New Pekin with a defect

[keyt1969]

Tonight I acquired 5 new ducks, one is a Pekin with a twisted beak. She's of normal health, weight and size, but I want to make sure there isn't anything else I should do for her to keep her break and tongue ok. Or just treat her like the others?

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

Quote:
poor baby, well in general the most important things are nice deep feed and water buckets so she can fodder the best she can. She wont be able to eat as well as the others. Also make sure she doesn't always lose out in competition.

ETA: Your a good Duck Mom for taking her in

 

[gofasterstripe]

Congrats on your new ducks. Thats some beak he/she has, but I bet it copes better than you think it will if hes good size and weight. Bless you for taking it in.

 

[duckyfromoz]

What a precious little girl. Do you know how it happened- or did she hatch like that?? Its wonderful to see people taking on ducks with issues like this when so many other would be more inclined to cull them. Having her tongue exposed will leave her more prone to her mouth drying out. Ensuring she has access to water 24 hours a day is very important for this little girl.

Keep an eye on her weigh for signs she isnt eating enough giving her her own food bowl separated from the others may be needed to ensure she is getting enough - and also check on her nostrils. With her beak so deformed she may have issues with keeping them clear and being able to breath though them- even though she will more likely be a mouth breather- it is still important to reduce the risk of her developing some kind of respiratory infection.

 

[xke4]

We had a duckling come in to the rehab centre this year with a deformed beak. But not to the degree that yours is. How old is this duck? Our duck's beak was in an opened position but straight, not crooked and as she grew, the beak grew and closed a bit more than at first. We had to carefully watch her in the beginning and fed her a couple of times separately from the others to make sure she was getting what she needed. In the end, we released her as we were convinced that she would manage quite well in the wild.

 

[keyt1969]

She hatched that way. Not sure of her age. I already knew about the deeper feeding. I didn't think about the possible respiratory problems so thank you for that reminder. A friend of mine msg'd me on here knowing I was looking for female ducks. She knew I am very close to my ducks and spoil them rotten. When I saw this one there was no way I wouldn't take her! I have a huge heart for all animals with birth defects (I have a few myself in fact) so she immediately touched my heart. That's why I want to make sure I get all the advice I can get!

 

[desertdarlene]

We have a duck at the lake named Curly that has the exact same bill as your duck. I don't have a photo of him, but there is a video of him on Youtube of two girls feeding him bread.

Curly does have problems feeding and foraging like the other ducks at the lake, but can eat out of a feed bag or a pile of food just fine. He also can eat out of people's hands, too. So, the only thing I would say to do is make sure there's enough food for her to be able to scoop it up with the bottom part of the bill and also that there's clean water available for her to keep her tongue and nostrils clean.

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
Aww I'd love to see that video. I tried to find it but couldn't.

 

[desertdarlene]

Here's the link, the camera is kinda shaky. They called it Poor Duck at Lake Murray.

The two girls were giggling and laughing while feeding him.

 

[FenDruadin]

Looks like her bill got tangled inside the egg while it was still forming and got bent out of shape. If she's a good size and weight I'd wager she's just fine without extra help. I have a girl who somehow broke a fourth of the top portion of her bill off, where you can see her tongue, and she does just fine competing for food & even foraging. I bet your girl will do fine too.