Bath Time for Goobers
Flapper had a bath first tonight. He really enjoys bath time, but not like he used to. He can no longer oil his feathers well, so he only takes short baths a few times a week. Overall he is doing really well.
Then it was time for Lester Leroy to have a bath. He is kind of in the same boat as Flapper. Not great at oiling his feathers, but he enjoys splashing around for a bit and cleaning his eyes and nares. He is doing pretty good, too.
Then it was Reggie & Benson’s turn in the tub.
They did well for a bit, but then as you can see in the video below, Reggie got a little too excited. (They both have to use the bath last, since they currently have parasites, so the water was a little dirty by then.)
Reggie grabbed Benson on the back of the head, which is the first step in a mating ritual. We’ll have none of that in the indoor pond, boys!
So Reggie went back to his playpen and Benson finished bath time alone, which was just fine with him.
Benson (the one with the bum leg) enjoyed a good splash and then joined his buddy Reggie back in the playpen. Even though they both rinsed off, they still smell like lake water. Blech.
We heard a little more about them from the woman who arranged for their rescue. She said they showed up at the lake on February 14th, Valentine’s Day. Benson, Reggie and a third duck just appeared out of nowhere, which means they were dumped. Then within a week one of the ducks was gone and Benson’s leg was deteriorating. Then the weather turned really cold, snow fell, and they both ended up sick. We picked them up on February 26th. Hopefully now that they’re on medication they can improve and recover. Special thanks to EVERYONE who contributed so generously to their veterinary bills by donating to the rescue fund. Originally we thought their first vet bill was almost $700, but it turned out to be a computer error, and we were credited $300 on Monday. So their current bills are completely paid for with your donations, and the remaining balance will cover their continued antibiotic treatments and their re-checks at the vet. We reset the fundraising thermometer limit from $900 down to $600 because that’s all we think we’ll need. And we’re already above $500!
Your donations have made a direct impact on the lives of these two boys, so again, thank you.
It was a beautiful night in the Seattle area, and we hope you had a great night too.
Now off to clean the tub.
6 Comments
Well, no kidding, you do run a health spa!;-) Good to see all these kids having a nice splash and get clean again. So Reggie and Benson are becoming real men, I hope they can keep their hormones in control for a little while longer.
I’m happy to hear so many have contributed in their vet bills, I’m sorry I didn’t, money is still very tight at the moment and I’m still ’suffering’ from the costs of Eddy’s vet bills and cremation.
Hi
I have loved your site for so long. I tend to let this blog go awhile then indulge in day of catching up, usually when I am not as able to get around as much as I usually do. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.
You remind me of my sister. Your love of all critters and the way you speak their dialogue for them. It makes me feel like I visiting family when I read your blog. My sister has had all sorts of critters, everything from goats to chickens and even a pig who used a litter box. It’s one of the things I adore about her.
When I watch the your videos, my dog Sarah Bernhardt gets very excited and tries to figure out where the hell those ducks are. She is a Brittany and a total bird dog. She is one of the reasons I don’t have a duck. She has spent lots of time trying to swim after the ducks in the bay when I take her to Fiesta Island here in San Diego. It’s her favorite place in the world. The best part is the ducks lead her way out in the middle of the bay then fly off leaving her way out in the middle of the bay. She swims back in then 15 minutes later she does it again. Sometimes the ducks just lead her around in circles.
I was sorry to learn about Chewy. It made me cry to read about his passing. I do think you were lucky to have him in your life even if his time with you was too brief. I am going to miss reading about him. I am sure that he is eating all the peas he will ever want up in heaven. He is probably God’s wing duck by now.
Thanks for taking care of all those critters and sharing your life with us. Tell Flapper I am pulling for him and he is my number one duck ever.
Kimberly
I think Benson was trying to tell you he wasnt ready to end his bath.
That’s pretty good when you can get 4 ducks? out of one drawn bath water. LOL So glad that all are doing so well. We all love the updates. Hopefully we will be warming up a bit around here (Puget Sound) for all water fowl inside and outside.
That was especially interesting because Reggie looks so much more feminine – if it wasn’t you (an experienced muscovy-owner) saying they are both male, I would have been questioning whether Reggie might really be female. His face just has the more female contours. Perhaps that’s why he has to be aggressive, ha ha, to make sure we all understand that he’s a macho macho duck.
In looking through the photos again today i have to say that Reggie looks like a girl duck.
I was rereading through the last few days of photos and stories posted; it’s so sweet how they have hung together, protecting the one that was more ill. Water fowl are so cool. I have many wooden, ceramic, all kinds of water fowl in my home but not the live kind as i have cats and I’m in a condo so I know the Board would not put up with that (I’m on the condo Board.).
I continue to love the stories of Flapper’s menagerie and the rescues.