Battered Duckling - Help!

[Eggcellent8]

Hey!

I have a duckling that is being raised by a chicken. He/she is a month old, and has been free ranging with the rest of my chickens. Things were going fine until today, when I found him bleeding! I think the chickens ganged up on him and Mama hen wasn't able to fend them all off. (I've witnessed her first hand having duals with any fowl that got too close). The duckling has patches of skin completely ripped off and some raw flesh exposed!

He also almost lost his eye, and it is having discharge. I immediately took him inside to wash him, and I put some neosporin on his wounds. Thinking I'll keep him inside, but am afraid his cuts will get infected. I don't even know what to do about his eye! Should I keep him with his mom? Or will she not be able to resist the blood on him?

How would you help this guy? Right now I've got him in a box so I can contemplate what to do.

Quick answers would be appreciated!

 

[luvmigrls]

Where and how bad is it bleeding? I would keep it inside to rehab where it can heal up. Use a 50/50 solution of peroxide and water gently cleaning the wounds. Vetericyn ( purchased at Ag supply stores) is great for treating wounds and can be used in eyes. The skin will harden as it heals.Watch and smell for any infections. If it eats, drinks, and poops it should pull through. Best wishes.

 

[Eggcellent8]

Thanks for the help!

His main wound is behind his head on the neck. Then there's the spot under the eye, and a few nicks on his chest. Will try the peroxide and water solution, and if I have time to go to the store and get some Vetericyn, I will.

So far he's eating, drinking, and pooping. Should I put the mother hen back with him? I don't want her to accidentally hurt him further, but I'm afraid they'll forget each other. (More that she'll forget him)

 

[luvmigrls]

I would focus more on it's healing and when it starts acting better then you could provide monitored visit time to reintroduce if you think the mom attacked. When I have had one in rehab that's what I do but mine are are hens. Maybe some else has some advice. Look at some other links that may have answers. Best of luck.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

You can do Epsom Salt baths for the duckling, but do not allow the duckling to drink it (because it is a laxative). Not to be disagreeable in any way, but I don't think I would use hydrogen peroxide much after the initial cleaning. Just because it has been explained to me that hydrogen peroxide kills healthy tissue as well as germy infected tissue. So in that way, it doesn't really help healing. If you've got infection tho, that is a different ball game. I think the standard wound care for ducks (Epsom Salt Bath, Neosporin without pain relief, Blu Kote) should help. I don't have chickens, so can't really advise how mom might react, but if it were me, I might just try to bring the duckling inside until that all heals up.

 

[Amiga]

I would get duckling indoors, away from flies, that will lay eggs in open wounds.

You have received some good advice. Initial cleaning with H2O2 solution, then switch over to Veterycin, or a saline solution. I found this on making your own saline solution.

http://intermountainhealthcare.org/ext/Dcmnt?ncid=520684503

An antibiotic cream might be good for initial treatment - I believe it would let some air into the wounds, and that is probably a good thing. If you can keep the duckling inside, away from flies, keep the wounds clean and rinsed off, with some topical antibiotic, I think the little is likely to pull through.

I would give poultry vitamins, electrolytes and probiotics as well, to boost the immune system and help healing.

The priority for me right now would be safety for the duckling, and deal with social concerns later. But you could try supervised visits if it seems it would help, because the more content a duck is, the faster they will heal - in my opinion.

 

[Eggcellent8]

Thanks guys!

Duckling is doing better, the main wound on her neck appears to be healing, but the one eye still looks bad. It's hard to tell whether it is healing and just still matted down around the area from the previous pus, or if it's not improving. Haven't gotten that Veterycin yet, might try that saline solution first.

I ended up reintroducing the hen to the duckling because the baby was hysterical without her. They've been fine so far, relieved!

How long would you keep him separated? Want him to fully recover (and obviously, not get beat up a second time), so wondering when he'll be big enough to go with the flock again?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Just make sure that duckling has water deep enough to wash that eye. But not saline water, you don't want duckling drinking saline water.

 

[Amiga]

I would definitely make mild lukewarm saline and make treating the eye a priority. Even a little warm bath so the duckling can wash his or her head in plain water first and loosen some of the crud, then follow up immediately with mild saline to disinfect.