- Nov 25, 2011
- 222
- 5
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Tues night at 3 am I was woken up by my ducks going crazy in their pen (which is right outside my bedroom wall). Now this happens often probably why I am always tired during the day. 9 out of 10 times they are just getting a little crazy and no predators are around a couple of times I have found a raccoon hanging on their galvanized steel cage (actually a dog run we built out). When I got outside immediately I saw the raccoons eyes halfway down my fence line with something (had no idea at this time what it could be since my cage was closed up still). I couldnt scare it off tried making noise pounding my light on the fence etc...He wasnt leaving what he had caught. So I got close enough to see he had a duck - I ran towards him screaming so he let her go but only to get away a short distance and still with the idea to get his catch back. Yes I recognize at this time my mathematical reasoning was flawed and I too could have been attacked by the beast but all I cared about was this duck. So I lifted up her head and body that was slumped between my fence posts and she was bloated feeling really squishy and I couldnt feel a heart beat or anything. I gently laid her back down and my husband came out to inspect and all of a sudden she moved. So I quickly rushed her into the bathtub to clean out her wounds and see how bad she was attacked. She was having a hard time holding her neck up until today it would just slump over. I figured her neck wasnt broken because she could move it with her own strength and hold it she just wasnt doing it all the time like 10% maybe. She had several superficial cuts on her neck. Several puncture wounds in her neck (feathers missing galore). And her beak was a bit marred. Her eyes were probably the worse. Not sure if she actually has them both. I think I see one occasionally when she opens it not sure on the other eye. I have tried to open it but after the 1st 3 hrs with antibiotic eye ointment it finally closed up and she hasnt really opened it again. The other one she tries to open and watch you.
I cleaned all the wounds up made sure nothing looked beyond repair and put antibiotic ointment on the wounds on her beak and body. Special stuff for her eyes. I used the hairdryer to dry her feathers from the bath and tucked her into the towels for the rest of the night with prayers she would make it.
My 9 yr old had duck duty and he is a perfectionist and good chore kid so I assumed all was well and didnt double back and recount the ducks in the cage. We checked our cameras and found that he didnt get Peeps in the cage (she often hides during this time). Peeps tried all night long to figure out how to get back in the cage but the raccoon found her. Fortunately he drug her by the duck cage and they all freaked out which woke me up. So the 9 yr old is getting a difficult lesson in consequences when things are not done properly and how mistakes can have sad results. Accidents happen which we remind him but he is still a bit upset that he put Peeps through this.
When I woke up a few hours later and checked on her and she had pooped so I figured that was a good thing. She continues to poop even to this evening so still a good sign I hope. She was laying in a nest (assuming it was almost time to lay her daily egg) but didnt accomplish that goal. I was worried she was going to become eggbound along this process due to the shock in her system. Today she laid an egg - hopefully another good sign? Today is the 1st day that she is drinking from a dropper placed in her beak and trying to take the liquid back - I am also mixing in some baby food to get her some protein and calories. I am also giving her vitamins poly v (baby ones) in hopes that every little bit helps her regain her strength.
Tonight when we got home we decided to see if giving her water to swim would be a good thing. She really wasnt holding her head upright yet. I placed her head upright filled the tub and she held her head herself for 45 mins - swimming only to get away from me as I was putting water over her head (which she drank really good when I did that).
We are almost 48 hrs to when the incident occurred. Any ideas of things I could do differently she is improving each day I am just worried it isnt enough. Can a duck get rabies from a coon? I have the coon trapped - placed the trap by the blood stained grass knowing it would return under darkness again.
Sorry for the rant!
Her wounds are scabbed over and almost coming off now - she had more wounds than I realized from the coon scratching her. Her feathers even look like they are starting to grow out slightly. I realize she may not have vision when this is all said and done with but hopefully we can keep her somewhat happy with her living conditions. I bring her out to the other ducks so she can hear them and they can see her as they witnessed this horrible attack. At 1st they looked at me with a cautious eye - as it appeared I was carrying a dead duck for the 1st week. She now walks around a little with them. I wont integrate her back outside until I know 100% her wounds are all healed up and she gains more energy. I occasionally get the evil eye for the duck smell in the house from her little bathroom ward from the hubby. 
