In Memoriam of Tiny Tim (Timmy) 8/1/09 - 12/30/09

On Christmas Day, one of the families across the canal had a big duck feeding party late in the day. Most of my ducks were in attendance, to include Timmy.

On Boxing Day, my sister and I went out very early and did some shopping, and came home to see Timmy still in their yard. Now, Timmy can fly, and well, considering his ailment. We all concurred he will leave the yard when he's ready. He didn't. I didn't sleep. The family said leave him be.

He was there for 2.5 days. The last day, when I look my sister to the airport, I drove to the neighborhood across the canal and knocked on their door. When the gal groggily answered the door (they had quite a late party the nite before) I asked her if she could let Timmy out. She said I could enter her yard. I ran back and grabbed him and set him at the canal's edge and put his beak in the water. (I didn't know if he had had any water from their pool so assumed dehydration). He drank. I then hopped in the car, and called The Engineer. While I took my sister and Lily to the airport, he came out with a bowl of food and coaxed Timmy across to our side. He collapsed at the water's edge, after he ate a half a bowl of food.

The Engineer was getting bombarded with every duck in a mile radius. He picked up Timmy and went to our yard, and tossed the food bowl as a distraction. Then he put Timmy at the pool's edge and fed him in peace. He was very weak.

I came home and fed him again. I made him a special brew of cooked egg yolk (a recommended protein when they first hatched if they did not eat), grass, their feed, some lettuce, and a small amount of bread. I added lots of water so he could get it down easily. I had to put my finger in the bowl to swish it around and then he would gulp. He just looked at me with the saddest eyes. I fed him every half an hour. I made him a nest similar to the one I made The Flock in October.

At night, he went into our big plant on the other side of the pool. Yesterday morning around 7am, I went out and he groggly stumbled out. I fed and watered him. I repeated this throughout the day. Around 5:00pm, when the Hungry Higgins Masses-O-Birds came around, he slinked off to the bushes. I checked on him a couple of times. It has been in the 40's at night and I feared the worst.

I went out at 6:30 this morning and he was gone.

I wrapped him in one of the towels I used for the brooder and the coop. I laid him to rest next to Mama Speck.

I took these photos the last two days. I was so afraid I might lose him and wanted to have more photos of him.

Goodbye Timmy.   :(