Mama Duck Attacked!!

[MamacatPatch]

We have a pair of blue swede ducks in an enclosure and the female duck has been sitting on about 15 eggs for about 2 or 3 weeks now. Today I went out to 'make the rounds' and found her acting strange and noticed an egg was outside their nest box. I went inside and checked the eggs and a few were broken. I walked over to her and she didn't run like normal and so I picked her up and found several wounds on her neck, her back and under her breast area, which was the worst one, ripped quite wide open and bleeding.

I took her inside and washed her off and wrapped her up in an ace bandage soaked in hydrogen peroxide and put her in a cat carrier. She can still stand and drinks water but she looks really bad off. Obviously something got inside our 'well protected' duck area and went after her eggs and she tried to fight it off. No clue what the drake was doing ... he doesn't have a scratch on him. I have no clue what it was that got to her and the eggs and did so much damage.

If the female doesn't make it, should I save the eggs and try to incubate them somehow? I have never done that before and have no idea how to do that but if I can save some ducks I will. Of course, I guess it would be difficult to feed them right out of the shell like that. Not sure I'm equipped for that. I don't even know how long it takes ducks to hatch. This is our first batch of eggs!

Is there anything else I can do for the female duck?

Days like this I HATE living in the country!!!!!!!!

 

[b.hromada]

Our Pit bull mix dog, when he was just a puppy, attacked our Pekin duck. He wasn't trying to kill her, just trying to play, BUT, he did some damage to her. He tore open her neck, so my hubby took some thread and a clean needle and sewed it back. She is just like new now! Its quite amazing how well these guys can heal. Just keep a close eye on her, and of course keep it clean. Hopefully, with a little luck, she will do fine.

 

[lovesduckies]

aweeeeeee i'm sorry about your duckie. i hope she makes it

duckies take 28 days to incubate (muscovies 35)

hopefully someone with more knowledge will come along

 

[MamacatPatch]

b.hromada :

Our Pit bull mix dog, when he was just a puppy, attacked our Pekin duck. He wasn't trying to kill her, just trying to play, BUT, he did some damage to her. He tore open her neck, so my hubby took some thread and a clean needle and sewed it back. She is just like new now! Its quite amazing how well these guys can heal. Just keep a close eye on her, and of course keep it clean. Hopefully, with a little luck, she will do fine.

How on earth did you manage to sew her up? I thought of it, but didn't think I could hold her still longer enough for that!​

 

[katharinad]

You need to keep the eggs warm or they will die. I hope you have an incubator to put them in. You need 100 degrees and not more or you cook the egs. I assume they are close to hatch now. Candle them in a dark room with a very bright flash light. Look how much shows light and how dark the rest is. The darker the closer to hatching they are. You will need to lay the eggs on their sides with the pointy side pointing somewhat down. You will also need to rotate the eggs 4 times per day 180 degrees. Humidity should be 55%. Add enough 100 degree warm water to get there. This is usually the inner part of the plastic tray in the incubator. You will also have to mist them with 100 degree water once per day until hatch. 3 days before hatch stop turning and increase humidity to 75%. If you don't know the right date, look for the first sign of movement in the eggs. This may all sound complicated, but it isn't at all. For feed, just duck feed you may have to grind down a little bit. You will also need a heat lamp to keep them warm.
Katharina

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:
How on earth did you manage to sew her up? I thought of it, but didn't think I could hold her still longer enough for that!

My hubby did it! I didn't stick around, because I would have had a heart attack watching it!! But he managed it, and it worked beautifully!

 

[MamacatPatch]

b.hromada :

Quote:
How on earth did you manage to sew her up? I thought of it, but didn't think I could hold her still longer enough for that!

My hubby did it! I didn't stick around, because I would have had a heart attack watching it!! But he managed it, and it worked beautifully!

Just regular ole needle and thread???

 

[MamacatPatch]

I just checked on her and she has died. I know nothing about incubating the eggs and from what I've read and what you've said, it's a long involved process, so I guess they are not going to be saved either. A very sad day indeed.

 

[lovesduckies]

omg i'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry

 

[LittleSquidgenHome]

Sorry.