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Testimonials
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Our Duck Story
In the Spring of 2000 our pond had an algae problem. We also wanted our pond to be more fun and lively.
Well, we found out that ducks eat algae. Since any other solution to the algae
problem was too expensive, we went looking for ducklings to live in our pond.
Well, the ducks did solve our algae problem that year. But
 even
though we later created a healthier pond by reestablishing proper water flow
through it from the river, the story of our ducks live on. Today, the ducks at
Stone Mountain delights our guests, makes special
 appearances
at weddings and reunions that we have near the pond, and
are thought of as part of our family! And, as you can see
from looking around on our website, they have become our trademark!
We've been updating Our Duck Story every since. And,
we've learned a lot about ducks over the years. Since we started
doing this before blogs were popular, we didn't know what to call it. Now we do.
Enjoy reading, hopefully it will entertain, and pass along some of the knowledge
about ducks we acquired over time.
The Stone Mountain Lodge
Duck Blog (or Our Duck Story)
 Back in the year 2000, we started with a flock of 12 ducks. Eight were Rouens (related to wild
mallards) and 4 were Pekins (the plump white variety). We raised them in our
bathtub and then at about 2 weeks old brought them to the duck pen by the pond.
At about 7 weeks, when they were ready to swim, we had a "duck
release" and let them loose on the pond.
Over the winter we lost 8 ducks to coyotes, mountain lions and
the road. We were sad about this but happy that 4 ducks survived. There were 2
male Rouens, 1 female and a female Pekin.
Well, Spring
2001, and nature has taken it's course. Both
females (Mama Brown and Mama White) have been sitting on their nests and being
very protective of their delicate eggs and guess what? Baby ducklings have
hatched from Mama Brown and they are beautiful. We don't know what Mama White's
babies will look like for their dad is surely a Rouen but I'm sure they'll be
pretty too!
During the Spring and Summer of 2001 we lost some of our own
ducklings so our
hens adopted 5 babies to bring our flock back to 12. While they
had plenty of algae and other food, our good natured campers and visitors would
always have some bread for them. Campers were often awakened at 6am by the flock
for snacks and company.
Other Famous Ducks
During the Summer of 2001 we visited Memphis TN and just had to
visit the famous Peabody Hotel Ducks. These quackers live at the Peabody Hotel in
downtown Memphis and put on a show for locals and visitors alike twice daily. In
the morning they come down the elevator from their rooftop abode and march in
procession, to the sound of marching music, to the lovely lobby fountain where they swim all day. In the
late afternoon they march back to the elevator amid much fanfare and return to their
home for the evening.
As of February 2002 we still have our even dozen. They sometimes
leave their comfy pond location and waddle
up to the office.
Generally, the just
follow a staffer back home, especially if food is waiting. Bet the Stone
Mountain Ducks are trying their darnedest to increase the flock this year.
By the spring of 2003
 nature had whittled our flock down to 6
ducks when we adopted another Rouen female. Later
this spring we lost Mama White to road traffic. We really miss her. Soon after this, we released 2 new ducks to the pond. These ducks
are of different breeds; One is all black and the other is mostly gray.
We call
these 2 who always hang together, away from the main flock, "the teenagers". We
aren't su re if they are boys or girls. Also, one of our Rouen moms has 9 babies
who are relishing life on the pond.
This year
we have 2 new variety ducks. The grey one is April and the black one is La
 Nuit
but they are called Bonnie and Clyde by the staff because of their antics.
(please don't take their names as any indication of whether they are boy ducks
or girl ducks) Here they are trying to get into the pool.
As of Fall 2003 we had 17 ducks. Since these were too many for
the Stone Mountain Lodge pond, we just had 4 adopted by neighbors. I'm sure
they'll be happy at their new pond. As of summer 2004 these ducks are
happy at their new home.
To keep the ducks from
wandering to the pool and where they shouldn't be, we started feeding them a mix
of turkey feed and corn once a day. Feeding time is a special event for our
younger guests. And the ducks still have an appetite for bread.
During the Spring of
2004, 2 moms had 11 and 6 ducklings respectively. Of these
 broods, 9 and 1
survived. They enjoy hanging out together. We have also become accustom to have
other wildlife guests at our pond. A pair of Canadian geese stop by every year
for about a month or two in the spring. The ducks and geese keep their distance.
These geese certainly have a very different personality that the ducks!
It was a sad occasion
during the early summer when our guests heard strange noises at the Pond. We
later discovered that Bonnie and Clyde had been taken by a fox. The loss
affected the staff greatly. On the brighter side, at least 2 of the ducklings
appear to be progeny of Clyde and 1 may be carrying on for Bonnie. (Guess that
make Clyde a boy duck!) And, amazingly, we now have 2 white ducks again. Isn't
nature wonderful!
Our pond is high,
beautiful and full of fish this year. In addition to Our Ducks, visiting
mallards and Canadian geese come by. They keep their distance from the "locals"
but enjoy the free room and board!
Our Ducks 2005
During the Fall
of 2004 we had 17 ducks. Then, around Christmas time, all but one were
taken and or chased off the property, probably by a coyote. Our
Survivor, also called my Brown Girl as she’s
a dark Rouen
probably descended from our Rouens and
Bonnie/Clyde. We all felt very bad about the loss of the flock.
 So, we started spring of 2005 with just 1
duck. We knew then that we needed to adopt in more ducks as our Brown
Girl would be very lonely. We brought in 12 ducklings – 5 white
Pekins and 7 Khaki Camels. These little guys
were raised in the duck house for a few weeks. Wouldn’t you know that
during this time our Brown Girl had a boyfriend – A mallard was
courtin’ her.
Just after the new dozen were released at
the pond, Brown Girl hatched 12 ducklings of her own. Our manager,
Bonnie, rescued 3
when they got stuck behind rocks but another 3 didn’t
make it. Nine of the newborn ducklings survived the first week. The
daddy mallard stayed a little while and then left… We were back to a
decent sized flock of 22.
Fall 2005 - Brown Girl and her babes
sometimes stay separate from the other twelve but they all come to meet,
greet and eat together. We recently lost 2 ducks – a pond-born and one
of our 2 female Khaki’s. It’s kind of nice to
have the Pekins again as they remind us of
our first flock and the Khaki Camels are a dear variety as well. Male
khaki camels look like slender male Rouens
but without bright green heads. Female Khaki’s are like slender lighter
brown female Rouens. One day we saw the
Pekins and Khaki’s (who don’t fly as well)
just watch in awe as their half-wild flock mates
glided into the pond.
This year we did more
beautification project to our lodge. Well, two of our favorite ducks
became immortalized! I took one of our best pictures of La Nuit and
April, aka Bonnie and Clyde, (see our ducks during 2003), and made
cutouts for our new shudders on our front office window!
2006
Ducks
Due to a mild winter during
2005-2006, all our ducks survived until spring. And thankfully, there were
enough ducks so they could keep a section of the pond ice free by themselves.
This is so important, because without a place to scramble to, they are literally
"sitting ducks" for predators. Ducks really are quite hardy when it come to
winter cold. We feed them, so they can generate the extra energy to keep warm,
but the really do quite well. The biggest problem for domestic duck survival
through the winter are predators. And its mainly because they can't fly. That's
why it's so important that domestic ducks have "unfrozen" water to head to.
Anyway, several wild ducks did
come by for a good part of the summer, and all got along quite well. But I do
remember one occasion just after the wild ducks come by. They all followed me up
the hill from the pond. All of a sudden, a car door slammed and they became
frightened. The wild ducks just took off and flew right to the pond. But our
domestic duck first stopped, and just looked up at the "flying ducks". It really
looked like they were puzzled! They then started scrambling to the pond
By the fall, the wild ducks
did leave, and a couple or our other ducks have disappeared. The remaining five
ducks are now quite a close nit flock.
Here are some other Ducky websites you may
find interesting and fun:
Quackers
Home Page Ducks Unlimited
Ducks
at a Distance
Ducks
for Kids and Teachers
Just Ducks
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