Need some help or at least some input here

[charlindabob]

I have some ducklings just starting to feather out and I have a large enclosed chicken pen 25x50 and I let my ducks out yesterday from their small pen to run with the chickens while under observation.

Well, all was fine for about a half an hour, everyone behaving themselves, so I went in for lunch. BIG MISTAKE. The chickens pecked my little ducklings darn near to death and I lost one during the night. The wheres and whys doesn't matter at this point, it's done. I immediately put them back in their cage and my 13 year old threated all the chickens with bodily harm and I was not far behind.

I am headed to the feed store in about an hour or so (hopefully a few people are on here) and I was thinking of getting some Blu Kote in a spray to put on the ducks where they are raw. Reckon that is ok to do? Also, the ants, I'm in Florida, were getting all over the ducks raw skin too. I had to spray water on the ducklings to get the ants off.

Help!

Bob

 

[aprille218]

Blukote is fine to use. Also triple antibiotic cream (the people kind) or there's a horse product called triway.
Aprille

 

[Amiga]

Yow, sorry I just found this.

I would keep them well away from flies till the raw heals up. If you can keep them in, and use an antibiotic cream on them twice a day for a few days, that is what I would do, along with some nice properly warm baths a couple times a day.

Things happen.

 

[charlindabob]

Well, I got to the feed store and the owner has exotic birds (many many exotic birds) like macaws and other high dollar birds and I explained my dilemma and he handed me a 8oz spray bottle of Vetericyn Wound & Skin Care. It is expensive, but if he uses it on his birds, it is probably good enough for my ducks. Now to medicate......

 

[charlindabob]

Thank you Aprille218 and Amiga for your response. I left earlier that I thought for the feed store and missed your posts before I left.

 

[Amiga]

The Veterycin should do the trick.

 

[charlindabob]

Well, they have been totally removed from the chicken pen, they had a smaller pen within the larger pen and I thought maybe they and the chickens would get along. Boy was I wrong. I traded the ducks places with my two Embden geese and put ole George in with the chickens. The ducklings I brought up closer and let them run in a very small sectioned off piece of the yard. I medicated each one before letting them explore and medicated them once again when they went up for the night. At least the ants were off of them, for now. Hopefully the ants won't like the Vetericyn and will leave them alone.

On a happier note, I did watch a couple of the ducklings snatch a mosquito or two and some flies too! I have 9 ducklings and it appears that I have 1 drake and 8 ducks, but I could well be wrong.

 

[bilsie]

I am curious as to how old your ducklings are. We just put our "Momma Chicken" and four ducklings into the garden today for the first time. The chicken yard is right beside the garden separated by plastic mesh. Things were o.k. for 10 minutes then Momma and one of our other chickens start fighting with the mesh between them. I was in the garden so ran and grabbed Momma away - twice.

 

[charlindabob]

I am curious as to how old your ducklings are. We just put our "Momma Chicken" and four ducklings into the garden today for the first time. The chicken yard is right beside the garden separated by plastic mesh. Things were o.k. for 10 minutes then Momma and one of our other chickens start fighting with the mesh between them. I was in the garden so ran and grabbed Momma away - twice.

My ducks are 5 weeks old.

 

[charlindabob]

WARNING: My red sex-link chickens are direct descendants of the velociraptor and are specialized killers and attack without warning! More like Vampire Velociraptors because they love the blood and they need no provoking to become crazed killers.

I have ten sex-links just starting to lay and I have Delawares and a few RIR's that should start laying in a month or two. The sex-links are vicious around other chickens although they have been together for a couple of months now. They are in an enclosed pen 25x50 and have enough room, but the sex-links are like a bad gang.

My nine remaining ducklings appear to be doing ok although they look like they spent some time in a chicken plucker and they have dried blood on them, but I'm afraid to wash too much off as I may open the wounds. They are eating and drinking and act normal, if any Muscovy duckling acts "normal". Still treating with Vetericyn, hope it works.