Fall Dumped Ducklings. Not a Recipe!

[Magnolia Ducks]

Ditto I am very grateful for you hillbilly

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I just love all your descriptions of your ducks. It’s so much fun to follow your journey.

Ditto I am very grateful for you hillbilly

You are so good to me!

I'm so happy to have met you!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

All Duckies are sleeping - except Blanca…

There was a terrifying incident with the little crested drake this evening when the ducks went into their house: The little one got spooked and missed the door. Then somehow got trapped between the duck-house door and the house, started to climb up the chicken wire, slipped and fell back to the floor, tried to crawl through under the door and got stuck. All the time he was screaming like that Buff-Orpington duck that was snatched by a raccoon in spring and carried into the woods! He was in total panic and i have not even touched him; Was not even near him!
Finally he wound out under the door, dashed inside and crawled into a corner, hiding his head under his body…

I have seen ducklings in fear before, even ducklings in full panic because they were separated from their momma, but this guy is in a league of his own. Would there have been a scary monster, waiting with its mouth open, covered in long teeth, corrosive saliva dripping - he would have gladly kamikazeed in there only to get away from me.
There was an eerie moment of silence after the little guy finally sat down, then all ducks began their alarm quack…
My wife witnessed all this and just said »What have they done to him? He must have had a terrible experience!«
And i think so too. He is walking a bit weird, like a kid with an overfilled diaper, he is visibly smaller than his hatch-mates and his left wing doesn't look right to me.

Has anyone ever seen such behavior in a duck?
Or any idea what could have happened to the little guy?

It took me a while before i was able to write this down…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

In above video, the duck, sitting next to the pillar in the center is the little Pomponell, as my wife has named him.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You may have witnessed why crested ducks should never have been created. They are adorable critters but there is def something off about them. Just guessing here though. But getting separated from his hatch mates and losing his way even though it was right in front of him so to speak makes you wonder if the little one is just wired different. Poor little one. Hopefully he’s made a full recovery this morning.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

We should have named him »pato loco« !
This morning all ducks were happy to see me walking to their house, because they know i will open the door for them. All, except Pomponell.
Once again he was trembling in the far away corner of the house, hiding his head under his body. He refused to come outside until i went back inside and whenever i come outside or even look out of the window he starts to scream and run away.
I know that crested ducks should not have been created ever, like bald cats or pug dogs, but i thought more about physical disabilities, not being mentally impaired.
Other than his weird way of walking and odd wing position he's is fine. No injuries as far as i can see and i have to see very far at him…

 

[Miss Lydia]

Poor baby maybe scared for life. Hopefully lots of meal worms will help or cat food?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Poor baby maybe scared for life. Hopefully lots of meal worms will help or cat food?

Tried to throw cat food at him, he thought i was throwing bullets…
That will take a loooooooooooong time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Poor thing. Well hopefully with having his buds with him he'll get over it eventually.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

We should have named him »pato loco« !
This morning all ducks were happy to see me walking to their house, because they know i will open the door for them. All, except Pomponell.
Once again he was trembling in the far away corner of the house, hiding his head under his body. He refused to come outside until i went back inside and whenever i come outside or even look out of the window he starts to scream and run away.
I know that crested ducks should not have been created ever, like bald cats or pug dogs, but i thought more about physical disabilities, not being mentally impaired.
Other than his weird way of walking and odd wing position he's is fine. No injuries as far as i can see and i have to see very far at him…

Created are sometimes mentally impaired. The crest is a hole in the skull. I had one with crests where the ears should be and she was deaf. CRests, crests. For hecks sake spell check changed it to breasts. Breasts for ears.