Man dressed as a medieval archer goes everywhere with his two ducks
A man who takes his feathered friends to the pub and even to medieval battle reenactments has is a big hit with people in Kent.
Mark Colyer works as a gardener in Gillingham Marina and lives with his two ducks Dog and Goldie who follow him everywhere.
The 58-year-old can often be seen dressed as Robin Hood and King John at medieval reenactments, with ducky Dog, aged four-and-a-half, perched on his shoulder.
The ex-Royal Navy tug worker says his ducks even enjoy a pint with him at his local pubs, though he doesn’t let them indulge too much.
He joked: ‘I do let them have a little swig of my beer, but that’s it because alcohol isn’t good for them – but I don’t want them to miss out.’
Mark said that his two ducks are more friends than pets to him, and he loves to treat them with their favourite treats.
The ducks’ preferred food is peas, though they also enjoy exotic fruits including kiwis and melons.
Mark said his pets even follow him to the toilet at the pub. He added: ‘I just take them with me. I put them behind me and say, “Duck on the floor” and people say, “I’ve seen it all now, mate.”‘
The father-of-four spends nearly every waking moment with his beloved ducks – even communicating with them and watching Count Duckula with them on the telly.
On how he came to keep the ducks, he explained: ‘Four-and-a-half years ago, I put some eggs in the incubator, and 12 hatched.
‘But only one of them began to follow me everywhere, just like a little dog – hence his name, Dog.
‘I decided to pet it and look after it and take it back to my boat and we’ve been together ever since. We even go camping together.’
Goldie, one of the newest additions to Mark’s troupe at less than a year old, hatched after he incubated an egg he bought from a nearby farm shop.
He has 15 ducks in total, though only Goldie – who is too young yet to ascertain a gender – and Dog are permitted to follow him around everywhere.
Mark said: ‘The other ducks I have are just pets but Dog and Goldie are friends. Ducks are very hard work. They can be very messy animals, but they are very affectionate like most animals.’
At night, the ducks go into the dog cage to sleep before waking up for a cuddle and cup of coffee.
And since Mark lives in Gillingham Marina, the marina even pays him an allowance for food and bedding for his precious ducks.
Goldie, Dog and his other pets swim alongside the marina with swans and cygnets.
As for the medieval reenactments, Dog has to stay in a cage but after the battle, the cute duck enjoys getting attention and greeting people.
Mark added: ‘The ducks are very intelligent. Dog has got a few little things that make me laugh, like his mannerisms and his quirkiness.
‘My mum and all my family know about my birds… I’m the mad duck man. Everyone knows me as a mad duck man but it’s just lovely when people meet and greet them, the smiles on their faces.’
But Mark said his quest in life is to make people smile: ‘The ducks and I bring out the best in people.’
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