Indian Runner has crooked neck after attack

[Quacky Queen]

Almost all of my ducks have been attacked (5 were killed by a weasel). The other 4 survived but they all have crooked necks to some extent and are hunched over.

3 of them are fine (more or less), quacking, standing up straighter, eating & drinking. I have one that won't take any food. I try to put her beak in the food and she just opens and closes it slowly on it.

She is taking water. I have added the Rooster Booster vitamin additive to her water. I tried yogurt this morning. She seemed interested but just beaked it a few times and then fell over. She has trouble standing and walking. It's been about 2 weeks.

I know she has to start eating soon if she's going to make it. Today, I felt her breastbone through her feathers. I'm going to try and make a baby food rice cereal gruel for her.

Anything else you can thing of? I'm not going to try anything heroic. I didn't really expect her to make it this far anyway, she was in really bad shape after the attack. She was the runt of the litter,


She is the one on the left. The one on the right looks much better and is getting back into that 'upright' runner position.

 

[Amiga]

I think a good duck vet would be best.

Ducks can recover from awful injuries, but they need some help to do so.

Time in a lukewarm tub, look thoroughly for injuries and treat those appropriately.

If they are in shock they are not going to want to eat - and if they are in pain, same. A vet could prescribe anti-inflammatories and I think that might help.

Have you addressed the security issue?

@casportpony

@Orca5094

 

[Quacky Queen]

Hello! Thanks for replying. I pretty sure it's a weasel. All of the ducks had their heads and necks attacked. None were eaten. They were just killed and left intact.

2 were killed during the day (with my husband 20 feet away in the house).

We have decided that it is too dangerous to keep them outside (at anytime) so the remaining ducks (and 3 hens) are split up into 4 cages in my mud room in the house. The best I can do for them is some supervised swimmy time in a kiddie pool inside of a portable dog run until we figure out a more permanent solution.

I may look into the tube feeding suggestion. Will syringe feeding work as well? I'm scared to stretch her neck out too much as I don't see any outside injuries.

 

[Amiga]

I agree - don't force anything, we don't know what the injuries are. But you might be able to make them smoothies to drink, and try some syringe feeding. You know to be careful to get it in on the right side, to avoid getting it in their lungs., yes?

Here is a video link.
https://www.facebook.com/MajesticWa...0836389340489/824960470928077/?type=2&theater

 

[Quacky Queen]

Thanks for the video. I might give it a try. The lady in the video makes it look so easy!