Ralph the Duck

Only 4 ducks survived from the clutch of ducklings last year. Lord Rouen stands tall and tough with the shimmering royal blue tips to his flight feathers. TanBrow, the single female, with her missing tail feathers just beginning to grow back in. And the twins, Alice and Ralph. Alice had the biggest white ring around his neck, and my sister asked if I could name that one after her. Alas, Ralph has no curly tail feather, and the feathers are always plucked from the back of his neck.

When the ducklings were still young, overseen by 2 borrowed females, a ferule, black Rouen flew in and took control of the flock. I named him, Mr. Alpha Interloper. They seemed to like him. They respected him and enjoyed obeying him. He trained them in defensive formations. Lord Rouen and Alice always followed him around like they were his right and left hand men. The three of them would strut about showing off their curly tail feather, the mark of a stud.

Mr. Interloper and the two young studs all had their way with TanBrow, feather-plucked tail and all. She took it like a trouper, survived and thrived. But then, TanBrow accumulated enough eggs to compel her to sit on her nest, and began her dedicated vigil, keeping the eggs warm, licking them with saliva for moisture, and turning them over and over, while listening for tiny heartbeats. Some say that ducks can't be "potty trained," but a normal duck doesn't foul her nest.

The drakes got randy; you know how males can be! TanBrow was busy, so they took it out on Ralph. Brothers Alice and Lord Rouen chased him all over the property. They would catch him and have their way with him too, tearing out the feathers on the back of his neck when they clung on to control him. Ralph became an outcast. Humiliated. Alone.

He started getting chatty with the females, who were all sitting on their nests. Usually all the females lay their eggs in the same nest and one appointed female will sit on the whole lot. But all three of the Muscovy females next door each had a nest. So Ralph would go next door and help a couple of the Muscovy sisters sit on their nests.

Sometimes his randy brothers would come looking for Ralph. They would roust him out of a nest and have their way with him. They plucked out his curly tail feather. He hated the way they would humiliate him. Even his sister, TanBrow, would nip at him when he tried to cuddle up with her. At least the Muscovies were willing to cuddle with him and let him help keep their nests warm.