AMIGA - Need Quick Duck With Bum Leg Advice

[Amiga]

I agree, time is of the essence, and if she is a dumped domestic, injured, sitting duck, the odds are not in her favor.

If you want things to be perfect, I don't think that's going to happen. If you can provide a safer environment for her, give her a chance, then I would encourage you to do so.

 

[DianaTX]

Hi Amiga, Just an update on Gimpy....She's all better. Running around like her old self. She loved her antibiotic water mixed with nutri-drench and her oatmeal feed blend with grapes and green peas. That's what did it for her.

She sat on her eggs for several weeks which gave her the healing time that she needed to recoop from the lame leg and exhaustion. But, something was eating her eggs (probably a snake) and she abandoned the last 3 (out of 8) because the two muskoveys were constantly hunting her down to mount her - something about brooding that makes'em horny. (Now they're chasing the other small black female that's brooding). I kept having to chase them away because she's just a little duck. They are three or four times her size, heavy and have long claws. I've seen them mount her and she's practically suffocated under those big guys - probably the reason why she got gimp before. Poor Pierre (the lover not a fighter duck) got practically mauled and dragged by one of those guys when trying to defend his brood. Cotton-Top (Gimpy's mate) is no longer around. Something took him away. No signs of a struggle or remains anywhere to be found. A real mystery for us here. Same thing happened to another big white duck that was just brought over to live here with his white companion - now a widower. We thought that if a cayote got them there would've been signs of a struggle or feathers, but nothing was left behind.

Anyway, I have a question: A couple of people have brought their ducks to live here at the pond. 1 out of the four is a mallard and the other three (minus the one white one that myteriously disappeared) are big white ducks. For some reason, they are not adapting well. They seem to be moving very sluggishly, having problems moving around and constantly laying down wherever they move to to rest. What's wrong with these guys? Someone said something about the "brackkish" water but I'm not so sure that's a culprit. You got any ideas?

Thanks again. Hope all is well at your end of the world! Warmest regards,
Diana K.

 

[Amiga]

I think they may be starving. They may not know how to forage and they need alot of calories. Can someone set out a tray of food?

 

[Miss Lydia]

How said when people "dump" their ducks are a local pond and think they can make it on their own. Thank goodness there are people who care.

 

[DianaTX]

Well, we have cracked corn that we give them, but they seem to love honey wheat bread the most. I think they want something green but what can I give them in abundance that is what they want or need. They peck at the corn but even I can tell it's not what they really want. The bread is a filler and I know not the best food to be giving them - but they like it a lot.

I bought the layer pellets (from when Gimpy was lame) but they don't want to go near that stuff - not sure why. I've tried tossing it out there for them but they turn their nose up at it. A nice waste of money as I got a very large bag thinking I could use it for the rest of the ducks here. I gave it to Gimpy blended with oats so she had to eat it and did.

But otherwise, only the white ducks seem to be dragging their flippers when they walk, have slow reflexes when getting up from a laying position and waddle heavily. The other duck (the mallard) is fine. No one dumped them here. These folks' ponds dried up and they thought they would have a better chance at a nicer setting here. They were just trying to help them out and since we lost 3 ducks out of the original 6 that had been living here for several years, they were wanting to increase the duck population.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well, we have cracked corn that we give them, but they seem to love honey wheat bread the most. I think they want something green but what can I give them in abundance that is what they want or need. They peck at the corn but even I can tell it's not what they really want. The bread is a filler and I know not the best food to be giving them - but they like it a lot.

I bought the layer pellets (from when Gimpy was lame) but they don't want to go near that stuff - not sure why. I've tried tossing it out there for them but they turn their nose up at it. A nice waste of money as I got a very large bag thinking I could use it for the rest of the ducks here. I gave it to Gimpy blended with oats so she had to eat it and did.

But otherwise, only the white ducks seem to be dragging their flippers when they walk, have slow reflexes when getting up from a laying position and waddle heavily. The other duck (the mallard) is fine. No one dumped them here. These folks' ponds dried up and they thought they would have a better chance at a nicer setting here. They were just trying to help them out and since we lost 3 ducks out of the original 6 that had been living here for several years, they were wanting to increase the duck population.

Sounds like something is wrong with them though, you can try giving them Chopped Romaine lettuce, chopped kale mine will even eat chopped cabbage. sometimes the grocery stores will have bagged veggies marked down. I'm sorry but helping them out would have been trying to find them a home where they would be properly taken care of, unless you have such a person where they are living at now. Other than you of course. I don't doubt these people wanted to help their ducks but taking domesticated ducks out of a back yard and into a wild or semi wild environment isn't helping them out especially if there is something wrong with them, sounds like they wouldn't stand a chance against a predator.

 

[Amiga]

Well, we have cracked corn that we give them, but they seem to love honey wheat bread the most. I think they want something green but what can I give them in abundance that is what they want or need. They peck at the corn but even I can tell it's not what they really want. The bread is a filler and I know not the best food to be giving them - but they like it a lot.

I bought the layer pellets (from when Gimpy was lame) but they don't want to go near that stuff - not sure why. I've tried tossing it out there for them but they turn their nose up at it. A nice waste of money as I got a very large bag thinking I could use it for the rest of the ducks here. I gave it to Gimpy blended with oats so she had to eat it and did.

But otherwise, only the white ducks seem to be dragging their flippers when they walk, have slow reflexes when getting up from a laying position and waddle heavily. The other duck (the mallard) is fine. No one dumped them here. These folks' ponds dried up and they thought they would have a better chance at a nicer setting here. They were just trying to help them out and since we lost 3 ducks out of the original 6 that had been living here for several years, they were wanting to increase the duck population.

Hmmmm... I know it's tough for many of us. We haven't much information, I just feel that they are in unfamiliar territory, maybe depressed about that, and yes, they could be puny, too.

I'll toss some ideas up. Soak some bread in water that has poultry vitamins-probiotics-electrolytes in it. See if they'll eat some wheat berries or oats in a bucket of water. Toss some food-grade activated charcoal into the water, in case they have toxicity problems. Make sure there's some shade for them. Pekins can get overheated, I would imagine, as bulky as they are.

A bucket of fresh water with some chopped lettuce and peas frozen into an ice block.

A few slices of watermelon (has sugar, but also some electrolytes and they might could use a little recreation).

My first reply came from when I had to be out in the field (literally), with little cell tower coverage - I apologize if it seemed less than friendly, but I felt strongly that the ducks don't know how to get what they need in their new environment. Know anyone with a heart for Pekins who could pick them up?