Soule: What I Learned From A Duck

The pat, pat, pat of feet got louder as the duck came from behind. Even though I expected it, his pecking on my calf made me jump. Not deterred, the duck followed up with more little bites to my leg.

That was not the first time Todd, one of two ducks owned and raised by 13-year-old Olivia, pecked at my legs. Olivia and her mom, Melissa, live on the farm and help feed, train, and nurture our livestock. Last year Olivia kept two ducklings on our heated porch; they climbed on the couch, swam in serving bowls filled with water, and got hugs and love from Olivia.

Ducklings are cute and don’t make much of a mess. Ducks are another story. As they grew, they left messy droppings and needed space to flap their wings. Melissa and Olivia built a duck house in the barnyard, and in the spring, the ducks moved into it.

They stayed safe from predators in their house during the night and roamed the barnyard during the day. After a few weeks, Todd’s pecking started. Addicted to Olivia’s constant cuddling and hugging, Todd was impatient with humans ignoring him, so he demanded affection. The thing is, he figured out how to train humans to give him what he wanted.

Like a child prattling about “Frozen,” he quacks an excited monologue that makes little sense to the listener. And as with children, when he goes silent, he's up to something. In Todd's case, it means the attack is in progress.

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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, where she raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs, and other local products.