Hope & Francis

Hope - 1 week old

Hope is the baby duckling hatched with only one leg that works -the bad one is stuck in the bent position and won't move.... anyway, I was never sure she would make it at first. She could barely reach the food or water, and didn't seem interested. I held her up to the food and water several times a day and she would eat and drink, but would not eat or drink on her own. I just couldn't let her die - she was too special.

Here she is 3 weeks later eating, hopping around on one leg and eating like a duck (if anyone knows ducks, they eat a LOT for such a small critters.) She is so full of life that nobody would ever suspect she had such a rough start, except for her size. She's much smaller than the other ducks hatched around the same time.

Hope 3 weeks old (on right)

Today, I saw the most amazing act of kindness between two different species I was completely warmed and had to share.

Francis (named after St. Francis) is a beautiful Pea Hen who has been in my company for about a year now. She decided this spring it was time to expand her family, and laid on about 4 eggs for almost 2 months. Poor Francis did not have any success. We eventually had to remove the eggs as we discovered they were not going to hatch, but eventually rot. Francis has been ok with this fact and has gone on to do the 'Peacock' things she loves to do. However, after noticing baby ducks that spend time outdoors, she showed a special interest in Hope. I believe she feels motherly toward her because she is always hanging around her when she is out, in what a human would perceive as "being protective".

Today, it got a little nerve wracking for me - Hope can't get away like the others. With her one leg she can manipulate herself around pretty well, but tends to go in circles before getting there....she does get where she wants to go, but it takes awhile, and she's a little unstable.

Anyway, Francis was dangerously close to Hope with her beak and Hope didn't seem to mind, so I just watched. Francis was actually showing Hope foodstuff on the ground, and Hope responded by trying to eat the same food that Francis was showing her. It was so loving that I let it be - and trusted that it would be OK (Francis could really hurt Hope with one peck).... and it was. Hope and Francis have bonded - and I think Francis actually found a baby of her own to protect and help feed. Right now, they are still close and I feel confident that Francis is only being a Mommy.

Francis & Hope

I love this life - sharing it with the most amazing animals I've ever known.