Do I need More ducks? Raw spots on ducks back!

GraceHomestead

Songster
Jun 21, 2016
168
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Hello,
I have 4 ducks and 1 drake. They were born in May 2016 so 9 months old. Curly the male has been mounting the females for some time now. They started laying in Dec and I have hatched babies from them.
Today when they were taking their baths in their pool we (my daughter and I) noticed black on their backs!
So we started the chase lol caught each one and 3 out of the 4 females have a bald spot on their backs.
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We flushed, cleaned and put a honey wound gel I have on the wounds. (Blukote was at home 9 miles away)
Does this mean I need more ducks for my drake?
Do I need to seperate so the girls can heal?
Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!!
 
Is that their backs? Overmating usually causes bald spots on the back of the head or neck
That looks to me like the oil gland. Is it raw there? I don't see any redness...
 
I wonder if the oil glands have some kind of issue going on. Sounds like you are observant - good job!

Could we consider it may not be from mating - that does usually show up (problems with overmating) with missing feathers and raw skin on the back of the neck, as @Bills vs Beaks noted.

Do you suppose they are getting into something dark and greasy with their bills, then rubbing that off on their preen glands? Does it smell like petroleum? Is there a fire pit where they might be picking up charcoal? What else is black that they might be getting on their bills?

Just trying to think sideways about this.....
 
@gracehomesteader - did you ever have any more issues with your duck wound? I have a duck with similar looking wounds that keep healing and breaking out on other places. Looking for answers! Thanks
 
No, things are exactly the same, and I've been spraying that since Thursday. Yesterday she was bleeding again. But she eats the most of all my ducks, loves treats, and seems just fine otherwise. I just don't know what to make of it! Every poultry disease I can find on the internet comes with so many symptoms, none of which she has. And I can't find anything that is specific about these raw and bloody lesions. Also, I'm so torn about whether or not to let her into the kiddie pool. I've been off an on with that because i can't tell if it makes it worse or not. She's desperately trying to bathe in her water bowl the last couple of days, and I feel bad that the other ducks aren't getting to swim. I also still have no idea whether it's contagious, and if I keep exposing them together in the pool am I taking a chance with my other ducks?
 

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