TheAmundsons
Songster
Hello!
It's been far too long since I've been on here, but I know someone(s) here will be able to help.
Last night around 11:00PM we heard our ducks going crazy. They don't usually make much noise at night, so we looked out the window to see what was going on. We definitely didn't expect to see 2 foxes running back and forth outside our run! Hubby and I ran outside because we've had ice build up that prevents us from fully closing the door to the coop (it's our first winter with chickens and ducks so we're trying to work out all the kinks. Please don't scold us for this. We feel awful as is. If anyone has suggestions for good watering suggestions, those would be much appreciated.). As we got almost to the barn where the coop is built in, we saw another fox INSIDE the run! It was jumping around trying to get out. By the time we'd gotten to the barn, it was out and ran off.
Thankfully all of our birds survived, but one of our ducks (roughly 4 months old) had been bitten on the neck. She was laying in the snow, and her brother was next to her trying to protect her. I was able to catch her in an attempt to assess the damage. It didn't seem too serious, but she was bleeding and was definitely hurting. I put her back in the coop where she has bedding to lay on.
Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do but lock the coop up as tight as possible and hope she made it through the night. Everything seemed okay this morning, and our little lady was able to walk around, but still in pain. We have Niacin, and that was the only thing we could possibly think that we had on hand to help. I checked on them again at lunch, and she seemed to be doing even better, but obviously still in pain.
To give a little more information, our birds have 24/7 access to a run that is completely enclosed. We typically let them free range all day and lock them in at night, or if a predator has been around recently. Our coop is elevated about 3 ft off the ground with space underneath where we have their food, water, and a spot for the ducks to sleep since they prefer sleeping down there to in the coop. The coop is built into the exterior wall of a barn, so there is just a small hole in the bottom to allow them access to the run.
I'm just hoping someone can provide some guidance on ways to help her heal as quick as possible. I know there are a lot of things we could be doing better to care for our birds, and we're slowly making those improvements. I really would appreciate any advice, and no negativity. We are very distraught and just want to help our baby. Thank you in advance...
It's been far too long since I've been on here, but I know someone(s) here will be able to help.
Last night around 11:00PM we heard our ducks going crazy. They don't usually make much noise at night, so we looked out the window to see what was going on. We definitely didn't expect to see 2 foxes running back and forth outside our run! Hubby and I ran outside because we've had ice build up that prevents us from fully closing the door to the coop (it's our first winter with chickens and ducks so we're trying to work out all the kinks. Please don't scold us for this. We feel awful as is. If anyone has suggestions for good watering suggestions, those would be much appreciated.). As we got almost to the barn where the coop is built in, we saw another fox INSIDE the run! It was jumping around trying to get out. By the time we'd gotten to the barn, it was out and ran off.
Thankfully all of our birds survived, but one of our ducks (roughly 4 months old) had been bitten on the neck. She was laying in the snow, and her brother was next to her trying to protect her. I was able to catch her in an attempt to assess the damage. It didn't seem too serious, but she was bleeding and was definitely hurting. I put her back in the coop where she has bedding to lay on.
Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do but lock the coop up as tight as possible and hope she made it through the night. Everything seemed okay this morning, and our little lady was able to walk around, but still in pain. We have Niacin, and that was the only thing we could possibly think that we had on hand to help. I checked on them again at lunch, and she seemed to be doing even better, but obviously still in pain.
To give a little more information, our birds have 24/7 access to a run that is completely enclosed. We typically let them free range all day and lock them in at night, or if a predator has been around recently. Our coop is elevated about 3 ft off the ground with space underneath where we have their food, water, and a spot for the ducks to sleep since they prefer sleeping down there to in the coop. The coop is built into the exterior wall of a barn, so there is just a small hole in the bottom to allow them access to the run.
I'm just hoping someone can provide some guidance on ways to help her heal as quick as possible. I know there are a lot of things we could be doing better to care for our birds, and we're slowly making those improvements. I really would appreciate any advice, and no negativity. We are very distraught and just want to help our baby. Thank you in advance...
