I adopted a handicap Duck!

[Duck mommy 2019]

Western Oregon really isn’t that cold in the winter, we are mid 40’s and only get rain! Yes, she’s my first and I do plan on buying a baby duckling for her as a companion!!

i recommend adopting an older duck, a duckling won’t be able to safely live with her for 2 months and you risk getting a drake, a single hen witn a drake only works sometimes and definitely won’t work with a disabled hen

 

[Weeg]

Yes, she’s my first and I do plan on buying a baby duckling for her as a companion!!

She won't expect a duckling right away. You will have to let the baby grow up before you can introduce the two. Of course, you can still do it, but jus thought I would bring that to mind.

 

[SolarDuck]

Agreed, look at your local Craigslist in the for sale section for muscovy ducks. There are always some available near me. Best bet would be either a single hen or a pair of hens to be friends with her. You can get young ones, but they should be a similar size to her so you can put her with them.

 

[Weeg]

Or could it be that she’s in such poor health that she’s lost some of the oil that’s supposed to keep her feathers dry?

Its possible, lets see what the experts say about it. Hopefully it can be fixed easily! Make sure to get her a good quality duck food soon, that will help her out.

 

[Weeg]

Agreed, look at your local Craigslist in the for sale section for muscovy ducks. There are always some available near me. Best bet would be either a single hen or a pair of hens to be friends with her. You can get young ones, but they should be a similar size to her so you can put her with them.

I agree. Plus, there are so many adults out there that need homes. Ducklings in stores will all get homes, but the ones who need adopting may not. Plus, like @Duck mommy 2019 said, you don't want to risk getting a male. I would adopt, Craigslist is a great place to look!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

She's a beauty! Thank you for adopting a disabled duck. I'm sure you will form a very special bond with her. I have a disabled duck and she's very special (and she knows it <3)

 

[Isaac 0]

Compared to other breeds Muscovies tend to be not as enthusiastic to get in the water, subsequently, they are more predisposed to developing feather problems associated with lack of water. Having a bird with an existing problem that discourages regular bathing can make matters much worse, so oftentimes it comes down to the owner's will to keep up hygiene practices.

In a normal situation, the feathers on the surrounding the duck would be well oiled with the oils that come from their preening gland (uropygial), located pygostyle on the duck - posterior to the ducks back. Almost all stimulation to distribute the oils across the feathers comes when the bird in water; when not in water very rarely do you see a duck distributing oils across its feathers. It's likely your bird has not been distributing the oils across its feathers so the microscopic interlocking barbules are not anymore interlocking which allows moisture penetration into the down.

Regaining oil distribution over the feathers consists of steadily introducing water back into the duck's daily life. During cold weather, letting the duck bathe in water can create hypothermic conditions; so instead, you may mist the duck's feather gently with a mister. During periods of warm days, letting the duck swim in water supervised would be good. A quick look at the bird's oil gland to ensure it's not clogged or infected may be a good idea. A warm compress to the oil glad can often be beneficial in getting it back up and "running".

Nutrition plays a key role in overall health, and feather development. For a bird her age, feeding an all flock feed, flock raiser, or Mazuri Waterfowl feed would be good. Access to greens, sunlight will also prove their usefulness in the long run. Whenever there is some sort of leg problem on one leg that creates more pressure on the opposing leg which increases the chance of conditions such as pododermatitis developing; you'll want to check the bottom of her foot pads every month or two to ensure there are no sores of any kind devloping.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They absolutely love flying and exploring. I've had to go to my local park to get mine a couple times after they molted and their wings grow back. I think if you don't have like a big pond and only have a kiddie pool, and want to play it safe, it would be a good idea to clip. Especially once you get another female, they will want to go explore together. It really depends on where you live and how attached the ducks are to you. 2 of my girls are very attached to me and I dont think they would ever fly off, but I clip them just in case, and because both of my neighbors have dogs.. My other girl named Puffin always flies off as soon as her feathers grow back doesn't matter how much food I give her here.

Experience is the best advise. @SolarDuck has had experience with this. My girls loved to fly too so I always clip wings after big molt in the fall. Keeping them safe is my top priority

 

[Miss Lydia]

She won't expect a duckling right away. You will have to let the baby grow up before you can introduce the two. Of course, you can still do it, but jus thought I would bring that to mind.

She can adapt to another breed of domestic duck but if you could get another Muscovy female that would be ideal.

Also since you have chickens and if your chickens and duck will be eating together you may want to stick with an All flock feed. That way they can all eat the same feed. Do you know what she was being fed where she was before? Meal worms are a good way to supplement protein and that will also help with feather quality. Adding a little to her feed to get her use to eating feed maybe a good start. My birds also like a treat of dry dog food small round kibble that they can easy to get down , Just make sure it's a good quality food. These can help with feather quality and like @Isaac 0 says getting her to bathe will start her preening and once she has a good molt her feathers will be beautiful again.
My Muscovy love to bathe but they aren't water hogs like my geese and Runners and Buffs who can spend hours soaking. lol
Bless you for taking her in, she will be so happy in her new home.

 

[toniathequeen]

Compared to other breeds Muscovies tend to be not as enthusiastic to get in the water, subsequently, they are more predisposed to developing feather problems associated with lack of water. Having a bird with an existing problem that discourages regular bathing can make matters much worse, so oftentimes it comes down to the owner's will to keep up hygiene practices.

In a normal situation, the feathers on the surrounding the duck would be well oiled with the oils that come from their preening gland (uropygial), located pygostyle on the duck - posterior to the ducks back. Almost all stimulation to distribute the oils across the feathers comes when the bird in water; when not in water very rarely do you see a duck distributing oils across its feathers. It's likely your bird has not been distributing the oils across its feathers so the microscopic interlocking barbules are not anymore interlocking which allows moisture penetration into the down.

Regaining oil distribution over the feathers consists of steadily introducing water back into the duck's daily life. During cold weather, letting the duck bathe in water can create hypothermic conditions; so instead, you may mist the duck's feather gently with a mister. During periods of warm days, letting the duck swim in water supervised would be good. A quick look at the bird's oil gland to ensure it's not clogged or infected may be a good idea. A warm compress to the oil glad can often be beneficial in getting it back up and "running".

Nutrition plays a key role in overall health, and feather development. For a bird her age, feeding an all flock feed, flock raiser, or Mazuri Waterfowl feed would be good. Access to greens, sunlight will also prove their usefulness in the long run. Whenever there is some sort of leg problem on one leg that creates more pressure on the opposing leg which increases the chance of conditions such as pododermatitis developing; you'll want to check the bottom of her foot pads every month or two to ensure there are no sores of any kind devloping.

Wow!! So much to take in and learn! I’m trying my best with her! I think it’s a her! And I carry her outside to sit in the grass next to her pool, feed and water dish. I am going to be getting her some better food today and I’m looking at getting her a friend. I’ll have to look up where this oil gland is located. And I was considering buying her a brace for her leg? Thoughts on that? She’s a lot to take on now just because I don’t know much about Ducks and I’m trying to bring her back to best that she can be. I’m sure once she’s getting better nutrition, things will start to improve. Thank you so much for all the advice!!