5 Month Old Muscovy Duck with Ice Frozen to Feathers

[Minusthebuff]

Hello all,

I had made a previous post about this same duck a little while back about his droopy wings, but this is a different issue now. I wasn't sure if I should add on to that prev thread or make a new one, my apologies if I did this wrong!

Cheese the muscovy drake now has ice frozen to him in big clumps. In the winter we house the ducks and chickens together and provide them water dishes so they have access to something to drink that hasn't frozen yet. I'm not sure what exactly happened but I'm guessing Cheese was cleaning himself (or maybe just floating) in the water dish as it was freezing overnight and when he broke himself free the water still on his feathers just froze? The tips of his droopy wings are frozen as well with ice and clumps of the coop flooring stuck to it
I brought him inside the house in a dog crate with hay as of this morning. Currently it's 3°F (but feels like -9°F thanks to the wind chill) where I live. My house doesn't have good heating so it's 50°F in the living room (with a fireplace running to heat the room more) where he is, but that beats being outside.

Right now he has water in his crate with 1/2 tablespoon of A-lyte Concentrate in it (in case he might need electrolytes).
I plan on running to the store real quick to get him some duck food instead of just giving him chicken feed as well.
Is there anything else I can do for the little guy in the meantime?

 

[Jenbirdee]

oh no poor baby ! I think just wait now for it to melt. 50 in your house is good if it was hotter he might go shock from fast temp change anyway. I dont give my ducks or chickens any food or water overnight . they dont need it.
you can also give him some vitamins like Rooster booster poultry cell. or Nutridrench.
@Miss Lydia

 

[Minusthebuff]

oh no poor baby ! I think just wait now for it to melt. 50 in your house is good if it was hotter he might go shock from fast temp change anyway. I dont give my ducks or chickens any food or water overnight . they dont need it.
you can also give him some vitamins like Rooster booster poultry cell. or Nutridrench.
@Miss Lydia

Oh my gosh I didn't even think about that! I was originally thinking of giving him a warm bath so he could clean himself and warm up at the same time. I'm glad I stuck with the crate idea!

We usually just leave our hanging feeder in there overnight, and only in the winter we keep shallow dishes of water in the coop. I'll be sure to take those dishes out today.

I think the tractor supply by me sells something like the rooster booster stuff, I'll be on the lookout for it. Thank you!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

What your doing is good. Muscovy just don't have as good of water repellency as other domestics I have noticed it with mine.
@Jenbirdee has given good advice let us know how he is as he warms and thaws.
I sure agree no need to put water and feed inside for the ducks. I do put food and water in the coop over winter for my chickens but it is up where the ducks can't get to it.

 

[Minusthebuff]

What your doing is good. Muscovy just don't have as good of water repellency as other domestics I have noticed it with mine.
@Jenbirdee has given good advice let us know how he is as he warms and thaws.
I sure agree no need to put water and feed inside for the ducks. I do put food and water in the coop over winter for my chickens but it is up where the ducks can't get to it.

As of the moment the ice clumps on his chest have melted enough to where they fell off when he was preening. And the stuff frozen to the tips of his wings are still there. Currently he's sleeping but he's been eating/drinking normal
I was thinking of keeping him inside for the rest of the day too just so his feathers get the chance to dry. They still look wet from where he was once frozen. But when it's time to bring him back out, should I wait for a warmer day? Later on this week it's supposed to get up to the 20s.

I will also make sure to get in the habit of taking out the feeder at night when I lock up the birds and put it back in the following morning. Thank you both very much!!! <3

 

[Miss Lydia]

If he is completely dry and acting normal other wise eating and drinking and his coop is dry . He would probably be okay to go back out. I'd keep him out of water till it gets past these frigid temps we're having them too just above zero for lows teens and 20's for highs. My Muscovy are 12 yrs so they usually spend most of their time in their coop and just come out to eat and drink. When it this cold.

 

[Minusthebuff]

If he is completely dry and acting normal other wise eating and drinking and his coop is dry . He would probably be okay to go back out. I'd keep him out of water till it gets past these frigid temps we're having them too lows just above zero for lows teens and 20's for highs. My Muscovy are 12 yrs so they usually spend most of their time in their coop and just come out to eat and drink. When it this cold.

Okey! I'm gonna refill his little drinking water feeder since he drank all what I gave him earlier. I'll check to see how dry he is then. I'd rather be safe than sorry with letting him out too soon, you know?
Keeping him out of water will be easy once he sees where his family likes to huddle under the deck by the house. Cheese and his sister don't stray from their parents and they don't play in water if mom and dad don't hahahah
I appreciate your time and answers @Miss Lydia & @Jenbirdee thank you again!! Will give an update for when he gets sent back outside

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okey! I'm gonna refill his little drinking water feeder since he drank all what I gave him earlier. I'll check to see how dry he is then. I'd rather be safe than sorry with letting him out too soon, you know?
Keeping him out of water will be easy once he sees where his family likes to huddle under the deck by the house. Cheese and his sister don't stray from their parents and they don't play in water if mom and dad don't hahahah
I appreciate your time and answers @Miss Lydia & @Jenbirdee thank you again!! Will give an update for when he gets sent back outside

How's he doing now? did you take him back out?

 

[Minusthebuff]

How's he doing now? did you take him back out?

He's doing good, his chest is dry and the frozen clumps of bedding on his wing tips had thawed enough that Cheese was able to kinda clean it off himself.
I've decided to keep him indoors just for tonight. I let the birds out at 8am every day and that's when I'll bring him out. Then tomorrow night he'll be sleeping in the coop

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's a good idea especially if he wasn't good and dry he would have probably had ice cycles again lol