6/12/2009:
In times of shortage during war, for whatever reason, it seems that everyone bonds together. However, in 1942 on this date, the readers of the Knox Advocate newspaper found that they weren’t the only ones working overtime to send supplies to the troops and preserve resources for the war.
Close to the Oscar Stromme farm in Devils Lake, a tom turkey “put his heart into the nationwide all out production campaign” when he adopted a nest of abandoned duck eggs! Unable to leave the eggs to their destruction, the turkey faithfully sat on them during their incubation. He only left the nest in the morning to feed a little, strut around a bit, and stretch his legs. Otherwise, he sat on the nest, silently keeping his vigil. However, if anyone came close enough to appear threatening, he then barked out quite a gobble, protecting the eggs lying so warmly beneath him!
This Tom Turkey was not the only savior of little ducklings. A year before, Oscar Nelson of Cooperstown was plowing his fields when he discovered a nest of ducklings in process of hatching. He moved the nest to safety, but when the mother duck didn’t return, he had no choice but to take the ducklings under his own wing, so to speak. He put them in with his barnyard fowls, where they grew to adulthood. Eventually, they flew the nest—or the coop. However, ducks later returned, “more mature, less tame… but still claiming squatter’s rights on the Nelson brooder house,” where they again enjoyed the poultry feed with the chickens.
And finally, this report from Devils Lake: “a seven-year-old white giant hen owned by the Matt Bloomquist family is answering the call for increased egg production by doubling her output.” The story went on to report that the hen laid one double-yolk, oversized egg every day. Four of the eggs weighed almost 14 ounces. Great for the war effort!
The way these feathery friends flocked together provided North Dakota with one way to look at the world … sunny-side up!
Dakota Datebook written by Sarah Walker
Sources:
The Knox Advocate, June 12, 1942