Injured Muscovy Duck

[Bexx]

Hello everyone!

We are very new to keeping Muscovies.. we've had four chickens for about twelve months and a month ago took on a flock of four duck hens and a drake. All is peaceful between the nine birds, with no integration issues. When they arrived, I noticed the white hen (the rest are mixed colours) had a few feathers missing on her wings. I put this down to winter moulting and moved on. Since then, I noticed that the other ducks chase the white one and really get into the feathers on her wings. The baldness didn't seem to get worse, so I just left it, I even thought I saw some feathers starting to grow back through! However! I got home today and went down to say hello, to find the drake one other duck attacking her and feathers missing above her tail and blood on those feathers. It might just look bad because she's white but I've now moved her into the chicken coop and away from the other ducks. All nine birds free range in a large area throughout the day and are housed seperately at night. The ducks have a pool in their coop (accessible all day) and plenty of other water to splash around through the day. My questions are! Will the duck be ok to sleep with the chooks at night until she starts to grow back her feathers (I thought I might confine her to their coop through the day as well) and why are they just targeting her? I don't want and injuries to get infected! I have attached some photos, sorry, they're a bit bloody...
Thank you!

 

[druidgirl]

Separate her from everyone. Birds go after blood. Keep her in a kennel, preferably inside, with some triple antibiotic ointment (WITHOUT pain relief) on the wounds after cleaning them. I'd also check her out for any illnesses. Instinct is to kill off the weak to protect the rest of the flock from predators. Weak birds attract attention.

 

[druidgirl]

I run a bird rescue, and I've also seen cases of birds being colorist. One different colored bird in a flock can get picked on, because its different. Just like high school, lol. May have to get her another white duck hen to bond with so she's not alone. I would assume that after making sure shes not sick though.

 

[Bexx]

Separate her from everyone. Birds go after blood. Keep her in a kennel, preferably inside, with some triple antibiotic ointment (WITHOUT pain relief) on the wounds after cleaning them. I'd also check her out for any illnesses. Instinct is to kill off the weak to protect the rest of the flock from predators. Weak birds attract attention.

Thank you! I separated her out with the chickens last night (I checked on her several times and she seemed happier in their coop than with the ducks, I'll be looking for a dog kennel to house her in today, she looks healthy though, eating, drinking and bathing fine). I wondered the same thing about her being the only white hen but they had all been living together where we got them from and there were no problems. Based on your comment about picking off the weak, do you think that it's possible she moulted all her wing feathers at the same time and therefore Wilfred (the drake), thinks that she's sick? Thanks again!

 

[druidgirl]

Thank you! I separated her out with the chickens last night (I checked on her several times and she seemed happier in their coop than with the ducks, I'll be looking for a dog kennel to house her in today, she looks healthy though, eating, drinking and bathing fine). I wondered the same thing about her being the only white hen but they had all been living together where we got them from and there were no problems. Based on your comment about picking off the weak, do you think that it's possible she moulted all her wing feathers at the same time and therefore Wilfred (the drake), thinks that she's sick? Thanks again!

I doubt that would be the case. She'd have to be sick with something that could slow her down.

 

[sarahsez]

HELP...!!!
I just found My Muscovy Drake has injured his bill somehow and almost ripped the "fingernail" like bit off the top..?? he has bled quite a bit by the look of the coop, but it's stopped now and his broken bill bit is just hanging off.. i can't get him to a vet till this afternoon.. is there anything I can do..?

 

[druidgirl]

HELP...!!!
I just found My Muscovy Drake has injured his bill somehow and almost ripped the "fingernail" like bit off the top..?? he has bled quite a bit by the look of the coop, but it's stopped now and his broken bill bit is just hanging off.. i can't get him to a vet till this afternoon.. is there anything I can do..?

He ripped off his bean? I would separate him for now,away from the other ducks, and put some Neosporin or triple antibiotic on it (make sure it doesnt have painkiller in it). Ive never heard of that happening!