Advice Please Rescuing Muscovy Ducklings

[Rosestars]

That is sad. It always breaks my heart to hear about animals being treated this way. I agree there is something not right going on with the situation. Sometimes people start with the right intentions then things change. People get greedy. I wish I were closer I would take them. I don't have a lot of money either, but I would still take them. Have you tried to put a splint on the ones that can't walk. I would try that and if possible try to contain them at least temporarily until they heal a bit. If you are able to splint them it'll help them heal better and they could walk again. There's no guarantee, but it gives them a better chance. I've learned to do lots of these kind of things myself due to my lack of funds, and unless it's too severe they usually come out okay. I've even saved baby bunnies before. And that is no easy task. One did die but the two I saved I turned loose eventually, and now my next door neighbor says he has a rabbit that keeps getting in his garden and he has trouble chasing it off, lol. He said it acts like it's not even scared of him. I'd like to think that's one of my rescues lol. If you need any help or suggestions I'll do the best I can to assist. I'm glad someone cares enough to take them in.

Hi thank you for your offer of help. The idea of trying to give medical care myself gives me renewed hope that I can make a difference for them . I would like to try. And guess what? This morning we just saw the mother duck emerge from her spot in the bushes where she lays her eggs and she has a new mate. I think the cycle of babies has begun again . Sooner or later they always get hurt. Either the hawks and herons get them or they get hit by cars. One time a group of raccoons got the entire group of babies. I have lived here a couple of years now and this is the third group of babies I have seen come and now it looks like she is working on a fourth . They do breed quickly here. I can understand why Florida is concerned about invasive species issues. I just wish the laws were not so confusing. The law makes it much easier for a homeowner or rescue organization to euthanize them then to save them. I guess there are no easy answers. I just feel compassion for them. They really are cute and friendly. They do not mean to be a nuisance. I want to try to help them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You are so right it's not the ducks fault. I love my Muscovy's and to keep from over populating my area I practice birth control by taking their eggs up and not letting them hatch every year. You can do this also it may help some I know to control Canada geese populations that is what they do.

If your feeding the scovy's add some nutritional yeast to their feed 1 Tab per cup of feed, usually lameness unless an injury is nutritional and the Vitamin niacin can help get the legs strong.

Very sad situation there I wish there was an easy answer.

Bless you for caring about them. ♥

 

[wvchics]

You are very welcome. I'm sure you and I aren't the best drs., but it's better than not having any at all lol. Heck, with them still wanting to go with the flock you may nurse them back to health and they may choose to return to the wild on their own. Either way it's very rewarding to know you helped them survive. Maybe you can use a tote or dog crate to help contain them so they don't hurt themselves more. Some people use slings to help them stand up right and hold their weight. Although they may be too active for that if they are still trying to move around. Keep us posted how they are doing and don't be afraid to ask if you need anything at all. If there is one thing I have learned it's that the basics for medical care are pretty close to the same for people and animals. Of course, there are some differences, but usually small enough it's easy to improvise. A lot of people on here provide most or all of their own vet care, and there are lots of people on here that have knowledge and experience dealing with these kinds of things. I'll bet if you look on you tube you could probably find a video to walk you through putting a splint on some kind of bird. They are still small enough you could use twigs or popsicle sticks, and maybe some gauze wrap. Vet wrap might be too difficult with them being so small. Whatever you use try to make sure it's tight enough to hold but not so tight it effects circulation. Any scrapes or abrasions can be done just like with a person. Clean the wound then apply some triple antibiotic ointment. That'll help keep bugs and debris out of the wound. Any deep lacerations definitely need to be kept open if you have to cover them with bandages to keep them from closing go ahead. It should heal from the inside out to prevent infection being sealed in the wound. I'll be watching for updates. I'm sure you'll do fine by them.

 

[Rosestars]

You are so right it's not the ducks fault. I love my Muscovy's and to keep from over populating my area I practice birth control by taking their eggs up and not letting them hatch every year. You can do this also it may help some I know to control Canada geese populations that is what they do.

If your feeding the scovy's add some nutritional yeast to their feed 1 Tab per cup of feed, usually lameness unless an injury is nutritional and the Vitamin niacin can help get the legs strong.

Very sad situation there I wish there was an easy answer.

Bless you for caring about them. ♥

Hi Thank you for your information. I did read about nutritional yeast and other vitamins and I add it to my duckling's food but it does not seem to help, though we believe she likes the taste. She is very small and for some reason still looks like a baby compared to her siblings. She has not yet even gotten all of her feathers yet her eyes are still a blue color while her siblings are fully grown and beginning to fly a little with full feathers and gold eyes. I think her back may be crooked, and one leg sticks out behind her. Sometimes she could move it around and stand on it but most times she cant seem to use it at all . It seems as she gets bigger and heavier it is even harder for her to walk. She used to be able to walk a little now she cant walk at all. We lay her on pillows to keep her upright. And we put her in a little dog harness sometimes and hold her up to give her walks during the day. We support her holding her steady and upright by holding onto the harness while she uses her strong leg to move around and forage in the grass a little, and she likes it. I also want to try to design some sort of wheelchair or walker .

When it comes to the muscovy eggs I read you can shake them when they are still new and they will not form into ducks is that true? But also that you should leave one or two so she will not make new babies and will have something to raise? My neighbor mentioned wanting to take any new eggs away. Is there a way to spay or neuter a duck like they do the feral cat population? That may not be practical. When I told my neighbor he may have more ducks eggs laid on his land again soon he was not happy.

 

[Rosestars]

You are very welcome. I'm sure you and I aren't the best drs., but it's better than not having any at all lol. Heck, with them still wanting to go with the flock you may nurse them back to health and they may choose to return to the wild on their own. Either way it's very rewarding to know you helped them survive. Maybe you can use a tote or dog crate to help contain them so they don't hurt themselves more. Some people use slings to help them stand up right and hold their weight. Although they may be too active for that if they are still trying to move around. Keep us posted how they are doing and don't be afraid to ask if you need anything at all. If there is one thing I have learned it's that the basics for medical care are pretty close to the same for people and animals. Of course, there are some differences, but usually small enough it's easy to improvise. A lot of people on here provide most or all of their own vet care, and there are lots of people on here that have knowledge and experience dealing with these kinds of things. I'll bet if you look on you tube you could probably find a video to walk you through putting a splint on some kind of bird. They are still small enough you could use twigs or popsicle sticks, and maybe some gauze wrap. Vet wrap might be too difficult with them being so small. Whatever you use try to make sure it's tight enough to hold but not so tight it effects circulation. Any scrapes or abrasions can be done just like with a person. Clean the wound then apply some triple antibiotic ointment. That'll help keep bugs and debris out of the wound. Any deep lacerations definitely need to be kept open if you have to cover them with bandages to keep them from closing go ahead. It should heal from the inside out to prevent infection being sealed in the wound. I'll be watching for updates. I'm sure you'll do fine by them.

I have a mostly fenced in front and back yard I just have not bought the gates yet. I can work on that . I also already have a special chain link cage for my own duckling I have been working on to fortify and make stronger and safer. I bought some vinyl coated metal mesh to line it with so herons and raccoons cant poke inside the chain link to get at my duckling. She spends time outside in that and comes inside at night, but I worry about sharing it with her siblings. I worry they will attack her again . They are also scared of me they crawl away crying in fear if I come near to them and are much more frightened of me now, but I would like to try the medical care, I will get my neighbors to help . I have some bandages and some food grade hydrogen peroxide too and I like the idea of a sling. These ducks seem very strong much stronger than my little duckling.

I talked to an acquaintance this morning and was given a name and number to call of some people who may be willing to try to help me. I will call today and let you all know how it works out.

 

[RAsChickens]

Well she has had a bad day every time i talked to her then lol . Her replies to me when I contacted her over the first little duckling were so bad I refused to take her there. She would start yelling at me in all caps like when I asked questions on how she could keep the ducking ( who had already been attacked )safe from other ducks. She is elderly and my daughter is convinced something is not right with her. When I contacted her about these more recent ducks I used a different email address . I have read that she gets quite overwhelmed with ducks and when I contacted this recent time she mentioned that she had spent the entire day trying to get donations. I do not know if I can demand that they be saved. It is possible she would do it if I offered to pay for it ... I do not have a lot of money. Honestly we are poor.

What about a person who finds an injured creature and cannot afford to pay a fee to drop them off at a rescue ?

Maybe get the daughters email and set it up through there?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hope there is someone who can help.

Yes you can shake the newly laid eggs and they won't hatch but also Muscovy eggs are edible so you might want to tell your neighbors to take some and try. This is newly laid not any that have been in a nest over 3 days. If fertile they will be gin to grow ducklings.

To control the pop I'd take all eggs my Muscovy's get over it they just like to reproduce[natural] which is nice as long as you can keep them from invading wild areas. I even clip my Muscovy's wings to keep them home since we have a mountain river down below us and we already have a feral pop here in our mountains thankfully not on our part of the river or my dh would probably leave me since that is where I got my first 3.
Those poor ducks not being able to walk that is so sad and heart breaking.

 

[JanetMarie]

One of my Muscovy hens recently had a nest of 11 eggs that I did not want her to hatch, since she already hatched one brood this year. She had the nest hidden in a corner of the fenced yard. I took all the eggs away, and after a few days, she got over it, and was no longer broody.

In my opinion, taking away eggs is kinder to the mom than shaking the eggs and putting back in the nest. Who knows how long she will sit and try to hatch shaken eggs?

 

[wvchics]

It can be very difficult to help a wild animal. That's great if you can get help it'll make it a lot easier to Dr them up. When you do it they might be slightly calmer if you cover their eyes with a towel or rag, also. I thought the harness was a great idea also. People make little wheel chairs for animals all the time. That's probably why she was attacked though. Animals will kill the babies if there is something wrong with them. I'm glad you found her before that happened. At least she has a chance now.

 

[Rosestars]

Hi everyone. I write this sadly. I wish I could give you good news but I can't... I said I would tell you what happened so here goes. The number I was given was to a lady who is involved with wildlife rescue. She contacted an animal hospital in a city nearby that takes in all kinds of wildlife and who is also her vet. She told me they were ready to take the ducks right away ... they would not charge me and would not automatically just euthanize and she also called a local rescue that would find a place for the ducks after they were healed.

I took the two ducks there it was hard to catch them . I told them I was their friend and I wanted to help them. I promised them a beautiful pond when they got better. I told them if this place was just going to euthanize them I would take them home with me... but I didnt...

When I got there they were ready and took the ducks inside. We waited. A lady came out and told me they had taken x rays ... that when they were hit by the car they had sustained multiple broken bones and multiple internal injuries . That they could not be saved. I felt confused. I know they were not eating much and seemed out of it but I thought it was just shock.... I begged her not to kill them that I could take care of them but she said the damage was too great.

I called the man from the rescue I had been given his card at the vets and he talked to me a long time. He has taken many different wild creatures there . He says they do their best to save all of them and if they say the ducks couild not be saved it is true.

I have been crying and disappointed. the lady who set it all up called me too and told me the same. She thanked me for caring enough to put them out of pain. I feel so sad though. I feel I let them down... I hope they are at least in heaven.

I still have the other little duck. I will still keep her, to try to give her the best care