It’s with heavy hearts that we share the news: Our beloved Lucky Duck has flown off to the great duck pond in the sky. For those of you who’ve visited Bees N Blooms, you may have met Lucky—often found mingling with the chickens in the chicken pen.
Lucky’s journey began in the spring of 2018, when Seth found him as a tiny, 2-day-old duckling along the side of the road, abandoned and alone. Seth was on his way to work at the farm when he heard the little duckling’s desperate cheeps. There was no sign of the rest of his family. Lost, scared and confused, the little duckling was calling out for his mom.
Without hesitation, Seth scooped him up and brought him to the farm, offering comfort and warmth. It was Farm Trails Spring Weekend—our very first open farm day—and things were bustling. We quickly set up a warm brooder with food and water and checked on him regularly. But no matter how often we came by, Lucky always cheeped loudly, yearning for companionship. He was lonely.
At the end of the day, we went to Western Farm Center hoping to find another duckling to keep him company. Unfortunately, there were no baby ducks available—but there were baby chicks! We brought home five little chicks, and Lucky, with his webbed feet and big, scoop-shaped bill, was officially adopted into the chicken family. We named him Lucky because, well, he was incredibly lucky to be picked up by Seth—and to have some unlikely friends who would soon become his closest companions.
At first, the chicks were a bit uncertain about Lucky. He didn’t look like them—he had those funny webbed feet and a large bill, while they had chicken feet with claws and sharp, pointy beaks. But Lucky grew faster than the chicks and soon became their source of warmth. Before long, the chicks were snuggling up to him, realizing that despite his odd features, Lucky was the perfect friend. They bonded quickly and were practically inseparable from then on.
Maxine, a Silver-Laced Wyandotte, became Lucky’s best friend. The two were always together—so much so that, even as he grew, Lucky would join Maxine on the roosting bar at night.
As Lucky matured, something wonderful happened: he learned to fly! Being a Mallard, he was light and agile, and flight came naturally. At first, his flights were short. But during one early attempt, Lucky soared over the chicken pen fence and landed with a splash smack dab in the middle of the swimming pool! The look on his face was one of surprise first and then pure joy—after all, he was a duck, and it was time for a bath!
One evening, Lucky took off and soared high above the property, flying a wide circle in the sunset sky. We feared that might be the last we saw of him, but after a good look around, Lucky returned—gliding back to the safety and comfort of his chicken friends.
As time went on, Lucky and the chickens learned from each other. The chickens, with their sharp claws, became excellent at digging up bugs and worms, which they generously shared with Lucky. In return, Lucky showed them something they never imagined: how to fly!
Now, anyone who’s familiar with chickens knows they can fly, but not far or very high. While they might hop up to a four-foot shelf, they can’t usually clear even a three-foot fence without help. But when Lucky would soar over the fence to the lush grass beyond, we saw a shift. The chickens started watching him closely, and you could almost hear the wheels in their little chicken brains turning, thinking, “If Lucky can do it, why can’t we?” And they did! One by one, they learned that they could use their wings to escape the confines of the chicken pen to the green grass beyond. It was truly something to see as they learned from one another.
Of course, loose chickens and a duck wandering around on the pool patio was a bit of a show-stopper for us humans. So, we built the Poultry Palace, where they could roam safely together, enjoying each other’s company in their own special space.
Lucky was a very special duck—one of a kind. He will be dearly missed, not just by us, but by his chicken friends, especially Maxine. But we are so grateful for the time we had with him.
Fly free, Lucky Duck. Thank you for being the wonderful, unique soul that you were.
