Injured duck!!

[Mama2manyy]

Last week, I noticed 2 of my females beating up my male. I stopped it, so I thought but the next day, Aflak( the male), had something wrong with his eye!! At first, I thought he lost his eye but after cleaning him up, it's swollen almost shut.

I've been letting him soak in warm Epsom salt baths for the last 3 days for a few hours at a time and I've been putting saline solution in it but seems to be closing more... Now, I realized his bill has marks all over it and not just dirt. Looks almost like teeth marks? So I was wondering of something attacked him.

Until tonight, when I noticed one of my females is missing a good size patch of feathers on her neck!!!

It seems like the flock has shunned Aflak and he seems so sad....

I have had 4 males and 4 females since the beginning and 2 months ago, I adopted my mom's female, Daisy, who is 3 years older....

What would make this happen?

 

[Stipenvlerk]

I'm so sorry to hear this...

Your male-female ratio is a bit high on the male side. Ideally you would have more females.. That said, ducks don't leave teethmarks on other ducks bills...

Would it be possible to upload pictures of
a. Aflak's eye
b. Aflak's bill, especially the teethmarks
c. the missing feather patch of your female? (this could be overmating but I'm not sure untill I see the pictures...

How is your ducks housing? And in which area do you live ( which predators for waterfowl are there..)

O! And I see you joined yesterday! Welcome to BYC

 

[Jenbirdee]

terramycin ointment is the best thing for his eye. rinse gently with saline, and then add a little Terramycin ointment a couple times a day.
Welcome to BYC
Yes pictures please pictures

 

[Miss Lydia]

Last week, I noticed 2 of my females beating up my male. I stopped it, so I thought but the next day, Aflak( the male), had something wrong with his eye!! At first, I thought he lost his eye but after cleaning him up, it's swollen almost shut.

I've been letting him soak in warm Epsom salt baths for the last 3 days for a few hours at a time and I've been putting saline solution in it but seems to be closing more... Now, I realized his bill has marks all over it and not just dirt. Looks almost like teeth marks? So I was wondering of something attacked him.

Until tonight, when I noticed one of my females is missing a good size patch of feathers on her neck!!!

It seems like the flock has shunned Aflak and he seems so sad....

I have had 4 males and 4 females since the beginning and 2 months ago, I adopted my mom's female, Daisy, who is 3 years older....

What would make this happen?

What part of the world are you in. Sounds like adopting the female has thrown the pecking order off so they are showing aggression towards who ever they can. Or like you said a predator has attacked especially if you see bite marks since ducks don't have teeth.

Please get pictures of his injuries and also how do you keep your ducks? are they in a pen that is secure and do the have a coop for night time?

 

[Luv Ducks]

Could you possibly have rats? They will leave teeth marks like that in a duck. So sorry that you are having this problem. Welcome to this wonderful informative site. Hopefully you can get more girls as that many drakes usually does not work out well for the girls you have.

 

[Mama2manyy]

I'm so sorry to hear this...

Your male-female ratio is a bit high on the male side. Ideally you would have more females.. That said, ducks don't leave teethmarks on other ducks bills...

Would it be possible to upload pictures of
a. Aflak's eye
b. Aflak's bill, especially the teethmarks
c. the missing feather patch of your female? (this could be overmating but I'm not sure untill I see the pictures...

How is your ducks housing? And in which area do you live ( which predators for waterfowl are there..)

O! And I see you joined yesterday! Welcome to BYC

Right now,

What part of the world are you in. Sounds like adopting the female has thrown the pecking order off so they are showing aggression towards who ever they can. Or like you said a predator has attacked especially if you see bite marks since ducks don't have teeth.

Please get pictures of his injuries and also how do you keep your ducks? are they in a pen that is secure and do the have a coop for night time?

I'm in Northern CA. During the day, the ducks and chickens are out in the gated area we've fenced off for them. At night, my chickens go into their coops and my ducks go into the run that is attached to coop, currently, while we build them their own home! It's not ideal but the ducks coop we had for them wasn't rain proof so this was our best solution for the time being.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d say she has been attacked is her eye still there? What are you doing to treat her?what is your pen made of and what are you using to secure it? Mink weasel rats can all get through 1” opening and climb too so really the ideal way to secure your pen is with hardware clothe 1/2” top sides and bottom if you can’t do the bottom then a skirt 2’ out so diggers can’t get in.

 

[Jenbirdee]

could they be overmating injuries!? from too many drakes?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Possibility but I think this happened at night, I’ll have to go back and read I’ve never had drakes leave teeth marks on any of my females bills I say teeth marks but they look like wounds

 

[Mama2manyy]

I’d say she has been attacked is her eye still there? What are you doing to treat her?what is your pen made of and what are you using to secure it? Mink weasel rats can all get through 1” opening and climb too so really the ideal way to secure your pen is with hardware clothe 1/2” top sides and bottom if you can’t do the bottom then a skirt 2’ out so diggers can’t get in.

His eye is there, it's just becoming more and more closed. So I've been letting him soak in a warm Epsom salt bath everyday and also putting saline solution in it. He seems to get relief because he gets so calm when I do that. His flock isn't being MEAN MEAN but he definitely keeps to himself so I decided to move him into the garage to heal.... Was that a good idea? I'm so stressed.