Muscovy Duck Reoccuring Head Wound

[Maihlet]

Have one Female Muscovy in our flock of other Ducks, two Geese, and our Chickens. They've always gotten along. Haven't seen any fights.

But the Duck keeps showing up with big open head wounds that we keep patching up. Just when she heals and goes out again she shows up again with another gaping cut on her head! It's breaking my heart seeing her go through this. We've checked our fences and can't figure out how she keeps doing this.

I'm sure it's going to eventually kill her. Anyone run into this before? I'm thinking she's trying to get IN to something and this is happening when she pulls her head out.

Is there something like a Head Cone like they use on Dogs that we could use? The last time this happened you could see the Skull, and we were able to stich her back up and she healed.

But if this keeps happening, I don't know what else to do.

This isn't happening to any other Ducks, Geese, or Chickens.

Any suggestions would be appreciatd.

 

[peepsandquacks]

maybe shes being picked on by the other birds?

 

[Maihlet]

Don't think so. The Chickens steer clear of the Ducks and Geese. The Geese and Muscovy get along great.

When I first saw the wound I thought an Eagle or Owl had tried to take her. That's the only time I've seen a wound like that.

 

[bossynbella]

a picture could really help us out a lot on this. Our ducks will often get an open wound on the back of the top of the head from the drakes over mating, we will separate them and it will heal, when we turn them back out it stays healed for a few weeks then they start getting opened up again, this time of year is the worst as drakes are very zealous with their mating and they will grab the back of the ducks head to hold her still. Again a picture would help to determine if that is what its from or not. Good luck with your girl.

 

[Maihlet]

My main concern is you can see BONE. When I see the skull exposes like that, I get really nervous. We stitch it up and it heals, but it can't be a good thing to have the skull exposed like that.

 

[peepsandquacks]

Quote:
typical male......sorry I couldnt resist...

 

[Miss Lydia]

My goose lives with muscovy ducks and he mates with the girls, couple years ago he just about ripped the entire side of one of our ducks face off.

 

[sourland]

It sounds like a mating wound. Isolation from the flock until the end of the mating season might be in order. Newly healed skin is very fragile and more likely to be torn by mating drakes.

 

[DurhamDuck]

Do you have too many drakes and not enough females?? The drakes can be doing this during mating.