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Issue 80 August 2011

In This Issue:

  New Adoption Packets!
  Donate-a-Watermelon!
  Make a Donation Commitment
  Muscovy Ducks & Bright Faces
  Duck House Donations!
  Outside Farewells...
  Nate Turner...
  Special Thanks!
  Benny's Beach Cottage!
  2 Goose Barn Fundraiser!
  The Month in Photos!
  Majestic Sponsorship
  Amazon.com Notice

To Make a Donation, please click here:  Donation

Have You Seen Our Video Clips at Myspace?

http://profile.myspace.com/majesticducks

Sanctuary videos change throughout the month, so keep checking back to see the latest!

Visit us on Facebook Too!

Facebook

Log in, click on "Find Friends" and then type:  Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary into the "Search for People" field.

Send us a friendship request (be sure to include a note that you are a friend of ducks & geese!)

Outside Farewells...

Our thoughts & prayers to Stevie, whose wonderful family put their everything into making him so happy while trying to save him. Bless you...

Darling, Stefani... You are so missed by Charlie and your family...

Nate Turner...

"I have met several of his friends, co-workers and fellow soldiers that made me realize he was an even more amazing person than I knew... I am so proud of the things he has accomplished in his life and the positive impact he had on so many people..." --Michele T.

Michele & family, our thoughts and prayers are with you...

Donations to assist North Branford students going into the medical field may be sent to:

The Nate Turner Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 584
North Branford CT  06471

Special Thanks!

We'd like to extend a very special and heartfelt thank you to Dr. Poster who has helped our rescues in so many ways over the years!

Your kindness towards all animals overwhelms us--Thank you!

Benny's Beach Cottage!

We would like to extend a very special thank you to Carol, who upon visiting our sanctuary, took it upon herself to donate the funds to have a very special beach cottage built for our special needs duck, Benny.

Located just a few feet from shore, Benny's new house has a wide entryway without a lip, so he can easily cross in and out as he pleases. It stays cool with a clip-on fan and provides him with plenty of room to adjust himself comfortably--and it's so stylish!

This little cottage will meet the requirements of our special needs ducks for years to come!

A special thanks to our carpenter (Dad!) who did an amazing job designing & constructing this special house for our Benny Boy!


B
enny enjoys his new beach cottage!

Two Goose Barn Fundraiser!

BARN FUNDRAISER CLOSED!

--Thank You!

We have received a few inquiries about our Goose Barn Fundraiser, so here it is!

Two New Barns:

We are in need of two new goose barns that will be built to match our existing two. The cost of each house is $150.00. As a special thank you for your donation, we will mount an engraved plate on the front of the barn with your own personalized message (some space/word restrictions may apply).

To donate a goose barn, just click on Donate Now! and enter: "I'M DONATING A GOOSE BARN!" into the comments field and then make the appropriate donation.

Please be sure to include a valid email address and phone number, so we can contact you to arrange for your custom engraved name plate!*

*Both goose barns will be constructed together in Sept/Oct. Once they are assembled in our pens, name plates will be mounted into place. All goose barn donors and name plate messages will then be acknowledged in one of our upcoming newsletters!

Up-to-the-minute News:

BOTH BARNS HAVE BEEN DONATED! Thank you!

The Month in Photos!

Ranger at his favorite watering hole...

Flapping & running is FUN!

Ha ha ha! That's a very funny joke!

Obama makes a SPLASH!

This widdle Piddy went swimmin'!!!

What cha doin' up their, Momma?

Can I sit down with you, Jeffrey?

This way or that way?

Majestic Sponsorship

If you can’t adopt, please consider sponsoring a duck or goose in our care by visiting our sponsorship page.  

Amazon.com Notice:

Dear Majestic,

For well over a decade, the Amazon Associates Program has worked with thousands of Connecticut residents. Unfortunately, the budget signed by Governor Malloy contains a sales tax provision that compels us to terminate this program for Connecticut-based participants effective immediately. It specifically imposes the collection of taxes from consumers on sales referred by Connecticut-based affiliates like you.

As a result of the new law, contracts with all Connecticut residents participating in the Amazon Associates Program will be terminated June 10, 2011. Those Connecticut residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com.

We at Majestic are disheartened by the above changes that have resulted in a loss of funds for our sanctuary through our "Recommended Reading" program. Going forward, this section of our newsletter will be omitted unless we have something outstanding & unique to share.

Contact Us

Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary
17 Barker Road
Lebanon, CT 06249
directorATmajesticwaterfowl.org

Our Newsletter

The Majestic Monthly is published 12 times per year. Previous issues are available in our Archives.

NEW Adoption Packets!

We would like to thank Mazuri and Nutrena for sending us some wonderful goodies for our 2011 adoption packets!

In a continued attempt to encourage our new families to proceed with excellent dietary options, our adoption packets will now include these goodies, which include money-saving COUPONS!

Mazuri and Nutrena have both provided coupons for our adopting families. Each family will receive one $3.00 Mazuri and one $5.00 Nutrena coupon for each duck or goose adopted from us. This should help get your new family members off to a great start!

In addition, duck adopters will be given the opportunity to purchase a copy of The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook onsite at our sanctuary on adoption day for only $29.99*!

And... Goose adopters will be given the opportunity to purchase a copy of The Ultimate Pet Goose Guidebook onsite at our sanctuary on adoption day for only only $29.99**!

Adopt both ducks & geese from Majestic and get $5.00 off each title!

 

*Offer valid after adoption applications have been signed by both parties (Majestic & Adopter). Limit ONE copy of each title per adopting family. Offer ends 12/31/2011.

**Subject to availability--Adopters are advised to let us know their book purchasing plans prior to their Adoption day to help ensure titles are on hand.


Donate-a-Watermelon!

Summer is here and what better way to help our rescues beat the heat than by donating a delicious, chilled watermelon!

Make a $10.00 Donation and we'll purchase enough watermelon to share among every member of our rescued flock. Be sure to type: "Watermelon!" in the Comments field.

As a thank you, we'll email you photos of some of our feathered friends enjoying the special treat that YOU provided for them!


Making a Donation Commitment

Would you like to make donations to Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary on a regular basis?

To help make things simpler, we've set up the following options for automatic Paypal Donations:

$10.00 per month for 12 months
$25.00 per month for 12 months
$40.00 per month for 12 months
$50.00 per month for 12 months
$25.00 per quarter for 1 year
$50.00 per quarter for 1 year
$100.00 per quarter for 1 year 

Click Here to make a regular commitment to help our rescues today!


Your donations help geese like Duran "Moon" get the help they deserve...


Muscovy Ducks & Their Bright Faces

Muscovy ducks have beautiful red masks around their eyes and the edges of their bill. Carnicles on drakes are  more profound (and become increasingly so with age) and often extend partially down their necks.

During periods of calmness their otherwise bright red carnicles can fade in color. This is especially witnessed around the eyes and at the peaks of their carnicles--especially on the tip of the distinguishing carnicle that lies directly over the bill of a Muscovy drake. Color changes can be as subtle as a mild wash-out (from red to a reddish-pink) or as obvious as a color change (from red to peach, or from peach to slightly yellow). And then, as soon as they are excited again, they flush red with color once more!

Bright red carnicles are often witnessed in the spring during the mating season. Broody hens can appear much brighter than non-laying or older hens, but then when they actually start nesting on their eggs, their blood will divert from their faces down to their bellies to incubate their eggs. When this happens, their faces pale in comparison.

Muscovy ducks often brighten-up (literally!) at the sight of a potential mate or, in the case of drakes, a competitor. Imprinted Muscovies will often perk up in color when their human caretaker appears on the scene. This subtle flash of red is often overlooked in light of the myriad of vocalizations that tend to draw away the attention of even the most astute pet owner.

Pet owners usually don't notice these slight color changes until they become more obvious--when their duck's face "suddenly" appears darker or lighter than usual. In most cases, owners have simply overlooked gradual changes until they became significant enough to capture their attention.

Provided that these changes are relatively symmetrical and are not sudden or extreme, it is all perfectly normal. Even leg and bill colors can change in accordance with these adjustments in blood flow.

Things to remember:

  • Color changes occur in maturing birds. Faces change from yellow, to pink, to red as the ducks age.

  • Color changes are not drastic by any means and should be underwhelming as opposed to overwhelming. While slight flushes in color may be seen during greeting displays, overall changes normally occur over the course of weeks or seasons.

  • Color changes should be symmetrical. This is true of the bill and legs as well. Left and right legs should match in color. If one leg color is different from the other, a vet visit is definitely in order.

  • Sudden color changes that coincide with environmental changes, such as: extreme temperatures or exposure to sun, should be taken very seriously and vet care should be immediately enlisted.

  • Changes in color should be relatively subtle with the most obvious changes occurring at the start (March) and end (September) of the mating season. Seasonal changes of this sort are most notable in females--who darken to red when they become broody and then fade to  pinkish-yellow as they begin to nest.


In the height of the mating season Billy is a deep, bright red


In the midst of winter Dutch's red face is a bit faded
and has a mild yellow glow.


Duck House Donations!

Once again, we want to thank all of our Duck House Donors! Thank you: Lisa, Tom & Deb, Gary, Julie, Shyoko & Aryeh, Deborah, Patricia, Anne, Wendy, Caroline, Laura, Michele, Mom & Dad. Because of your thoughtfulness & generosity, our ducks all have nice, safe roofs over their heads again.

Each of the twelve duck houses has been custom-fitted with a little ramp and removable linoleum flooring for greater ease in cleaning. Custom slide-in-place doors will also be added to each house in plenty of time for the colder weather.


Rilo poses
in front of one of our newly donated duck houses!

Engraved Name Plates!

We would like to share photos of the twelve name plates that have been mounted on each one of our donated duck houses:

March 2012 UPDATE:  These "outdoor" dog houses turned out to have VERY poorly constructed roofs and sadly did not last long. The roofs are hollow inside AND the rear overhang doesn't clear enough of the house to prevent interior rotting around the hinges. Within 1 YEAR of owning these houses, the roofs were literally crumbling away. Calls to the company were unproductive who said they were outside of the warranty period.

We have since built our own beautiful replacement roofs of much-improved solid design and with a few inches of overhang to prevent interior rotting around the hinge hardware.

***WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THESE HOUSES!

       Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee in connection with any guidance provided on this website. Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for loss or damage resulting from its use or for the violation of any federal, state or municipal law or regulation with which such guidance may conflict. Any guidance is general in nature. In addition, the assistance of a qualified professional should be enlisted to address any specific circumstances.
 

© Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary 2011