Help, duck pulled feathers out of tail

[Jbcain89]

Hello,
New to ducks. Have 3 pekin, 2 female and 1 male, well I think by the voices. They are about 4 months old. Last night one of the ducks was in the water late but did not think much of it, but then this morning she was in the water when I went out along with the other female. Not sure if she stayed in all night. Was going to clean the pond and add a filter fountain I bought. Found that she had feathers missing and blood on here. Checked and it was both sides. She was pulling at the area when I took her out of thr water. Have cleaned it this morning and put cornstarch on it from what I quickly read in some other posts. Not sure why this happened trying to find some help on why and what to do to help it heal here. Thanks.

 

[ruthhope]

That wound needs cleaning up with salt water, then spraying with antiseptic. I recommend using Kote Blue (gentian violet) as a red wound will incite biting by the other ducks.

Also, it is important to secure ducks in a predator proof duck house at night. Ducks ate unlike chickens, and cannot be relied upon to take themselves into a duck house. They learn to hang around the door at dusk but just do not go inside and stay there withput a person chivvying them in and securely fastening the door. Raccoons have prehensile hands and can open a bolt and other simple locks. The door has to have avraccoon proof lock

 

[Jbcain89]

Thanks, took this photo before cleaning with salt water and putting the corn starch on it. We actually do not have raccoons where I live but I do understand what you are saying about securing from predators they are in a fenced area but we have a smaller fenced in area normally at night for them. Do you know why this would happen? I will look for that anti septic

 

[ruthhope]

Kote Blue is an antiseptic available in the USA. The active ingredient is gentian violet that can be painted onto a wound with a cotton swab. Betadine is another antiseptic that can be used it is yellow orange from the iodine active ingredient
I don't know why this happened except that a predator grabbed that poor ducks tail and pulled. If not avraccoon, what predators do you have ? Foxes? Bob cats? Even feral cats can be predators. While raccoons use their hands, the others could grab with their mouths

 

[Jbcain89]

My local farm store only carries red kote would this work?