Polly and her siblings came to RASTA as a group of 6 after being surrendered by a school that had hatched them in a classroom. RASTA accepted them on the condition that the school discontinue the breeding program, as programs like this are unsustainable, unnecessary, and unfair to the animals who are either sent to the farm to be raised for slaughter or (as in this case) are in need of rescue after the school is finished using them.
Sadly today only 5 of these ducks remain at the sanctuary. As they grew, Waddles began to experience serious mobility issues that started to be painful and got to a point where he could no longer stand or walk, and we lost him. His story is the common heartbreaking story of animals that have been slectively bred to grow to unsustainable sizes, and he is dearly missed.
Like Waddles, the rate at which these ducks all grew was incredible. Selective breeding has made it so that Pekin ducks bred for the meat industry grow to slaughter weight in under 8 weeks. Polly and her siblings will live their lives in peace here at the sanctuary, and we hope no more of them run into issues of mobility along the way.
Even when we lose a rescue here though, we know that they got to have some time of freedom, love, and safety. These ducks will live their lives roaming the grounds, swimming in ponds, breathing fresh air and lounging in the sun - all things they would be denied on a factory farm.
