Duckworth
Songster
When mine were attacked by a raccoon, all of the injuries were to their heads and faces. One had a gash down the center of the top of her head that the vet stitched closed. She made a full recovery. One had some tooth marks in the part of her bill closest to her feathers. She made the fastest recovery. One nearly had her bill pulled off of her face. The vet gave her a steroid shot to promote blood cell production, since she had the most blood loss. He couldn’t do anything about her bill and her face and didn’t even try to clean it up, since she was so badly traumatized. I don’t think he thought she would survive. He gave them all antibiotic shots and prescribed oral antibiotics for ten days.
The least injured duck attacked the most injured duck, probably because she thought it wouldn’t survive. I separated them in a “look—don’t touch” setup so they could see and hear each other, but the most injured one was safe. The two less injured ducks recovered in a few days, but Nipper, the most injured one, languished and didn’t eat. I put the non-attacking duck in her side of the bathtub and Nipper did better. After a week, I took everything out of the tub and moved the ducks into dog carriers so I could do a thorough cleaning and give them swimming water. Nipper had been preening and I had been slowly cleaning the dried blood off of her when I gave the antibiotics, but both of her eyes were still pretty bad. Bathing seemed to really rejuvenate her, though I don’t think it would have been safe to do it until her wounds were fully closed. She bled and oozed from her nostrils for several days and her face was a mass of dried blood and feathers. She started eating, then, and has now made a full recovery except that she is still not laying. She barely has any scarring and can see through both eyes, both of which appear completely normal.
I hope your ducks recover and do well. I would keep an eye out for your more seriously injured duck to ensure that the other birds don’t think they should help her on to her final reward. It was important to keep mine together, but with safeguards in place.
The least injured duck attacked the most injured duck, probably because she thought it wouldn’t survive. I separated them in a “look—don’t touch” setup so they could see and hear each other, but the most injured one was safe. The two less injured ducks recovered in a few days, but Nipper, the most injured one, languished and didn’t eat. I put the non-attacking duck in her side of the bathtub and Nipper did better. After a week, I took everything out of the tub and moved the ducks into dog carriers so I could do a thorough cleaning and give them swimming water. Nipper had been preening and I had been slowly cleaning the dried blood off of her when I gave the antibiotics, but both of her eyes were still pretty bad. Bathing seemed to really rejuvenate her, though I don’t think it would have been safe to do it until her wounds were fully closed. She bled and oozed from her nostrils for several days and her face was a mass of dried blood and feathers. She started eating, then, and has now made a full recovery except that she is still not laying. She barely has any scarring and can see through both eyes, both of which appear completely normal.
I hope your ducks recover and do well. I would keep an eye out for your more seriously injured duck to ensure that the other birds don’t think they should help her on to her final reward. It was important to keep mine together, but with safeguards in place.
. I do not name my chickens or ducks because I already am so attached that it'll just make it worse. Your predator will return and if your lucky you'll meet him down the barrel of your gun. Good Luck!
that’s amazing they made a full recovery though. I can’t inagine how painful that must have been for you and the ducks. The ducks are actually huddled together. It’s like they are comforting each other. But I will definitely keep an eye out.
that is funny, but on a serious note.. I feel the same way and am ready for war when my birds die too. I get that it's nature, but that is also my nature 
