My Ducks need help

[Haunted55]

Yes I live in Maine.
sorry I got ahead of my self and jumped around again.yes they do walk on the sand every now and then but it hasnt really been to hot out today was the first day its been warm enough to go out side with out a long sleeve on. they have been mainley on grass hay and wood shavings from petco. I havnt checked for ants in the wood shavings yet but plan to as soon as its daylight. they are laying in the hay tonight. I did contact someone in game and wild life to see what they think Im sure I will hear back from them in the morning, thats the only thing that stinks about living in the middle of no where no cell reception but email works great. tomorrow im going to take fruit-loop into town and see if someone will look at them. there are only a few vets in the bangor area that will come to your house and 90% that I have talked to told me to talk to a game warden, who when I talked to him said he wanted to take my animals because they was caged he didnt believe that any animal should be caged.. witch he is right no animal should be my nearest nabor is 5 miles away my problem is bears, fox's and other wild animals...

now I know this is random but when they get there feathers will they fly away?


Thank you hollyduckfarmer for your info, the salt wont hurt them will it? can I use proxide and things like that? like the stuff we use for our selfs? I heard the sprays are bad for ducks something in the chemicals that could hurt there skin I dont want to use anything that could hurt them more

I'm in Maine as well...don't bother with the Wildlife Dept.. They aren't going to be much help. Call orono or go online and there are a list of numbers you can call. They will help. You could try the state Vet, but I wasn't really impressed. It's worth a shot at it though isn't it?

Are you near any of the paper mills? Anything else right there that might be spewing something bad?

http://umaine.edu/animalveterinarysciences/2011/05/16/birdfeeder-tips-on-website/

http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/ahi/contacts.html

 

[Haunted55]

Don't use peroxide it damages good healthy skin. soak in the Epsom salts 2 cups to 1 gallon of warm water but don't let them drink it because it has a laxative effect. just dunk their lil legs into the salt water and let them soak for about 5-10 mins each then pat dry and put the antibiotic salve and wraps on. living in Maine I doubt very seriously you'd have fire ants out yet,.and as for that game warden what kind of a nut is he, these aren't wild animals they are domesticated ducks that need safe housing and protection from those predators you just mentioned. good grief. No your ducks won't fly away unless call ducks Mallards or Muscovy they can fly.

Xs 2!!!!! Miss Lydia....I told you so, lol!

 

[ditzyd07]

I actually thought of chemical burn but my father in law said that he dosnt use any on the ground because he used it once when he had a puppy and it killed her never again will he use it. my garden is way away from the house and its all covered so I dont think it could be that I meen it could if it rains and the gutters drain but it all goes down into the lower field where they cant go. the petco shavings say no chemicals but that dosnt meen there isnt any in it I have found a few things that come from there not to be true. if thats the case I will switch to hay for a month or so to see if that helps I will give them baths and try the salt thing.

at first I thought that it had to do with the shavings and them walking in there poo at night. but there bedding gets changed and there cage gets hosed down every day.

then I thought it could be something called bumble foot I never heard of it but a lady from the duck farm up here told me it could be, then she said it might not be. I have never seen it to actually say if it is or not

then I thought it was something in the grass because when I had other animals like my goats and horses there are things that are in grass that are deadly to some animals. like when I lived in kentucky with blue grass thats deadly to alot of animals. but we dont have that around here.

then I watched a video on ducks where they said that you can have the cleanest cage and give them everything they need and still come up with cute up feet because the ground they are on is eith er to ruff or to hard or to soft.

so its really hard to tell.

Pee pads for dogs?? will that actually work? if so im in anything to help them.

 

[ditzyd07]

I'm in Maine as well...don't bother with the Wildlife Dept.. They aren't going to be much help. Call orono or go online and there are a list of numbers you can call. They will help. You could try the state Vet, but I wasn't really impressed. It's worth a shot at it though isn't it?

Are you near any of the paper mills? Anything else right there that might be spewing something bad?

http://umaine.edu/animalveterinarysciences/2011/05/16/birdfeeder-tips-on-website/

http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/ahi/contacts.html

I tryed orono they didnt do much help.. just said cover it and come back in a few weeks if it gets worse...
State vets dont do much up here. I hate to bash people but there are really one a few vets in this town worth calling.
there are no paper miss around here. I do how ever live right next to an elk farm and a apple orchard and a cow farm down the road thats about the closest to anything im at. thank you for the links im check them out now I will get right on trying to contact someone tomorrow maybe i can meet someone in town or have them come out that way they can check out there living area

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Well I have to agree that ducks' feet can get damaged. I have seen mine with bleeding cuts and scrapes, just a few weeks ago one of my drakes was wayyyyyy too rough on one of my Ladies, ripped off her toenail and skinned up her halux (is that right?) terribly, but none of those injuries I've seen have looked anything like your pictures. Bumblefoot, doesn't that take some time to develop? Please just do exactly like ML said with the Epsom Salts, those are perfect directions.

 

[Haunted55]

Yes they really do work. You can get them at Dollar Tree as well. Soak them, infact you can put one or two into the pool you have and just make sure they are really swollen up with whatever you are going to use for their feet. As they walk on them the fluid will squeeze out and wet their feet.

Okay, nothing on the lawn, you don't have any of the felts from the paper mills around do you? You really need to think about this. Could the person who was supposed to take care of your ducks done something to them? Are you giving them any added niacin? Do you have any B Complex vitamins in the house? Know what else might work on their feet? A vitamin E capsule. Just break it open and add the oil to either KY Jelly or mix it really well into vaseline. About a pea size bit of vaseline to one vitamin E capsule 400iu. Slather their feet with that and them wrap with gauze and then the horse wrap over that.

 

[ditzyd07]

I think bumble foot does take alot of time this has been just a few weeks I been trying to treat it for a week.

I will start the salt bath tomorrow and hope that works.

thank you all very much for your help I will keep you all updated on my ducks progress hopefully all good news soon to come.

 

[Haunted55]

I tryed orono they didnt do much help.. just said cover it and come back in a few weeks if it gets worse...
State vets dont do much up here. I hate to bash people but there are really one a few vets in this town worth calling.
there are no paper miss around here. I do how ever live right next to an elk farm and a apple orchard and a cow farm down the road thats about the closest to anything im at. thank you for the links im check them out now I will get right on trying to contact someone tomorrow maybe i can meet someone in town or have them come out that way they can check out there living area

Apple orchard....are they spraying yet? That stuff travels quite a distance. I'll see if I can't get the numbers I used at Orono. Saying any of this about them isn't bashing....it's telling the truth. I know you have one Vet up there, a woman and I can't find her info right now, but anyways, she wants $2.00 a minute for phone consultations. I really would stay away from her. Do you have a 4-H group up there? Tractor Supply? Go to either one of those, it's too late tonight or I'd call someone I know who knows all of the 'experts' who work at TS in Maine. I wish I was closer but I'm down near Farmington so I can't just pop over to help.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I was just skimming back thru and I realize that I missed 2 important things that you wrote: the 1st being what I think is the wire cage that you have your ducks sleeping in. Right? If so, I have a cage just like that one, I might stick an adult duck or a cat in there (for a short time), but not a duckling. Even if you have bedding atop that wire, that wire still might be irritating to feet, especially if that bedding/litter gets trampled on and wasn't changed while you were paying someone to watch your ducklings for you (Point #2). Did you inspect the wire cage to be absolutely sure there are no burrs or any other irritants on it? I think the puppy pads are a great idea, I'd do that or maybe even towels, plus the vitamins salt soaks, neosporin. Whew. Hopefully you will see improvement right away. My gut feeling is that unless something in the environment is still irritating your ducklings, you should start seeing them improving after 2-3 days. I hope things start looking better and quick!

 

[ditzyd07]

there is no wire on the bottom of the cage just a plastic lining covered with shavings and hay at the moment im going to do the puppy pads and the salt

but that is good thinking I never thought about wires.
they are only in there for sleeping then they have there big dry pool they play in when its raining and when its nice out they have the grass I feel bad leaving them in that cage