Duck and Chicken in love

[alonewiththemoon]

From Boing Boing:

A duck and a hen on a farm outside Söderköping have found each other. The duck is now a foster-father to five chickens.

Annika Stenbäck and Peter Andersson, who live at the farm, tell the daily Norrköpings Tidningar about the love birds.

The birds started dating already last summer, after the duck accidentally drowned his mate during lovemaking. However, the duck didn't spend much time in mourning before starting to date the hen instead.

Soon, the hen started laying and brooding, but as the eggs were not fertilized, they never hatched.

"So we fetched some fertilized eggs from our old hens at my parents-in-law. She got six chickens, but one has died," says Annika Stenbäck.

During the entire brooding period the duck kept a nervous watch by the hen's side.

"And since the chickens were hatched he hasn't left her side," says Annika Stenbäck to Norrköpings Tidningar.

Original Swedish article, with photo of the happy family.  Guess the duck figured he'd be better off with a land-dweller...

Comments

[iterum.livejournal.com]

The birds started dating already last summer, after the duck accidentally drowned his mate during lovemaking.

I imagine that sentence has never before appeared in Swedish or English.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Yep. That one stopped me cold. I wonder how often that's happened?

[pamelasbelly.livejournal.com]

So I started out going all "awwwwwww..." then I read about the *accidental* lovemaking drowning of previous duck mate :-O!!! Clearly this is a serious sign of a deranged and dangerous duck personality that the lovesick chicken has chosen to turn a blind eye towards! I sincerely hope we don't read about some *accidental* hen house lovemaking accident down the road!!! And, how sad, there are now chicks involved :(...

I wonder how many fowl this duck has *accidentally* done, er, in over the years???

It's a scary world...

[alonewiththemoon]

I'll bet you're right to suspect fowl play... badumpbump!

[pamelasbelly.livejournal.com]

Oy!

[polymexina.livejournal.com]

well, you know... once you go quack you never go back.