Duck Wing is Bleeding

[ryneaeiel]

@ryneaeiel I might be able to, though she does like to roam around and she doesn't like being enclosed. I don't have any other animals, and I only have one other duck. I've never seen her or the other duck fight. They've always been super nice to each other and even go out to look for earthworms together.

It's possible the other duck could be doing this, or she might doing it herself. If she's doing it herself, I highly doubt she's doing it intentionally. It's more likely that she has parasites like mites.

 

[joonpiter]

@ryneaeiel I think that could be it. If she does happen to have parasites, what could I do?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Give her a small pool or tub with water to cover her whole body in. Put apple cider vinegar in very strong since you want to kill any external parasites let her soak wash herself as long as she wants make sure she can get in an out safely. After she is done wrap her in a towel and check her out real good down to skin. If mites they will look like tiny pepper crawling around on her skin. If lice look closely at her feather shafts around her vent etc they attach themselves to the shafts and are tan in color. If there are any parasites you’ll need to apply some type of poultry dust or spray. Clean out all bedding dispose of it away from your property and spray down your coop top to bottom put in new bedding. Rarely do waterfowl get external parasites since they bathe so often. Do your ducks have access to a pool

also I realize birds will self mutilate themselves like parrots etc but I’ve never known or heard of a duck doing it.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

One of my ducks is currently molding and she does not have any feathers on her wings if that makes sense. She likes to peck her non-feathered wings, so I'm pretty sure that caused her bleeding. What should I do? Is there any way I can help her?

-How long has her wing been like this?
-Is your other duck a hen or a drake?
-Is she kept in a coop at night or out 24/7?

 

[ryneaeiel]

also I realize birds will self mutilate themselves like parrots etc but I’ve never known or heard of a duck doing it.

In fowl and poultry it's only really heard of in neglected and abused animals, such as battery hens (and is most often seen in instances of restrictive caging where the bird can't move around much so their only stress relief is self-mutilation.)

This duck looks to be in very good health which is why I highly doubt that she's doing this with the intent to mutilate herself. It looks much more like she's trying to preen parasites from her feathers but since she's ripped the feathers out doing so, now she's begun scraping the skin with her teeth.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Teeth? had to come back for that question. lol

 

[ryneaeiel]

Teeth? had to come back for that question. lol

The technical term is lamellae, but yes, they're like little teeth! Lamellae are serrations along the edge of the bills of most waterfowl. They basically function the same way as whale baleen. Dabbling ducks use them to sift through mud to find food, and geese use them to rip up blades of grass to swallow. They're longer and sharper in fish-eating water birds, who use them to grab onto fish and keep hold while the fish writhes.

Besides feeding, they also function as "combs" to remove debris from the feathers. They can be very sharp in certain areas of the bill, and if moved quickly enough they can cut skin (especially the more tender skin of birds.) On some birds they're almost hair-like and are much more like a whale's baleen, but on most waterfowl they're hard structures with the same density as teeth and can easily rip flesh.

Here's the lamellae on a duck. They're pointed and very tooth-like.

On a goose. These are just as solid but are more rounded at the tips and don't have a significant point or edge.

On a northern shoveler. These are very soft and flexible with a hair-like density -- the most baleen-like of these examples.

And on a merganser, also known as the "sawbill." Was nipped by one while trying to get plastic off its feet. Absolutely would not recommend getting bit.

 

[joonpiter]

@Astro duck.
1. She has been like this for two days now.
2. My other duck is a hen.
3. At night, she has goes into her coop but she likes to roam around.

 

[joonpiter]

Also, I forgot to mention that her wings are featherless on both sides. She was molting for a while and I'm pretty sure on both sides. Today's the second day, and she's stopped bleeding but her wing looks purple/green.

 

[joonpiter]

@Miss Lydia thanks for the advice ! I will do that. And yes, they do have access to a pool ^^