Some 3,000 ducks now have new homes after a successful appeal by a farmer unable to keep them created a social media storm.
Ian Chisholm, from the Fairtrade Egg Company, said a lack of cash because of a dispute with supplier Cherry Valley meant he was unable to feed them, meaning they faced certain death unless they could be rehomed.
The original Essex Chronicle story was shared more than 27,000 times on Facebook and Twitter. Marsh Farm is among those to have taken some on.
Mr Chisholm said they had 1,000 ducks left on Saturday, but they were all gone by Sunday morning.
He said: "People came from all over the country. The last family arrived gone 7.30pm to collect three and took four home to Leicester. The phone did not stop ringing but because we were re-homing the duck we could not personally take any calls.
"Our email accounts and server went to melt down more than once and again it was impossible to answer every one personally but most got prepared attachments when we could, one liner message in reply.
"My staff who worked around the clock would like to thank everybody that first re-homed a duck and the people that just joined in and helped with catching and loading the ducks.
"It has been a very stressful couple of weeks and more so at the weekend for all of us, family and staff.
"However, we will continue to deal with the issues created by Cherry Valley in the coming months and will pursue them through the courts if necessary."
'Heartstrings'
He said donations from the public towards of outstanding feed bill came to just under £3,000
Mr Chisholm: "We were paramount about the welfare of the birds, and they all went, which is exactly what we wanted. We are most grateful."
Daisy Moss, who re-homed five of the ducks, said: "I saw the Essex Chronicle article on Facebook and did not want to see the ducks get killed. We have a big garden with a pond, and already have some chickens, so we decided to take a trip to get some ducks
"We took five with us, and when we were there we saw a couple of trucks pull up asking for 20.
"It's lovely, they look so clean now and we've built them a shed – we've already had two eggs laid."
However, Mr Chisholm was forced to turn away a customer who he suspected was more interested in eating than saving the animals.
Sam Tyler, from Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park, which took on four of the ducks, said: "We had staff sharing the article, saying 'can we take some', and it's just one of those things that pulls at your heartstrings.
"We are at capacity, which is why we only took four, and they are in quarantine at the moment in their own pen before we introduce them to all of our other animals.
"By all accounts, loads of people turned up. It's fabulous, the power of social media."
