It WAS the dog!!! Update @ #6

[Tweeza]

My DD forgot and let the ducks out. When she went to feed and put them away, she found that our dog had one down. He plucked the feathers off the back of her neck down low but mostly on her back close to her neck. The skin is broken a little bit in a large area (like like hamburger thought like the last one since we caught it in time). I put neosporin all over the area after we ran water over it. I really wasn't sure what to do. She is not eating but she is drinking. I sure hope she recovers.

The dog has been with the chickens since Jan/Feb with no problems. The ducks have free-ranged since about Aug. I'm thinking he was bored and figured she was a nice little toy. He has some stuffed animals that he's pulled apart. So our ducks no longer free-range from dusk to dark. This last episode is imprinted on all the minds around here.

 

[sonew123]

that rots! My dog is a jerk wad to my chickens if accidently let out without a leash-he will attack and hurt/kill 10 month old cocker spaniel-jerk! Runner comes tomorrow

 

[b.hromada]

She should be alright. My pit mix did something like that to our Pekin when he was a puppy, before we "taught" him not to. He did kind of rip open a place on her neck, which my hubby stitched up. She did recover from it.

 

[debilorrah]

My former dogs recently killed my pekin and two F&W runners. I am not a fan of dogs these days.

 

[mamaKate]

When my kids were young, we rescued a wolf ( hybrid?). She was fine with the chickens so I didn't think about it when my four year old reached into the dog crate/brooder to get his duckling. She was over his shoulder in an instant. "Bye duck. With training she became pretty trustworthy. Our mallard was chasing the hound one night (different story) and Sheena gave into temptation. My daughter grabbed her collar and retrieved the duck. His head and neck were wet but he was ok. We still laugh about her trying to swallow him whole. Great dog.

 

[Tweeza]

I thought I'd update on my poor duck. She is doing better. She spent about 3 weeks in a dog crate. At first my daughter said she'd need a friend to keep her company so we put another duck with her the first night. The day of her attack she was standing. Didn't seem to be anything wrong with her legs. However, the next morning she had a none functioning leg. Not sure if it was a delayed thing or if something happened in the crate over night. We took the friend out and she was just fine by herself (still wishing we'd not put the friend in with her). Oh well, live and learn.

She hobbles around but seems to be getting stronger. She didn't eat much at first and I was worried. I could only get her to eat bread soaked in milk or soymilk and I put baby vitamins in it. She wouldn't touch her regular food. I was able to get a few Black Soldier Fly Larvae (that is another story, I'm in school and no extra energy to spread around). She scarffed those down, which weren't very many. Toward the end of her "hospital stay" she finally started to eat some regular feed but not a lot. I guess when the bugs ran out she got hungry. I guess in the beginning her neck might have hurt when she ate (I feed layena pellets).

Anyway, her feathers started to look horrible and she just didn't seem to be getting any better; although the missing feathers were coming back. I'm not sure if the leg was broken or dislocated. I looked at it and felt around but couldn't tell. Not sure why her feathers look so bad. They've lost their oil or something. Her feathers are darker than the others and water doesn't shed off like it should.

We decided it might be better for her to be with her flock. When I put her back with her flock she ate like she was starved. That was strange.

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

She was probably Pining and wouldn't eat a whole lot because she was away from the flock...


Did you figure out her leg? We have a Pekin that has deformed legs (they turn in), so she wobbles around and uses her wings to stay balanced.

 

[Tweeza]

Never did figure out the leg problem. We thought that if it was a dislocation she'd be better off being able to swim at will and maybe it'd go back into place. She at times will stumble and fall. I feel sorry for her.