Help Duck got stuck in water bucket

[country chick13]

One of my female, 9 month old, Cayuga ducks got stuck last night in their water bucket (We live in Maine and it was very cold). It is a small bucket and none of them have ever even tried to go into it before. I found her when I went out last night to lock them up for the night. I got her out (poor thing shivering and icy) and held her to me to warm her up. One of her legs is injured (or frozen not sure) and is sticking out behind her. I put her in the coop with the others and put some towels in with her to try to help with warmth. She was no better this morning, so I brought her inside. She will drink, she gobbles up peas (but won't touch anything else for food). Her leg is still behind her but I see she can move the leg but the foot is curled up and her webbing is all tight. She can't walk because of this. I didn't want to separate her from the rest and chance depression but it is negative outside so I figured I'd chance it. She is also wheezy. Any advice would be appreciated, there are no vets around here that will see her. Thank you!

 

[tdd2]

I found one of my girls in their bucket a few weeks ago, also cold/wet and shivering.

We immediately brought her in, and dried her thoroughly with dryer-warmed towels. I kept her inside for several hours until we knew she was fully warmed and dry, while providing food and water (with added Poultry Nutri-Drench)

Bring your little back in, keep her fully warm, calm and comfortable and add some poultry vitamins (and electrolytes if you have then - something like Sav-a-chick) to her water. You can also put her in the tub, filled with warm water enough that she can get the weight off of her leg, yet still use it.

Also, put a board or other item over the top of the bucket to keep them out, but still allow use. (We learned as well - ours is protected now)

Good luck!!

Dan

 

[country chick13]

Thank you Dan, she is in my living room right now hanging out watching Star Trek with me I'm worried about her leg, it doesn't seem broken but she can't stand on it. I'm thinking she's not eating her food because she knows I'll give her peas (and what duck wouldn't hold out for peas!?) Is it possible she got a cold or something and that's what's causing her wheezing? I have a bowl of water and a bowl of food within her reach in her box, I have some Sav a chick, I'll try her on some of that. There will be no more surprise swim sessions, that's for sure, board is going up, pool is shut down!

 

[Amiga]

She may well have developed pneumonia - if you can get her to a vet, please do so.

There may be some nerve damage to the leg - keep her in, keep her relatively warm. I would consider rubbing some Traumeel, now called T-Relief. It is a cream, with St. John's wort and comfrey and some other herbs - that are good for nerve damage.

Also, an Epsom salt compress - lukewarm water with E.s. dissolved in it, soak a clean cloth in that and wring it out so it's very damp but not dripping much, and wrap the entire leg, for as long as you both can stand it.

Some tub time in a lukewarm tub, see if she will use the leg at all - that will help circulation.

Keep her eating whatever nutritious food you can - if it's mostly peas, then add some vitamins to her water for now. Spoil her.

And, if she has pneumonia, you'll need to deal with that - I am not experienced with pneumonia, but respiratory problems are serious

Glad you took her in. I have heard sad stories of ducks getting trapped in buckets. Hard to believe, but it has happened.

 

[Amiga]

Any updates?

 

[Urban Flock]

I found one of my girls in their bucket a few weeks ago, also cold/wet and shivering.

We immediately brought her in, and dried her thoroughly with dryer-warmed towels. I kept her inside for several hours until we knew she was fully warmed and dry, while providing food and water (with added Poultry Nutri-Drench)

Bring your little back in, keep her fully warm, calm and comfortable and add some poultry vitamins (and electrolytes if you have then - something like Sav-a-chick) to her water. You can also put her in the tub, filled with warm water enough that she can get the weight off of her leg, yet still use it.

Also, put a board or other item over the top of the bucket to keep them out, but still allow use. (We learned as well - ours is protected now)

Good luck!!

Dan

x2. If you can get her started on Poultry Nutri-Drench that would be a good thing.

 

[country chick13]

She's not wheezing today, guessing maybe it was stress?? She had some tub time yesterday and today, she ate a little food yesterday (on top of all the peas she's been eating) She stands on both feet if I move her bum one in front of her and spread out her webbing, but still won't walk with it yet. She's been doing a new thing (bored maybe) it's like she's playing peek-a-boo with us lol

 

[seminolewind]

Maybe peas on top of a wet mash?

 

[country chick13]

Yeah, I have tried that...she eats the peas out, she's nothing if not persistent

 

[tdd2]

....mash then up in the feed....