- Aug 4, 2016
- 48
- 48
- 124
My muskovies fly to the neighbor's pond every night and spend the night there. Tonight I noticed 2 showed up after I locked up the rest of my chickens and ducks and at 1am the dog was going crazy, so I looked out and 2 more had showed up. I went out to put them in the pen and noticed one was limping and a little blood on her foot. I pick her up to inspect and noticed a huge chunk of skin and feathers on her abdomen missing, organs exposed. No apparent injuries to her head, back, wings or legs, just the missing skin and feathers.
1) Any idea what could have caused this? I'm sure she was attacked at the pond. Its not deep at all, surrounded by reeds and such. Seems a coyote, fox, bobcat, owl would have attacked from above. Sounds like most snapping turtle attacks result in injured/amputated feet/legs. I live in Missouri, the only other predators I've encountered are raccoons, opossums and snakes (not that they are much of a predator to adult ducks). I have no idea if we have mink or similar closeby or how they might attack, but I know they live in MO.
2) Is there any chance of saving her? If so, how could I cover her organs to prevent them from drying out? I healed a duck with similar injuries, but on her back, so organs weren't exposed. This seems far more severe, but she managed to fly home and other than a small limp, she doesn't act in pain, but I understand they don't usually show it. In all honesty, if there hadn't been that tiny bit of blood on the top of her foot, dripped from her abdomen, and the fact they'd come home in the middle of the night, I wouldn't have noticed anything wrong. Part of me feels I should have put her down, and before anyone berates me for not doing so, I wanted to be sure there aren't options before I do so. Plus, its 1am, I should have been asleep, if it weren't for the dog I wouldn't have looked out, if she hadn't been near the pen or if I'd been asleep, I wouldn't have even known she was injured. I worry she may even be gone by morning.
1) Any idea what could have caused this? I'm sure she was attacked at the pond. Its not deep at all, surrounded by reeds and such. Seems a coyote, fox, bobcat, owl would have attacked from above. Sounds like most snapping turtle attacks result in injured/amputated feet/legs. I live in Missouri, the only other predators I've encountered are raccoons, opossums and snakes (not that they are much of a predator to adult ducks). I have no idea if we have mink or similar closeby or how they might attack, but I know they live in MO.
2) Is there any chance of saving her? If so, how could I cover her organs to prevent them from drying out? I healed a duck with similar injuries, but on her back, so organs weren't exposed. This seems far more severe, but she managed to fly home and other than a small limp, she doesn't act in pain, but I understand they don't usually show it. In all honesty, if there hadn't been that tiny bit of blood on the top of her foot, dripped from her abdomen, and the fact they'd come home in the middle of the night, I wouldn't have noticed anything wrong. Part of me feels I should have put her down, and before anyone berates me for not doing so, I wanted to be sure there aren't options before I do so. Plus, its 1am, I should have been asleep, if it weren't for the dog I wouldn't have looked out, if she hadn't been near the pen or if I'd been asleep, I wouldn't have even known she was injured. I worry she may even be gone by morning.