How to help my stubborn drake heal

[arrowti]

Whenever the wind blows they love to sing. They sound like teenagers again. Not the alarm quack, but the 'laughing' quack.

I'll try to remember to bring my phone with me when I check on him. He's almost always laying in a funny position.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Interesting they sing . Mine have moments when they talk loud but it’s mainly if one gets separated from the group and is calling for the rest. Then they call back till they are all together again.

 

[arrowti]

They sing like the ducks in this video (one of my favorite videos, silly ducks!):

They used to be so much more vocal when they were young. Once they grew up they stopped quacking as much except when it's windy.

 

[arrowti]

I managed to get some pictures of his leg(s). He always lays with at least one leg sticking out to the side beside him. I had gotten close so he was attempting to stand, which was why I was able to get both of his legs sticking out. You can see the size difference between the knees. But I'll say it's not as big as it was. Right leg.

Cute duck butt with legs:

When I let him out yesterday he was able to walk but he immediately proceeded to walk into a burdock bush and get stuck. He was about 2 steps away from a flat path too. He's his own worst enemy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I can see the difference too . That is great that you can see it’s not as big. Poor guy just gets into to trouble too much.

 

[arrowti]

The ducks were naughty today. It was raining so I decided to let him enjoy the rain and be free (his mobility has definitely improved. The main issue is he needs to get his leg under him before he starts moving and not trip over his wings). I came home and the ducks must have heard the door shut on the car and they started quacking... from behind the pig enclosure. Which is NOT where the ducks are supposed to be. (They're immune to the electric wire, I swear!).

Fortunately they were in the abandoned and also electric-wired enclosure from when we planned on adding more pigs. Opie was also there, lying next to a tree. I had no idea how he managed to make it all the way out there.

They're back now, and I brought him to the pool. He knows how to shrug his wings just right to pull them free when I hold him and flaps them wildly. He's a butt.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hurts doesn't it? you should carry a goose when her wings wiggle free. Boy!

Happy to hear Opie is doing better.

 

[arrowti]

Fortunately he doesn't have enough wing feathers grown in for it to really hurt! One of the hens has started molting now. The coop looked like a couple of pillows exploded in there overnight!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine too my chickens are in full molt my ducks are just now starting.

 

[arrowti]

I'm thinking of adding some Vitamin A rich foods to his diet as that was shown to be helpful in treatment. I'm not sure if he'll eat any of the foods, except possibly the spinach... I know ducks aren't supposed to have spinach because it inhibits calcium absorption, but it shouldn't really hurt him since he's a drake, right?

He slapped me in the face today. I was carrying him into the coop and he squeezed his wings free. My head was a bit too close. I swear he was laughing at me.