Goodbye Rye

I just went out to put the ducks to bed and found Rye, one of our two ducks, dead. It was a huge mess (enough said) so I am guessing she was attacked by a raccoon. It is so heartbreaking. In the 5+ years that we have had ducks, this is the first one that we have seen die. And I knew that when it happened, it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't realize how upset I would actually be.
The saddest part was that Rye's mama is the surviving duck. When I tried to put her in her coop for the night, she ran around quacking because Rye's body was next to the coop. I covered Rye up, but I still couldn't get mama duck to walk by her... and when she finally did, she crouched down and looked away from the area. Poor mama duck was witness to her daughter's death. How tragic.
Anyways, I think that we are going to try and re-home Mutter, the mama. We aren't ready to get new ducks right now (especially after this attack) and I think a lone duck would be a sad duck.
All I know is that I don't think I am cut out for farm life. In the back of my mind, I always thought I would end up living on a farm at some point. But now, when I have to see the sad and messy side of farm life, I don't think I can do it.

Rye was our silly duck. She almost didn't survive as a duckling because she had rye neck (hence the name Rye). I had to catch her everyday when she was a duckling and feed her vitamins out of an eye dropper. I would chase her around, and she would fuss, but every time I caught her she would go limp and relax in my arms.
She spent the last couple of weeks building a lovely nest in our yard, where she faithfully sat on a rock all day long. I guess she was literally a sitting duck.

Rye girl-- you will be missed. Hope there are lots of rocks for you to sit on in duck heaven.