Near drowning, need help

[mblake]

This morning I went to feed my animals and found one of my female ducks sitting in the mud. I knew something was wrong immediately. Her head was covered with mud, and her beak is a very pale color almost pink up by her nostrils. She has an eye injury. She is breathing fine but isn't able to make any noise. I have separated her by herself with some hay to lay in, fresh water and some food. She is holding her own for now, is pretty beat up. Does anyone have any suggestion on what else I can do for her? I am heart broken and feel just awful.

 

[katharinad]

Give her some electrolytes to drink. I would also mix some sugar into the water to give her some energy. Give her a heat lamp, if she is still wet and she can't preen herself at this point. After that all you can do is wait and see. Poor little thing.

 

[melody123]

I recently found one of my mini -banties floating in a cold water trough. She was cold, but somehow managed to keep her head out of the water. She looked dead when I found her, but I noticed that she was barely breathing. So I put her in the incubator and in a couple of hours she was back to normal.

Your ducks probably too big to put in an incubator, but for baby lambs and goats, I always give them hot (around 100 degrees) bath to get their body temperatures up. Then I dry them off with a towel and put them somewhere warm and dry. If she's just chilled, then she will start responding after a couple of minutes in the warm bath water.

Good Luck.

 

[Bleenie]

Definitely keep her close and keep an eye on her. When my little cousin was living with us a couple years ago she had a favorite duck that she wanted to take for a swim with her.. Freeb was still a baby and didnt have all his feathers in yet and couldnt get out of the pool, thankfully she spilled the beans in time for us to rescue him but he did have some ill effects from almost drowning. He would have "mini seizures" and was always a little strange after that. Thankfully he wasn't bad enough that he couldnt be reintroduced to the flock after a few days.

good luck with your girl and i hope she turns out alright

 

[mblake]

I appreciate all your help. I have kept a close eye on her all day. Unfortunately she just passed away in my arms. When I went back over to feed this evening I found her in a lot of distress as far as her breathing. I just held her and watched her slip away. I cried like a baby. My husband helped me bury her.

I am a big animal lover have many animals including, many different chickens including, cochins and silkies, rouen, peking, and tufted peking ducks, myotonic fainting goats, and my two livestock guardian dogs.

Needless to say the two male rouens are now separated in a pen by themselves. They will be seeking a new home. It makes me angry because I have had these two boys since they were a day old. I sold 4 other male rouens because in the peaking order these two were actually being beaten to death by the others and wouldn't even come out of the barn. I feel like I have let them all down. Farm life just stinks sometimes.

Michelle

 

[sourland]

Sorry this had to happen to your duck. It is not that uncommon a thing. Multiple drakes will gang up on a hen holding her head under the water, and the result can be death. Hopefully someone will read your post and realize how dangerous it can be when there are too many drakes in a flock.

Sorry your welcome had to come under such circumstances.