Plucked duckling please help

[Knighstar679]

So I have a duckling our with momma. Things have been very good with baby out with momma all this time(2-3 weeks). But I went out to put my ducks into their houses. Baby duck however had these brief flashes of red in its feathers. So I went into the house and grabbed Baby and found a lot of it’s feathers/ down had been plucked and pulled out.

so I washed it with warm water and put triple antibiotic ointment on the spots. It’s all I had on hand tonight.



Above are the two best pictures I could get tonight.
It’s in a hospital crate right now. Anything else I should do to help this little one going forward so it doesn’t get infected or anything like that?

 

[Isaac 0]

Slathering a triple antibiotic ointment is fine, but it greatly affects the thermoregulatory properties of the feathers, so, especially with younger ducklings, make sure to keep her in a warm area to prevent chilling. For stress, you could add some poultry electrolytes, or Gatorade into her water for now. But it sounds like she just needs to rest.

 

[Knighstar679]

Slathering a triple antibiotic ointment is fine, but it greatly affects the thermoregulatory properties of the feathers, so, especially with younger ducklings, make sure to keep her in a warm area to prevent chilling. For stress, you could add some poultry electrolytes, or Gatorade into her water for now. But it sounds like she just needs to rest.

I have a heat plate with her. Plus she is covered up so she doesn’t get a draft.

 

[Isaac 0]

I have a heat plate with her. Plus she is covered up so she doesn’t get a draft.

Perfect, just let her rest.

I once had a gander completely rip a Calls back feathers off, she seems stressed, obviously, the hours after it happened, but the next day she seemed to be back to normal. Since, she is young, her feathers shouldn't take too long to grow back too.

Do you know what plucked the feathers off of her?

 

[Knighstar679]

Perfect, just let her rest.

I once had a gander completely rip a Calls back feathers off, she seems stressed, obviously, the hours after it happened, but the next day she seemed to be back to normal. Since, she is young, her feathers shouldn't take too long to grow back too.

Do you know what plucked the feathers off of her?

Had to be one of the other ducks. Dogs were in the house, no cats outside, the only leaves ducks. Which momma had been protecting it until today.

 

[chickens really]

Well at 3 weeks they become independent of Momma and explore further away from her. I'm thinking you should separate Momma and the duckling from the flock till the duckling is older. Possibly it's a Drake Duckling so your Drake doesn't want him around.

 

[Knighstar679]

Baby made it through the night and is much more active today. The redness has gone down a lot. But there is some scabbing on parts. I am guessing I should keep the little one isolated inside so flies don’t get it.

I am going to get something better than triple antibiotic ointment today when I go out. Plus I gave her probiotics and electrolytes in her water today, with a warm mash to eat.

With us do to get thunder storms all week this week I don’t think Baby will be able to handle the wet and chill without feathers/ down on her back.