Ducks have an amazing ability to recover. Though many of us have lost ducks in various ways many of us have had ducks recover from what we were sure life ending situations. I want to talk about my little Buffy here. She is a 3 1/2 year old Khaki Campbell who suffered a broken wing (trying to fly out of the coop) and what I am sure was a stroke 2 years ago in June. She has been through many ups and downs healthwise and has always resented being handled and given medicine when necessary. She has had trouble keeping her weight and is much smaller than her sister Khakis. She has not laid an egg since last fall. A significant time during the past two years she has spent resting alone in a handful of favorite spots of hers. Limping along on the side of her broken wing, which she cannot extend to this day, sometimes barely able to make from one point to another and seemingly in pain much of the time. We were surprised she made it through last winter, which was particularly cold and snowy. But she did though has had a pretty tough time most of this year resting alone most of the time (which did allow me to feed her separately with Nutri-Drench amended food).
On August 27th she was nowhere to be found when it came time for the afternoon feeding and securing the flock inside their fenced enclosure. We looked, and looked, and looked. We were convinced she crawled off to die alone and we were heartbroken over this. Very early he next morning I looked in a different spot and found her. For whatever reason she had wandered down the spring run onto the neighbors property and spent the night in some thick brush and weeds. She was weak enough that I don't think she could have walked back upstream even if she had wanted.
Through a few days of isolation, TLC, and much perseverance with Nutri-Drench doses and vitamins in her food she slowing mended. She has actually been molting really well and seems to have gained a little weight back although with the winter feathers it is hard to tell. For the last two weeks she has been more active than she ever was and the past week she has resumed normal duck activities with the others albeit she will always have her droopy right wing and limp. But we are just so happy for this recovery as we were convinced she would not be in good enough shape to endure another winter. Call it a will to live and I think a little bit of God's Grace, our little Buffy is alive and well.
Although our ducks are not always going to survive all attacks, injuries, or illnesses, I urge you to keep the faith, seek help from the more experienced folks here at BYC, and persevere in treating your beloved birds when they are in need. Some amazing healing can happen which many others have also shared here on the duck forum.
Buffy before her broken wing and stroke
Buffy last summer during an isolation and nursing period (much smaller)
Buffy in August two days after she went missing (still small and weak)
Buffy this morning out foraging with the others (she is darker now)
On August 27th she was nowhere to be found when it came time for the afternoon feeding and securing the flock inside their fenced enclosure. We looked, and looked, and looked. We were convinced she crawled off to die alone and we were heartbroken over this. Very early he next morning I looked in a different spot and found her. For whatever reason she had wandered down the spring run onto the neighbors property and spent the night in some thick brush and weeds. She was weak enough that I don't think she could have walked back upstream even if she had wanted.
Through a few days of isolation, TLC, and much perseverance with Nutri-Drench doses and vitamins in her food she slowing mended. She has actually been molting really well and seems to have gained a little weight back although with the winter feathers it is hard to tell. For the last two weeks she has been more active than she ever was and the past week she has resumed normal duck activities with the others albeit she will always have her droopy right wing and limp. But we are just so happy for this recovery as we were convinced she would not be in good enough shape to endure another winter. Call it a will to live and I think a little bit of God's Grace, our little Buffy is alive and well.
Although our ducks are not always going to survive all attacks, injuries, or illnesses, I urge you to keep the faith, seek help from the more experienced folks here at BYC, and persevere in treating your beloved birds when they are in need. Some amazing healing can happen which many others have also shared here on the duck forum.
Buffy before her broken wing and stroke
Buffy last summer during an isolation and nursing period (much smaller)
Buffy in August two days after she went missing (still small and weak)
Buffy this morning out foraging with the others (she is darker now)
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