Long before Keller Farms, we lived in Hawaii – Oahu, specifically. I boarded my horse at a stable in east Honolulu called Koko Crater Stables. It was situated, as the name suggests, inside Koko Crater. For many years before I got there the stables had a large population of peacocks, peahens, ducks and some mallards. At some point a goose came to be there – no one ever determined for sure if it were male or female, though general consensus was it was female.
Every year, the ducks and the peahens had babies. The population didn’t grow as much as you’d imagine. Possibly because of mongooses. The peacocks and peahens were not the brightest bulbs in the crate but the males were certainly beautiful and there was always a scramble by us humans during molting time to collect the beautiful peacock tail feathers.
(I heard years later that it is considered bad luck to have peacock feathers…?!?) And, of course, there was the distinctive cry of the peacocks – air shattering and distinctive….and really, really messy poop! Always fun to have unknowingly stepped in some then put your foot in your stirrup…eeuw.
The duckies were pretty confident. You’ve heard of the “pecking order”. Well, it is a very real thing. The ducks pretty much ruled. We had 4 or 5 mallards that I would have thought would have been leaders but they were very much on the outskirts of the pack when being fed. The resident goose, named Goose Goose,
Goose Goose
was the absolute leader but she was more of a “benevolent despot” – loved all, protected all, but kept the “naughties” in line with serious pursuit. When her head went down with her neck stretched out like an arrow, you better get away…now. Her authority was never questioned. You didn’t mess with Goose Goose!
Goose Goose, the duckies, et al, roamed the property at will. I bought a kid’s wading pool (kept very clean, thank you!) for the duckies – hey, ducks have to have a pond! – which they used all the time. Very gratifying. Goose Goose even got in it sometimes. Of course, the wading pool was too shallow for the grown duckies to swim but it was perfect for the babies.
They were all such loves. I miss them.