I guess I want to know from other more experienced duck owners, it this duck is going to recover, or if he needs to be seen by a vet/get the wing taken off.
My birds free range. I was gone for about 20 minutes yesterday morning. When I came back, one duck was missing, one was 'sickly' looking, and the other walked by me quacking with one wing dragging on the ground. I picked that one up, and he has been in a crate for about 24 hours.
This is what I saw; the shoulder area of the wing is showing some flesh and broken feathers, I feel that I was possibly hearing some cartilage or bones crackling when I carried him. It wasn't bleeding much. the rest of the wing looks okay. My other hand was covered in blood, so I think there is a wound(s) in the other side, under his wing or belly area. It has stopped bleeding. This duck has eaten some lettuce and oats, and is drinking. Just kind of hisses at me when I check on him. I haven't touched him again, because the first time I picked him up and put him down, I could hear his heart beat faster than I've ever heard one, and I thought he was dying right then because he kept dropping his head. But I think he was just terrified. I was gentle of course. But I don't want to bother him too much to get better photos.
I live in the bush, so I'd have to send him over on an airplane.
What do you guys think?? This is him this morning. I wasn't expecting his wing to magically be okay.
Also, I'd like some feedback on what type of predator. We have a lot of hawks. My neighbor had a juvenile bald eagle dive at her ducks (but the netting got in the way). VERY rare here to lose something to an eagle.
What's weird to me is that three ducks were injured (well, one is gone). What would take the time to do that, not mess with the other ducks or chickens and carry one off? I'm thinking whatever it was really fought with this one duck, before it took the other. I found some possible scuffle/drag marks.. but no real discernible prints. I feel like it was a hawk. My neighbor says it could have been a dog too. Which also makes some sense. Ideas?
My birds free range. I was gone for about 20 minutes yesterday morning. When I came back, one duck was missing, one was 'sickly' looking, and the other walked by me quacking with one wing dragging on the ground. I picked that one up, and he has been in a crate for about 24 hours.
This is what I saw; the shoulder area of the wing is showing some flesh and broken feathers, I feel that I was possibly hearing some cartilage or bones crackling when I carried him. It wasn't bleeding much. the rest of the wing looks okay. My other hand was covered in blood, so I think there is a wound(s) in the other side, under his wing or belly area. It has stopped bleeding. This duck has eaten some lettuce and oats, and is drinking. Just kind of hisses at me when I check on him. I haven't touched him again, because the first time I picked him up and put him down, I could hear his heart beat faster than I've ever heard one, and I thought he was dying right then because he kept dropping his head. But I think he was just terrified. I was gentle of course. But I don't want to bother him too much to get better photos.
I live in the bush, so I'd have to send him over on an airplane.
What do you guys think?? This is him this morning. I wasn't expecting his wing to magically be okay.
Also, I'd like some feedback on what type of predator. We have a lot of hawks. My neighbor had a juvenile bald eagle dive at her ducks (but the netting got in the way). VERY rare here to lose something to an eagle.
What's weird to me is that three ducks were injured (well, one is gone). What would take the time to do that, not mess with the other ducks or chickens and carry one off? I'm thinking whatever it was really fought with this one duck, before it took the other. I found some possible scuffle/drag marks.. but no real discernible prints. I feel like it was a hawk. My neighbor says it could have been a dog too. Which also makes some sense. Ideas?
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