Help! Duckling with terribly deformed beak dumped in my yard!! *PICS*

[mommyofthree]

A friend of a relative of mine got a huge load of hay yesterday and apparently there was a duckling in it. So he had our relative take it who then just brought it to my house and put it with the rest of our ducks without asking or telling us, UGH!!

My hubby saw him pulling out of our yard and asked what he was doing, by then it was too dark for us to find the poor thing since our birds free range on 2 acres. The relative never told us about the beak, which he obviously noticed.

I found it this morning in the yard and the beak is terribly deformed, I put it in a pen by itself for now. It looks like it probably hatched that way, it does not like an injury. My first thought was to cull it, I'm not sure it can live a good life like this. But then again it has grown this big..?? I've never seen anything like this. Can it live a normal life or will it suffer??

 

[jbowyer01]

Oh poor poor llittle one. Just a naive question, I've never owned ducks but will it eventually grow out? Kinda like how some other birds do?

 

[danischi24]

I think he will live just fine like that though it looks pretty nasty. Give the fellow a chance.

 

[chicmom]

That looks just terrible. Does the duckling eat OK? Looks sort of like the outside of the beak is almost melted looking, while there is still the inside........

 

[La Mike]

As long as it can eat and drink it should be fine. Ducks can be very hardy

 

[Terri O]

I had a young goose that had a weird beak from an injury...as long as it can eat and drink (which it obviously has learned to do) It will be OK. Make sure he is healthy and let him run with yours! Congrats! Terri O

 

[Cosmopolis Chick]

Quote:
Wow. Get some locks for your gate!

If you don't have gates - get some!!!
That 'friend' just exposed your whole flock to... who KNOWS what!!!
If you're still speaking to them explain new additions must be quarantined.

I can't say anything about the poor duckling except it's HUGE, are you sure it's not a gosling?

 

[mommyofthree]

I am soooo mad that it was just dumped in my yard, people can be so stupid!!

I would have gladly taken it if I had been asked, we have a nice big empty pen that it's in now where I would have put it right away, away from my other birds.

I put out a nice deep bowl of food and water so we will see if it will eat or drink it. I am assuming it will be alright since it has gotten this big. Time will tell.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Poor baby.

I hope it will be ok. Thank you for caring for it.

 

[mommyofthree]

Quote:
I don't think it will grow back. There's a mallard at a local pond that is missing about 1/3 of his top beak and it has been like that for a couple of years. I used to think that was bad....