bsides2007
Songster
Updates: Well, I'm sad to say that my little Smeagol did not make it 
I tried to do all I could for her, but I think she just hatched "wrong." She ended up passing last Wednesday overnight, after having been "fine" for her situation. I don't know what happened but I suspect her little heart could not keep up with her heavy breathing fits. When I weighed them both a few days before, Smeagol was half of Gollum's size! She was 3 lbs while Gollum is 6 lbs. I feel so bad, but at the same time, I also wondered what kind of life she would have and didn't want her to suffer. I tried everything and nothing seemed to work. I was worried that she maybe had respiratory infection but I figured Gollum would have had it also since they lived together. That, and antibiotics didn't do a thing for her. Gollum displays none of the symptoms that Smeagol had.
However! I do have a few concerns about Gollum. One is that I tried to make her a ducky chair since she can't walk properly (she walks on her hocks since her legs are deformed) but she hates the chair and still wants to hobble around. I have her hocks wrapped up, but my concern is also for her wings because she tries to use them to balance, and I'd like to relieve her hocks from having weight put on them from time to time. Does anyone happen to have any better ideas? I keep a cushion in her pen for her but, just like any other duck would, she doesn't want to stay in the same spot for too long. I was also worried about her poop because she NEVER seemed to have a solid poo, it was always runny, but not discolored. BUT, I started putting her outside for entire days now, and within viewing range of the other ducks but not in with them, and she is now having solid poops! I think she was nervous inside. She would also pant a lot inside, and doesn't seem to do it hardly ever while outside. I'm glad the weather is finally warming up so that she can be outside most of the time. I want to make her a small house of her own that is up against our house so I can get to her easily to check on her. I have to figure out her leg situation first. She does love to swim, and seems to be enjoying digging in the mud and leaves.
My last concern for her and the other ducks....Gollum still has runny eyes. They aren't red, or swollen, or foamy, but runny. When she bends her neck to clean her feathers, it's almost like the pressure on her sinuses pushes out water from her eyes. They look like tears. I have been diligent about rinsing her eyes but nothing seems to help. Lastly, yesterday I have seen from Gollum AND from my flock outside some GREEN in their poop. This is my biggest concern right now. I should say, the poop itself isn't green, but the urates are a minty green color. I have only found a couple other posts about this and it seems like nobody has ever figured it out. Anybody know anything about this? I am thinking of just putting everybody on a broad spectrum antibiotic. My thought was Clavamox but I'd love to hear your thoughts/suggestions. Thank you for reading this novel of a post
Here are a couple photos of my Smeagol and Gollum about a month ago after their bath
![IMG_0459[1].JPG](https://www.backyardchickens.com/attachments/img_0459-1-jpg.1387449/ "IMG_0459[1].JPG")
![IMG_0457[1].JPG](https://www.backyardchickens.com/attachments/img_0457-1-jpg.1387451/ "IMG_0457[1].JPG")
You can see Smeagol thoroughly enjoying having her bill rubbed by my better half. He always said Smeagol was his buddy. We have burried her beneath a big maple tree surrounded by daffodils. She was a good girl <3
Gollum is much bigger now even and near fully feathered. She's (OR HE! Still haven't heard a quack) a very nice looking duck. I hope she isn't too lonely without her sister, but she does seem to enjoy the "company" of the other ducks, even if it is from afar. Thanks again for reading, and stay tuned for updates on Gollum and the rest of the crew.
I tried to do all I could for her, but I think she just hatched "wrong." She ended up passing last Wednesday overnight, after having been "fine" for her situation. I don't know what happened but I suspect her little heart could not keep up with her heavy breathing fits. When I weighed them both a few days before, Smeagol was half of Gollum's size! She was 3 lbs while Gollum is 6 lbs. I feel so bad, but at the same time, I also wondered what kind of life she would have and didn't want her to suffer. I tried everything and nothing seemed to work. I was worried that she maybe had respiratory infection but I figured Gollum would have had it also since they lived together. That, and antibiotics didn't do a thing for her. Gollum displays none of the symptoms that Smeagol had. However! I do have a few concerns about Gollum. One is that I tried to make her a ducky chair since she can't walk properly (she walks on her hocks since her legs are deformed) but she hates the chair and still wants to hobble around. I have her hocks wrapped up, but my concern is also for her wings because she tries to use them to balance, and I'd like to relieve her hocks from having weight put on them from time to time. Does anyone happen to have any better ideas? I keep a cushion in her pen for her but, just like any other duck would, she doesn't want to stay in the same spot for too long. I was also worried about her poop because she NEVER seemed to have a solid poo, it was always runny, but not discolored. BUT, I started putting her outside for entire days now, and within viewing range of the other ducks but not in with them, and she is now having solid poops! I think she was nervous inside. She would also pant a lot inside, and doesn't seem to do it hardly ever while outside. I'm glad the weather is finally warming up so that she can be outside most of the time. I want to make her a small house of her own that is up against our house so I can get to her easily to check on her. I have to figure out her leg situation first. She does love to swim, and seems to be enjoying digging in the mud and leaves.
My last concern for her and the other ducks....Gollum still has runny eyes. They aren't red, or swollen, or foamy, but runny. When she bends her neck to clean her feathers, it's almost like the pressure on her sinuses pushes out water from her eyes. They look like tears. I have been diligent about rinsing her eyes but nothing seems to help. Lastly, yesterday I have seen from Gollum AND from my flock outside some GREEN in their poop. This is my biggest concern right now. I should say, the poop itself isn't green, but the urates are a minty green color. I have only found a couple other posts about this and it seems like nobody has ever figured it out. Anybody know anything about this? I am thinking of just putting everybody on a broad spectrum antibiotic. My thought was Clavamox but I'd love to hear your thoughts/suggestions. Thank you for reading this novel of a post
Here are a couple photos of my Smeagol and Gollum about a month ago after their bath
You can see Smeagol thoroughly enjoying having her bill rubbed by my better half. He always said Smeagol was his buddy. We have burried her beneath a big maple tree surrounded by daffodils. She was a good girl <3
Gollum is much bigger now even and near fully feathered. She's (OR HE! Still haven't heard a quack) a very nice looking duck. I hope she isn't too lonely without her sister, but she does seem to enjoy the "company" of the other ducks, even if it is from afar. Thanks again for reading, and stay tuned for updates on Gollum and the rest of the crew.
Here are some poop pictures. The first two are both Gollum's. You can see how the normally white urates are kind of a minty green. The last one is not Gollum's and looks a bit different from what I found yesterday. What a found yesterday in the coop looked just like Gollums first poop picture. A well formed poo with minty green urates. I did not find any today at all in the coop or the run. All other poos I found in the run and coop look totally normal except for that last photo. 
