a dog crate. It was MUCH easier than I had anticipated. And ducks weigh nothing. They were so light!

With the ducks secured in a dog crate, I put them in the back of my truck and made the trip to Reno. The whole process, from catching them to getting them to their new home, took about 4 hours.

Welcome Home, Hickory, Dickory & Duck!

Model Farm turned out to be just about the perfect place for these three.

They have a big pond, lots of other rescued ducks and geese, and people who feed and care for them daily. Instead of trying to survive in a public pond with an uncertain food supply and an uncertain future, they now have a place where they can live among other waterfowl and be cared for.

When we arrived, I opened the crate.

They hopped right out and headed straight into their new pond.

No hesitation. No looking back. In one of the videos, you can spot them swimming together in the background while they begin exploring their new home. After all the worry about how to catch them and where they would go, seeing them in that pond was an enormous relief.

They were safe. They had a home.

Three Ducks, One Happy Ending

I'm so grateful to my two friends, Holly and Nikki, who helped with the capture, the park employee who was willing to work with me toward a humane outcome, and Model Farm for giving Hickory, Dickory, & Duck a safe place to land. I brought her a big bag of duck food and enough money to feed them for a year. I told her that every year, she’ll get a donation from me as well.

And to whoever abandoned these three domestic ducks: please don't do this to animals. Domestic animals depend on people. Releasing them into a public pond isn't a responsible way to rehome them. It is a miracle a coyote or a bird dog didn’t kill them.

If you can no longer care for an animal, please seek out a rescue, sanctuary, or responsible new owner. There are so many people who will help you.

As for Hickory, Dickory, & Duck? Their story has a happy ending.

May your ponds always be full, your food bowls never empty, and your future be filled with happy quacks. 🦆❤️