It was a match made in chook and duck heaven.
Last week a suburban Gisborne hen sitting on an empty nest was gifted a clutch of orphaned eggs to look after. After a little patience, she became a proud mum - to a family of ducklings.
The unusual match-up arose
from the road death of the ducklings' mother outside a rural property.
It took just a quick phone call from a nearby resident who knew the duck had been nesting, and a city friend's clucky hen with warm feathers was immediately recruited.
The eggs, by then rapidly cooling off, were placed under the adoptive mum and a six-day wait began. From nine eggs, there were eight live births and the "family" are now happily getting to know each other.
