Last updated on July 16th, 2024 at 06:33 pm
My Name
My Name is Emma. There is no particular story behind my name, Mom and Dad just liked it and thought that it would fit me.
My Breed
I am a White Crested Duck. A characteristic of my breed is that hat of feathers (the crest) on my head. More about that later.
My Journey
I hatched on November 1, 2021. My sisters Schnatterinchen and Hertha hatched on the same day. We are all three from Metzer Farms. The day we hatched, they placed us into a small box and shipped us to our new home in Texas. That was quite an adventure. We flew on an airplane from California to Texas. On Wednesday, November 3rd, we arrived at the mail office close to Mom and Dad. Dad came to pick us up and brought us home, where Mom was already impatiently waiting for us to arrive.
As you can see, we had a small heating pad and this green jello. The jello was our water source. After ducks hatch, they don’t really need food for the first three days because they still nurture from the yolk.
After Mom and Dad saw that we were fine, they placed us in our brooder, a playpen. We had a heating plate instead of a lamp because Mom said it was safer for us. We got plenty of water and duckling food. We started to grow and were some happy little ducklings.
What is special about me?
When I was only a few days old, I had some seizures. This has to do with my crest (head feathers/pompom). This may look super cute, but it is, in fact, a genetic defect. A part of my skull bone is missing. To protect my brain, this hole is filled with fat. This is where the feathers grow out. Due to this, many crested ducks have neurological problems. But with an extra dose of Nicain and a lot of extra care, I was fine after a few days.
I am still fine for the most part, but I am sometimes a little bit slow. My right eye is a little bit smaller than the left one. When Simon is too wild, he sometimes pulls some of my crest feathers. Mom is always concerned about me and stops him from doing it. She wants to protect me from injuries.
What is my character like?
I am a very curious duck and probably the bravest one of all of us (except for Krumel). Sometimes, I am a little bully. Especially when new ducks join our flock. I need to show them who the boss is.
What is my favorite food?
My favorite food is peas, lettuce, tomato, and corn. And I love snacks! Mealworms and grubs are delicious.
What else should you know about me?
When I was about seven months old, I started laying eggs. Some of my eggs are really big and have two yolks.
