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A loss in the department

Sadly, I’m writing this blog to let you know about our most recent loss, Scout. Scout was a big part of my career here, he hatched only a few days before I started. We would pal around in the mornings together in the farmyard before the museum would open. You could call him and he would come to you, at night he would know how to get to his stall and depending what time of year it was you hadRead more
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Trimming Duck’s Wings

Have you ever wandered into the farmyard and asked yourself, “Why doesn’t the duck simply fly away?” There are three answers: He does, sometimes. As you can see here in an older post. He seasonally has wing feathers trimmed to help keep him down on the ground. At nearly 11 pounds, he’s a little bit too chubby to really get off the ground.   In the early spring and fall, Ducky molts (loses) his old feathers and grows a niceRead more

Scout, the Muscovy Duck

If you travel up to the farmyard, you will notice that we have a domesticated Muscovy duck named Scout. He doesn’t quack because Muscovy ducks hiss. Scout is 6 years old and I know this because he and I have been here at the museum the same time. He came as an egg from Keeper Kent. He hatched only a few days before I started working here. When he was little he was actually on display in  Carolina Wildlife inRead more
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All Grown Up

Here’s a few then and now photos of some of your favorite Museum critters. Enjoy.   MAX OUR STEER    SCOUT OUR DUCK    AUGGIE OUR PIG   VIRGINIA BEAR     ME (really)    Read more
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Poetry and so much more

Whenever someone gets hurt by a Museum animal, we write a report. It’s a record so we can make sure safety procedures are followed, note any patterns, and adjust procedures accordingly. Scout, our duck that lives in the Farmyard, is known, at times, for nipping at the legs of his caretakers. Sarah mentioned in our staff meeting that Scout  nipped at Intern Julia’s leg, and broke no skin. I told Sarah I looked forward to reading her Haiku and Sonnet reportRead more