About Us
The Quack Ups
Hey y’all, welcome to Quackups.net! We created this site to share our passion for ducks with fellow enthusiasts. Let me introduce myself—I'm Ronnie, and my "partner in crime" is my wife, Amy.
Our duck journey began unexpectedly in 2014 when we moved into our new home. Nestled in the Sam Houston Forest, our property shares a 9 ½ acre lake with neighboring homes.
Shortly after settling in, we were greeted by two ducks: a male mallard and a Pekin mix. We named the mallard Mike, after the boxer Mike Tyson, because of his feisty nature. The Pekin was named Shotzie, after a co-worker who had a similar waddle. Mike and Shotzie were inseparable, and Mike was fiercely protective of Shotzie.
Initially, Amy and I knew little about ducks and were happy with just Mike and Shotzie on the lake.
That changed one day in August 2020 when I saw something heartbreaking. While driving on Hwy 105, I noticed a woman by the roadside with a cage full of ducks suffering in the heat without water. We lived just 10 minutes away, so I rushed home, grabbed an old dog kennel, and returned to rescue them. I paid the woman $40 and brought the ducks home. They were barely hanging on, but once released onto the lake, they revived instantly. It was incredibly rewarding to help them and made me even more grateful to live in such a wonderful place.
When Amy returned from an out of town trip, she was delighted to see the new ducks, and we quickly named them Winney, Momma, Hank, and Henry. While they might not have been the O.D.s (original ducks) like Mike and Shotzie, they soon earned their place in our hearts.
In early 2021, a neighbor's acquaintance needed help rescuing some ducks, and we gladly obliged. This marked the beginning of The Quack Ups Duck Rescue, welcoming Chad, Audrey, Cindy, Mindy, and Joyce to our growing flock.
Word spread about us, and soon Troy from the City of Nassau Bay’s Animal Shelter reached out, needing a home for a goose. We happily took in Ms. Mae Belle, a goose with an old soul and angel wings.
Our flock was expanding rapidly, but in late 2021, we faced our first loss. Living in a natural forest meant dealing with predators, and one morning, Mike didn't show up for breakfast. Shotzie did, but it was clear something had happened to Mike. Over the following weeks, Shotzie's health declined as she mourned Mike's loss, and she eventually passed away too. Losing both ducks was a tough blow for Amy and me.
Between November 2021 and January 2022 I tried my hand at incubating 8 muscovy eggs. We wound up with four hatching and the flock gained RJ, JJ, Emma and Rocky. These four ducklings were healthy, happy and bundles of fun, but since they were not hatched outside naturally, they were not quite ready to be out in the weather. They needed to grow some and feather out before they could go outside, so we began brooding them in one of our spare bathrooms.
With our flock continuing to grow, we needed a safe space, leading to the creation of the Quack Shack in January 2022. We started with an old frame from a temporary shed we purchased from Harbor Freight and built around it using chicken wire and ¼” wire mesh. We added a kiddie pool, a dog kennel, and lined the ground with wood shavings from Tractor Supply.
As 2022 turned into 2023, our flock continued to grow with more rescues from Troy and new hatchlings. We expanded the Quack Shack with a 12’ high area covered with ¼” nylon netting from Amazon to keep flying predators out.
Today, we have 21 free-roaming ducks on the lake and 20 pampered ducks in the Quack Shack. The Quack Shack is now 12’ high at its peak, 22’ wide, and 85’ long, featuring six shelters, four large dog pools, two smaller water bins, three six-gallon water tanks, two feeding areas, numerous tree stumps for perching, and both shaded and sunny spots.
We think our setup is pretty awesome, bringing us endless laughter, joy, and tranquility.
Ducks truly are the best! 🦆
The Quack Ups Duck Rescue and Sanctuary