Cinderella the Duck

At the first stirrings of spring, my dad and I went into the local farm and fleet and ordered 2 out of the shell ducks. We also got 8 more chicks, Rhode Island Reds, to go with our other chickens. After some discussion we were ready to try ducks, but we had no idea what kind. We talked to a young man who worked in that department and with a thoughtful expression he said his family had raised chickens and Cayuga ducks together and they seemed to get along. Based on his testimony and completely blind on our parts, we ordered to female Cayuga ducks.

Fifteen minutes later I had googled the type of duck and we gaped at the black duck pics and admired the iridescent sheen on display. Everything we read reinforced the idea that we had made a good decision.

Amid delays and false starts we finally got the call and my dad went in to pick up our two new feathery friends. I of course had to work. When dad arrived they handed him off to a manager who let him know that one of the ducklings he had ordered had died. Before dad could say anything, she offered him a different duckling.

Dad took her, and while her yellow and brown markings were very different than Shadows all black downy feathers, the two of them were inseparable friends. As the ducks grew and matured they went from cute fluff balls to sleek ducks, Shadow with black feathers that in the light were green, blue, and violet. Cinderella was a beautiful white and black with some very interesting markings.

In any case, they are both a lot of fun.