Tender-hearted farmers have told how a duck destined to become someone’s Christmas dinner has become one of the family after she saved from the cooking pot.
Zero, which appears to be an Indian runner duck, was hand-reared by German farmers Stefanie Saalmann, 36, and Norman Schueler, 37, after they decided to raise her by hand when she was abandoned by her mum.
Stefanie explained: “The mother duck had already been away from the nest for two days and there was still a very cold egg in it.
“It had a small hole and the duckling inside was chirping like crazy.”
So she freed the duckling from its shell and nursed the exhausted baby bird back to health in their farmhouse, and in the process, the duck became part of the family.
They said they had tried to return the duckling to its mum, but then kept it in the farmhouse after the mum again rejected Zero.
In Germany at Christmas, around 25 million ducks end up as Christmas dinner.
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But instead of ending up on a Christmas dinner table. Zero became a member of the family getting down with beagle Sam in his dog basket. And watching the Smurfs on TV at the farmhouse in Davert, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
And this year, under the tree there were toys like a rattle, a rubber duck and a huge cucumber, Zero’s favourite snack.
Zero even had her own Santa hat.
Stefanie and Norman revealed they let Zero sleep in their bed and like to take her shopping in a special dog buggy.
Stefanie told local media that Zero is “special” and is “half human, half duck.”
Zero goes with the couple to medieval fairs, flea markets, and even on holiday. Living it up in a caravan or hotel.
The Indian runner duck is so called because they stand erect like penguins and, rather than waddling, they run.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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