The Quack Shack

[Canadian Wind]

With all that cold weather topics, i have forgotten to report about Blanca Duck!
That's her, enjoying the warmth on the patio on Friday, just before the cold rolled in:

Today she is still unable to walk more than three steps before her right leg just collapses. So
we decided Water-Therapy might be good for her. [She also started to smell, but don't tell her, she is a very vain duck…]
Very happy duck in the tub, me not so happy because i will have to mop the bathroom now…

While in the water, she moves her right leg almost normal, but it curls up when she is just bobbing around:

more detailed:

As said, she is able to slowly walk, but after a few steps it is like her leg gets pulled to the back and she falls down.

Are you adding epsom salts to the water to help with any soreness?

 

[Canadian Wind]

It is available in three sizes:
https://www.amazon.com/Wood-Burning-Heating-Thickened-Smokeless-Shelter/dp/B0CKNCN4B5/?th=1
The smallest one is 23 x 23cm and 34cm tall, the large one is 33 x 33cm and 45 cm tall.
For my patio the smallest one should do it. - I guess... - But larger is better?

I bookmarked it. A bit leery since there are no reviews, and the description is very chinese translation. But we shall see. It's also on the US site, so I may not be able to get it here.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Any idea what is wrong with her leg did she hurt it that day you and her slid down the hill? maybe a sprain? I hope Blanca recovers. Also good to see you got them off the pond during this mess. I told @New duck mommy 2021 that was enough frigid temps coming down from Canada not to send anymore. You either @Canadian Wind

My OEGB must have had something else going on that I didn't notice [they are so good at hiding ailments] becasue she is 5 yr old and has gone through many frigid winters. I even have heat on in my coops a heat lamp in one room and a coop heater in the other. Her hatch mate my OEGB roo is fine. But he does like to snuggle up to the big hens where Button was a loner. I'll never know but I sure miss her.

So sorry about Button! Yes, you know that you miss them when it is too late. I still miss Katharina Duck and Pinball Momma Duck. At least some of their offspring is around and Tweedledee Duck screeches exactly like her mother Pinball. I caught myself calling her Pinball... And i will miss Katharina when i will bury this year's potatoes…

I wish i knew what happened on that Tuesday! - All i know is that she was stuck in the snow, her feathers frozen to the snow and both legs were cold as ice.
And she was shivering violently in my arms when i brought her to the patio, not because she was afraid of me, she was definitely hypothermic, she was snuggling with me, something that she would never do in a clear state of mind. She would try to eat my body parts, but snuggling - never!
She has no visible or touchable injuries and her left leg is just perfect for scraping skin from humon arms. Her right leg feels very normal, i examined it up to her hip while she was eating my right ear, nothing feels out of place or swollen. It is just weak and becomes entirely limp after she is using it for some seconds. She pushes really hard with her left leg against my hand, then switching to her right leg, she pushes not so hard and after few seconds she stops pushing at all. It also seems like she has no full control of what the leg is doing, she makes three steps and the she is not able to lift the leg off the ground, causing her foot to flip back.
It is getting better though, at first she was not putting any weight on that leg, then she started standing on it and today she made some steps.
The whole thing reminds me about the duck with the led-poisoning, i think two years ago. I don't know if nerves or muscles can be damaged by cold - temporarily i hope?
She got a Vitamin B pill before her bath, let's see…

 

[Luv Ducks]

So sorry about Button! Yes, you know that you miss them when it is too late. I still miss Katharina Duck and Pinball Momma Duck. At least some of their offspring is around and Tweedledee Duck screeches exactly like her mother Pinball. I caught myself calling her Pinball... And i will miss Katharina when i will bury this year's potatoes…

I wish i knew what happened on that Tuesday! - All i know is that she was stuck in the snow, her feathers frozen to the snow and both legs were cold as ice.
And she was shivering violently in my arms when i brought her to the patio, not because she was afraid of me, she was definitely hypothermic, she was snuggling with me, something that she would never do in a clear state of mind. She would try to eat my body parts, but snuggling - never!
She has no visible or touchable injuries and her left leg is just perfect for scraping skin from humon arms. Her right leg feels very normal, i examined it up to her hip while she was eating my right ear, nothing feels out of place or swollen. It is just weak and becomes entirely limp after she is using it for some seconds. She pushes really hard with her left leg against my hand, then switching to her right leg, she pushes not so hard and after few seconds she stops pushing at all. It also seems like she has no full control of what the leg is doing, she makes three steps and the she is not able to lift the leg off the ground, causing her foot to flip back.
It is getting better though, at first she was not putting any weight on that leg, then she started standing on it and today she made some steps.
The whole thing reminds me about the duck with the led-poisoning, i think two years ago. I don't know if nerves or muscles can be damaged by cold - temporarily i hope?
She got a Vitamin B pill before her bath, let's see…

I pray that she gets better soon. I had a small dog once that froze up going outside to go to the potty, I had to go get her and bring her back inside to warm up. She was only out a few minutes but long enough that she just couldn't move anymore. She was fine once she warmed up and I pray that Blanca Duck will be too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hopefully, the warm water therapy will help her get her strength back.
They don't want us to know how much they need us until they are in distress, you were in the right place at the right time to rescue her.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Hopefully, the warm water therapy will help her get her strength back.
They don't want us to know how much they need us until they are in distress, you were in the right place at the right time to rescue her.

It is funny how my one that cut her leg a while back let me pick her up and she just snuggled in the crook of my arm while I washed her off and sprayed her with Vet spray so that she would heal. If not hurt she would have never let me do that but sometimes they do seem to know when we are helping them and are grateful for us.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Same with Olive my new Cayuga she was being treated for bumble before I got her so I am bringing her in to keep an eye on it she likes to eat my jacket. lol

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I would check with them Frank. If you enclose that patio as you talked about I would think they would try to say it is part of the house and not cover you if there were a fire. They worry about fires and since the patio is attached to the house and will be enclosed I would think they would think if it caught on fire the house could go with it. My brother-in-law a few years back burned his house to the ground with a wood burner and boxes stored too close to the stove. They had coverage though since it was in the basement like ours is and were able to build a new house on the site of where the old one stood. He was fortunate no one was home when it burnt.

I am sure the insurance would even cause trouble when they find out with the kerosene heater. You know open flame, bla bla … - Even though electric space heaters cause more house-fires than spontaneously combusting humans.

That wood stove will be installed as secure as possible, will never be used when i am not at home and there will be a fire-extinguisher in the kitchen. (Actually there is already one, due to the gas-range...)

As long as the patio is not taxed as part of the house, it is not part of the house. And the patio will never be taxed as part of the house…

After the mortgage is paid off, i am considering to drop the insurance anyways. We pay around 6500$ annually for the insurance, if that money is invested into stocks, i can buy another house in 10 years or pay for a lot of mishaps out of pocket. We were forced to insure the house for 1mio$ because it would be extremely expensive nowadays to rebuild due to the construction with the outer shell mad with cinder-blocks and a brick-facade.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Better late than never Frank. They don't spoil so order them now and you will have them for the next round of bad weather. We are far from done with winter. Just my thoughts.

Yessmam! - I just ordered some, but due to heavy ice on the river, the delivery is delayed…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I pray that she feels better soon. I am sorry that she is injured. Sometimes it just takes time. She is soooooo pretty.

... and always so hungry! - I asked her if she could guard the food for the other dux while i was outside to bring them hot water and guess what happened…