Daisy the adopted duck enjoying new home south of Calgary

A duck found suffering from puncture wounds to its wings last fall has recovered and is adjusting to her new life on a farm south of Okotoks.

The Calgary Humane Society took an injured Daisy in on Nov. 27, 2021 where she underwent medical treatment and recovery before being placed with a foster family and eventually put up for adoption.

Daisy and six other ducks are now in the care of Sharyl Malin, who says the adopted bird is thriving.

"I wasn't entirely sure how she would adjust to life with other ducks because I don't believe she had seen ducks very much," said Malin. "But she's fitting right in and she's learning how to do duck stuff and picking the grass and swimming and playing in the mud.

"I think she's loving it."

Malin says Daisy was apprehensive during her first encounter with the kiddie pool on the property, electing to watch from the sidelines, but has since embraced morning swims with her friends Dolly, Danica, Darla, Debbie, Derek and David.

Waterfowl have been a welcome addition to Malin's life. The relationship began years ago when she first adopted three ducks from the humane society and has since grown with the arrival of adoptees as well as newborn ducklings.

"I actually hatched a couple of these guys," said Malin. "I pulled out my incubator and grabbed some eggs from my ducks that I had and hatched a few of them and now we have Daisy to add to the little flock."

Anna-Lee Rieb, the Calgary Humane Society's manager of community support and engagement, says it's hard to know exactly what kind of life Daisy had pre-rescue but it appeared she was accustom to being around people.

"The health team was able to tell right away that she was a social duck so she was used to being handled and looked at and she was quite affiliative as well."

The Calgary Humane Society is an open admissions shelter that will accept any animal, no matter the species.

"We get everything from pigs, goats, ducks, chickens to, you know, exotic parrots and small reptiles and things like that," explained Rieb.

Malin says her newest duck has become quite popular with her friends and on social media.

"I think Daisy has been a huge hit, everybody's been loving on her and (people) at work the other day said you got to bring her," laughed Malin.

Malin doesn't plan on growing her flock any larger, unless another duck turns up at the Calgary Humane Society in need of a new home.