Pat and Terry Marmon and their daughter, Sherri, operate Pacific Valley Ranch in Marysville, one of a handful of duck egg salvagers in the Sacramento Valley.
Q: When and why did you get involved in salvaging eggs?
A: “I’m caretaker at a duck club. Back in 1992, my boss and I were on a rice check and we saw a hen. I said “If I had an incubator I’d hatch them for you.” I had actually been hatching birds since I was 10 years old. It has been a lifelong hobby. We got the necessary state and federal permits and have been going ever since.”
Q: How do you and the team carry this out?
A: “We get ahead of the rice and wheat farmers and pick up the eggs from their fields in the Sacramento Valley. The farmers are good to give us what notice they can. We get a crew in there and pick up the eggs and incubate them. It takes 28 days for the growth process. The farmers are great. We are solely dependent on their cooperation. They stop their machines, allow us to pick up the eggs and I have incubators across the valley. We couldn’t operate without the help of a lot of farmers.”
Q: How much work is involved?
A: “We start in March by cleaning the hatchery andbegin gathering eggs from area farms in April. We will stay busy until the end of August. It’s an all spring and summer job. It’s like a dairy- you can’t leave it and go on vacation. At least one of us has to be here to take care of those babies. We are always tickled to see the first babies come in and tickled to see the last band on the last bird that we release. The ducks are well worth the inconvenience. To date, we have banded and released over 32,000 ducks. We have released ducks any where there is a wetland habitat-- as far south as Los Angeles.
Over the years, I’ve discovered about 70 percent of the hens we released into these habitats will come back and lay eggs in those same habitats. They imprint there. We aren’t just restricted to ducks—any bird that would nest in a wetland habitat. We have aided Canada Geese, wild turkeys and pheasants.”
Q: Can you describe the other similar egg salvagers in the valley?
A: “Derrold Daly in Live Oak has done at least 30,000 and I suspect Roger Moore in Grimes has done that amount or more. There is one more hatchery near Richvale. I taught their people how to do this work. They have been at it for about 8 years. Between all of us I know that we have saved over 100,000 birds. This isn’t a one-man show. It’s a lot of people doing a lot of volunteer work. I’m thankful for all of their help.”
Q: Why do this?
A:“It makes me feel good. As a hunter, I know I’m helping to give back. I think the farmers feel the same way. They’re out to conserve our wildlife and there’s no sense in destroying something if you can save it. I think it makes everybody feel good!”
VIEW PHOTO ALBUM BY PHIL ROBERTSON
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