I'm so angry at my Pekins right now!

[TennesseeTruly]

Several months ago I was given a blind in one eye Crested Pekin duck. Mrs. Puff is about 4 or 5 months old and she does pretty well with being blind in her left eye. I decided to introduce her to my Pekins, with supervision. So for the past two days, I have been watching them like a hawk.

I had kept her separate at first just allowing contact through a fence. Then I let them together. They checked her out, then left her alone. Later this afternoon, after two days of them leaving her alone, I decided all was okay. I went about my farm chores. I periodically checked on them and didn't see any problems. Tonight when I went to put then into their shelter, (actually they go in, they just need me to close the door), and I noticed Mrs. Puff over in the corner.

I went over to get her, because she doesn't know the routine yet and her blind eye is GONE!!! I can see that the drakes attacked her face and the eye is completely gone! She also has this huge growth out of the top of her head that wasn't there earlier. I don't know if its from them tugging on her crest or what.

I can't believe they did this to her! I brought her in the house and she's now sleeping comfortably inside a dog crate. I definitely can't put her back out with them. So she'll have to stay with me. I just want to cry. I told my husband I was so angry I wanted to go out and slaughter the two drakes because I know they did this. Unfortunately my husband won't eat duck and the Pekins belong to my grandson.

I'll take pics in the morning. I don't want to disturb her right now. She's sleeping so peacefully.

Laurie

 

[ilovemuscovy]

i'm so sorry to hear this!
if your husband doesn't eat duck, i'm sure one of the neighbors does!

 

[Sissy]

Laurie,

Sorry to hear that.

Sissy

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Laurie, I have a duck with a similar issue. I got her as a 3 day old for free a buff orphington because her left eye is blind and bulges out its cataract blue, so the guy was going to cull her - but I told him I wanted her and the little one with a funny wing and gimpy walk - so I got them for free with my magpies. She's now 17 18 weeks old and the rest surprisingly leave her eye alone, even the free ranging chickens. I have been waiting for her to lose that eye - but she hasn't yet.
Ducks are like any animal they pick up on a weakness and especially in an 'outcast' and so them doing that to your girl - isn't surprising at all.

I'm sure she'll be fine. just make a seperate pen from the rest of them. Try and get another duck a bit younger than her to put with her as a buddy or figure out which one of your existing ducks is the easiest going and lowest on the totem and see if those two can be penned together and be buddies.

Take care, and let us know how she's doing.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

OMG!!! I am sooo sorry that happened to your girl. Sometimes...........

I do hope she will be O.K. & you can find a solution so she won't be lonely. I have a crippled Blk Swedish female and I've had to separate her fm her flockmates since the two drakes want to breed her. They aren't overly aggressive but she doesn't want their attention and I don't want her hurt. Some of my growing chicks decided to slip through the fence slatts to get away fm the big chooks and now keep her company every day. She makes them feel safe and they in turn keep her company. She's more talkative now and tells me all about them and when I should be getting the snacks out. She also calls to them if they've been away fm her too long. Even my DH noticed that one!

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Well Mrs. Puff is doing okay this morning. She's scared because we have her inside our parrot house but she's doing okay. She's gotten lots of treats today and she's loving it! Peas, kale, cheerios.

I'm no longer angry at my Pekin drakes, Splash & Nibbles. I realize as Spencer & Darwin said, its "survival of the fittest" and they saw her as weak.

I shouldn't have put her in there with the rest of my Pekins and I'm kicking myself for doing it.

I have a couple of ladies that I'm making a new pen for and I think I'm going to put her in with them. One is my 8 year old Cayuga, Sally, who is the sweetest, gentlest duck. I'm sure Sally will take her under her wing. She'll also go in with my other Cayuga, Juno, and my Mallard, Ariel. Both of them are a year old. With no males, she should be fine. And I'm sure the other ladies will be good to her.

 

[NellaBean]

Hope she is doing better

On a sidenote, I have a half blind chicken......she did poorly at first but has since adapted and is out with the big flock and just fine with everyone. She went broody and is coparenting (LOL) 4 babies with a barred cochin who she shared a nest with and hatched out the eggs. She is so happy now that she has babies! Maybe your half blind girl will find her "niche".