Briarpatch97
Hatching
Hello everyone, I'm in desperate need of some advice,
I have 2 grown Muscovy ducks (a mother and father) and their 7 ducklings who are 5 weeks old. Our situation with our ducks is somewhat unique: We raised the parents from chicks and though they eat/play and hang out on the farm during the day, at night they nest near a pond about an acre away from the house. The mother duck walks the duckling back and forth between the pond and the house about twice a day. About 5 days ago when the ducks came over in the morning, we noticed one of the female ducklings was injured. She was limping badly, struggling move, and had labored breathing. Upon further inspection, we found that she had a large gash on her belly above her leg that cut clean through the skin revealing the muscle underneath. It was very obvious that she would not make it much longer. We made the hard decision to remove her from the flock and see if we could heal her if the wound wasn't already infected.
I'm very happy to say that after a few days of quarantine at the house with care and medication she is bright-eyed and doing well. Luckily the wound didn't seem to damage the muscle very much. But when we released her back to the flock, the mother was a bit suspicious of her. And when the ducks returned from the pond this morning, the duckling was not with them. Both the mother and daddy duck viciously peck at her and chase her away and refuse to let her back with the flock. So now we have a lone little duckling who was ecstatic to go back to her mama and siblings, kicked out and forced to stay on the opposite side of the pond from them.
Honestly, it's heartbreaking and I don't know what to do. Would it be better to try and keep her in a coop at the house until she is full-grown, or should we leave her to fend for herself at the pond? She is completely healthy now and able to run and swim and keep up with the other ducklings but the parents won't let her return. Is there any way to persuade the parents to take her back? Any suggestions would be very helpful, what should we do?
I have 2 grown Muscovy ducks (a mother and father) and their 7 ducklings who are 5 weeks old. Our situation with our ducks is somewhat unique: We raised the parents from chicks and though they eat/play and hang out on the farm during the day, at night they nest near a pond about an acre away from the house. The mother duck walks the duckling back and forth between the pond and the house about twice a day. About 5 days ago when the ducks came over in the morning, we noticed one of the female ducklings was injured. She was limping badly, struggling move, and had labored breathing. Upon further inspection, we found that she had a large gash on her belly above her leg that cut clean through the skin revealing the muscle underneath. It was very obvious that she would not make it much longer. We made the hard decision to remove her from the flock and see if we could heal her if the wound wasn't already infected.
I'm very happy to say that after a few days of quarantine at the house with care and medication she is bright-eyed and doing well. Luckily the wound didn't seem to damage the muscle very much. But when we released her back to the flock, the mother was a bit suspicious of her. And when the ducks returned from the pond this morning, the duckling was not with them. Both the mother and daddy duck viciously peck at her and chase her away and refuse to let her back with the flock. So now we have a lone little duckling who was ecstatic to go back to her mama and siblings, kicked out and forced to stay on the opposite side of the pond from them.
Honestly, it's heartbreaking and I don't know what to do. Would it be better to try and keep her in a coop at the house until she is full-grown, or should we leave her to fend for herself at the pond? She is completely healthy now and able to run and swim and keep up with the other ducklings but the parents won't let her return. Is there any way to persuade the parents to take her back? Any suggestions would be very helpful, what should we do?
I bet a snapping turtle got hold of her. Amazing she made it. But now that window of acceptance is gone for the mama to want her back. I'd do this get her up to a safe place a coop and run and take one of the other ducklings to be with her. Then when older let them both go on the pond. Mean time I'd get those snapping turtles out of that pond. She and her sibling will be accepted once mature but right now she is looked at as an outsider. I sure hope she is still with you this morning. On her own she is so vulnerable to predators.
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But I am thankful for the six beautiful ducklings that we have and hopefully we will have no more injuries this season. 
Thank you very much for the sound advice Miss Lydia 
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