“It gave us quite a bit of peace of mind.” Last month, the folks at Off Color Brewing (OCB) in Chicago, Illinois, noticed a pair of ducks hanging out in front of their taproom, Mousetrap. The ducks first appeared on their front patio, admiring the brewery’s decorative bourbon barrel planters from afar. The next day, staff found the female duck, later named Sprinkles, nestled atop one of the barrels.
The OCB crew was both honored by Sprinkles’ choice of home and concerned for her safety.
“Realizing she had chosen us, a privilege, and was building out her nest, our minds immediately shifted to, ‘With this privilege comes responsibility,’ and ‘How do we protect this duck and provide as relaxing a nesting environment as possible?’” OCB’s Ben Ustick said.
The OCB team swiftly took action to protect the area surrounding Sprinkles’ nest. During one of her routine breaks from the nest, they created a barrier of barrels around hers, providing her with space away from the taproom’s human and canine patrons.
“While she was gone, we sprang into action and circled about six more bourbon barrels around hers, essentially the way you’d see petals around the center of a flower, which created a significant buffer zone, or the ‘moat’ as we called it,” Ustick said. “It gave us quite a bit of peace of mind.”
The OCB team swiftly took action to protect the area surrounding Sprinkles’ nest. During one of her routine breaks from the nest, they created a barrier of barrels around hers, providing her with space away from the taproom’s human and canine patrons.
“While she was gone, we sprang into action and circled about six more bourbon barrels around hers, essentially the way you’d see petals around the center of a flower, which created a significant buffer zone, or the ‘moat’ as we called it,” Ustick said. “It gave us quite a bit of peace of mind.”
Just before Mother’s Day, a few weeks after laying her eggs, the OCB crew noticed Sprinkles moving around in her nest more than usual. A closer look confirmed their suspicions: Sprinkles’ babies were beginning to hatch.
The dedicated brewery’s efforts to protect Sprinkles were finally paying off, but one major safety concern remained.
“The barrel she chose is surrounded by concrete and fairly high off the ground,” Ustick said. “So when we realized that the babies were beginning to hatch, we knew they’d be taking off and heading down to the water within 8-12 hours or so, and we just wanted to make their departure safe.”
In a final effort to ensure the safety of Sprinkles’ ducklings, the OCB team ingeniously fashioned a long wooden plank onto the barrel, crafting a makeshift ramp for the soon-to-be-hatched birds. Beneath the barrel, they laid a soft bed of thick leaves and grass.
“The ducklings who fancied a leisurely stroll down the ramp could do so, while the more adventurous ones could opt for a daring leap onto a softer landing spot,” Ustick explained, showcasing the team’s creativity in providing a safe departure route for the newborns.
The next time they checked on the barrel, all 10 eggs were empty, and the entire little family was gone. But they didn’t stay away for too long.
“We figured we might not see her or her family again,” Ustick said. “I spent quite a bit of time that morning checking out the river, hoping for a glimpse, and then it happened — I saw them. It felt like they had searched me out to let me know everything was all good.”
Sprinkles, her partner, and their 10 ducklings swam past OCB’s Mousetrap later that day to thank their friends for all they did. They’ve stopped by the brewery every day since, and Ustick is always elated to see them.
The patio has since returned to its pre-Sprinkles configuration, but as Ustick sees it, it might not stay that way for long.
“There’s actually been another duck couple checking out the space,” Ustick said. “So who knows what’s next?”