The Head-Dunking Question That Filters Duck Carers
Ask a Khaki Campbell carer candidate what depth of drinking water a duck needs, because this single question separates duck people from willing beginners. The answer you want is that a Campbell must dunk her entire head to keep her nostrils and eyes clean, and that a carer who finds a drinker too shallow, tipped, or fouled should empty, scrub, and refill it on the spot rather than topping it up at the evening visit. Favour the candidate who laughs and says they would change duck water constantly, because anyone promising a Campbell's water stays clean until evening has never kept ducks. A beginner is not disqualified, but they must be genuinely willing to learn this before you leave, not during your absence.
Night Security Questions, Asked in Detail
Ask exactly how the candidate would handle a Khaki Campbell's night housing, and do not accept 'put her in the shed' as an answer. A duck is slow, ground-based, and unable to roost out of danger, so the carer should describe counting her into the house, shutting and latching the door themselves, and going back to search the run with a torch if the count is short. Ask what they would do if a latch failed, a door blew open, or they found feather damage in the run one morning, and whether they would phone you that night or wait. Also ask whether their own schedule truly allows a dusk visit every day, since a duck shut in at midnight after hours of dark exposure has not been kept safe.
Feed, Eggs, and the Laying Questions
Ask what the candidate would feed a Khaki Campbell and what they would refuse to feed her, because Campbells lay so heavily that casual feeding choices show up fast. The answer should stick to your measured ration, keep feed bone dry in storage, and treat bread and kitchen scraps as no substitute for real feed. Ask whether they would collect eggs daily and what they would make of a sudden stop in laying paired with a quiet duck, and listen for someone who treats that combination as information to report rather than a holiday the duck has taken. A candidate who has kept laying poultry will naturally mention checking that she is eating and drinking normally before worrying about the eggs themselves.
Spotting a Quietly Unwell Duck
Ask how the candidate would tell that a Khaki Campbell is unwell, and expect duck-specific answers rather than generic pet talk. A healthy Campbell is busy, vocal in her flock's company, bathing, and first to the feeder, so the warning picture is a duck sitting hunched and apart, uninterested in water, off her feed, limping, or with discharge around the eyes or nostrils. Ask what they would do with that picture: separate her somewhere warm and dry with head-deep water, phone you, and be ready to take her to the vet you named if you ask. Check that they know not every vet treats waterfowl and that your chosen practice's number is the one they would use, not a search engine's first result at midnight.
Reliability Questions and a Watched Practice Run
Ask the unglamorous trust questions last: twice-daily visits without exception, a named backup, an evening message confirming the Campbell is shut in, and honesty about anything that went wrong. Then watch one full round together, morning water and feed plus the evening lock-up, and correct small things in person. A candidate who asks you questions back about this duck's habits is showing the attentiveness you are hiring. KinsLe's Care Pass then gives your chosen carer temporary access to the Campbell's water rule, ration, and lock-up count, so the answers they gave you become the routine they actually follow.