Knuckleballer25

In the Brooder
Jun 15, 2019
5
14
44
I have 14 ducks they’re different breeds and slightly different ages. There are 6 male ducks three of them are extremely chilled out and stay away from the three dominant males. I have one duck who had bowed legs when I got her as a duckling. I didn’t know then the causes of it. She now has very bowed legs, angel wing, and occasional seizures. However she has always been completely fearless. She doesn’t run away from anyone even our dogs. My nieces and nephews always try to “catch the ducks” and she waddles for a few steps then let’s the “catch” her. She has always bossed all of the other ducks around.

Two days ago I went to their pen to put them up for the night and she was gone! I looked all over and finally found her in the tree line where the Guineas used to hang. She was hiding and wouldn’t come out. I shook her favorite treat which ALWAYS gets her to come running. She stayed in her spot until I went in and got her. She was covered in mud, seemed to be missing some feathers and was soaked. Mind you she’s usually pretty dirty after she’s had a seizure as she rolls in the mud. I put her up and didn’t think much about it. Yesterday when I went to let them out she was soaked again and muddy. She wouldn’t leave the duck house so I filled up a small water and a small plate of food. She drank water and went to the back of the house. Last night when I went to put them up she was covered in mud and all alone. I tried to put her in one of the pools to wash off and she jumped out. I took her inside my house and washed her with a tiny amount of dish soap. There were two bald spots on her wings, they look kinda like elbows. She was missing feathers in her tail. I filled the tub up again and let her swim. She started to play and acting like her normal self. I dried her with a towel and then took her outside to finish air drying. When I was carrying her back to the duck pen, she tried desperately to get out of my hands. I put her inside the barn as it was dark by that time.

This morning I had to leave before it was light outside. When I walked up to the barn she was outside halfway under the duck ramp and the barn COVERED in mud and soaking wet! She was missing a lot of her tail feathers too. I ran the other ducks out and brought her in. She’s now blocked into the back half of the barn with water food and fresh hay.

Is this just my male ducks being jerks or could it be the whole flock pushing her out? I joke about bringing her inside bc of her health issues but it’s starting to look like a good idea!
 
Do you have a body of water nearby such as a pond or a kiddie pool? I have seen raccoons try to drown ducks before but with so many drakes and her in her condition it could just be them ganging up on her. I hope she improves.
 

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