Weasel attack, ducks not eating

[KaydeB]

I had an Incident Sunday evening (3 days ago) where a weasel got to my year old ducks. I scared it off but sadly was too late. My Pekin, pancake, has five puncher wounds on his neck. My Rouen gal, Blackjack, has a superficial chest wound.
Surround feathers were trimmed, wounds cleaned out while giving them a warm bath. I’ve been applying vetericyn poultry wound care 3 times a day have been giving them a fresh gallon of water with 1/2 tablespoon of Nurti-Drench daily.
Blackjack will eat rosemary and meal worms in the water but won’t touch pellets, watermelon, small bits of cabbage, or cooked rolled oats. pancake won’t eat anything. Today was the first day he attempted to eat, it looked like he couldn’t chew and they fell out of his mouth which was followed by neck and head shaking.
There is no issue with breathing, bills aren’t hot, and we do get warm over hear but it hasn’t got above 90 and they’re very used to the weather here. They’re area is almost completely shaded.

They spend the first part of the day until noon separated in their hut with fresh pellets and water, I let them out for 5-6 hours to access the pool and find a comfortable area.

I don’t know what else to do for them at this moment.
They’re both drinking water and resting a lot. They have their separate indoor area, away from the younger ducks.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

They are in shock. I would make sure the wounds are superficial.
Is the area fixed so that the weasel cant get back in? Did it happen at night while they were cooped?

 

[Callender Girl]

At least you got there in time to keep them from being killed. I don't know what the right answer is, but @Miss Lydia or @Isaac 0 might.

When a mink killed all of her coop mates, my Buff Orp didn't act "right" for quite a while, but I don't recall that she didn't eat for days. Good luck with your ducks!

 

[KaydeB]

They are in shock. I would make sure the wounds are superficial.
Is the area fixed so that the weasel cant get back in? Did it happen at night while they were cooped?

I went down to put them into their coop, we have a large daytime run area that was an old pig pen and it happened there. They’ve been moved into the reinforced day time area and have and a separate evening coop for nesting. Both heavily lined with 1/4 in metal construction cloth. The mice can’t even get in to steal food now. My mother in law is an ER Nurse and she helped me clean the wounds. She said it didn’t sound like an air way was injured, there really isn’t a lot of swelling, and they’re deep but not oozing or bleeding.

 

[KaydeB]

At least you got there in time to keep them from being killed. I don't know what the right answer is, but @Miss Lydia or @Isaac 0 might.

When a mink killed all of her coop mates, my Buff Orp didn't act "right" for quite a while, but I don't recall that she didn't eat for days. Good luck with your ducks!

Thank you

 

[Quatie]

Sorry to here about your duck. If you don't have the supplies for tube feeding, I would get them. A lot of ducks when injured will stop eating. The tube feeding can help them get through the shock and recovery time. You may not end up needing to tube feed, but if you do, there is little time to get the supplies and they can be hard to find sometimes.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I went down to put them into their coop, we have a large daytime run area that was an old pig pen and it happened there. They’ve been moved into the reinforced day time area and have and a separate evening coop for nesting. Both heavily lined with 1/4 in metal construction cloth. The mice can’t even get in to steal food now. My mother in law is an ER Nurse and she helped me clean the wounds. She said it didn’t sound like an air way was injured, there really isn’t a lot of swelling, and they’re deep but not oozing or bleeding.

Sounds good. Once the shock wears off they most likely will get back to eating. They have moved locations it sounds like - so lots going on for ducks who don't like changes and easily get stressed out.

 

[KaydeB]

Sounds good. Once the shock wears off they most likely will get back to eating. They have moved locations it sounds like - so lots going on for ducks who don't like changes and easily get stressed out.

How long does shock usually last? Looking into the feeding tube option but afraid that’ll stress them out even more

 

[Miss Lydia]

Seems the shock should be wearing off by now if this happened Sunday. Do you think it's pain that may be causing him not to want to swallow?
Tube feeding can be stressful but dying can be even worse. It doesn't take them long to lose ground when they stop eating.
Have you tried making a soup out of his feed with warm water and see if that may entice him. Is he drinking good? he may drink some soupy feed.

 

[KaydeB]

Sounds good. Once the shock wears off they most likely will get back to eating. They have moved locations it sounds like - so lots going on for ducks who don't like changes and easily get stressed out.

I

Seems the shock should be wearing off by now if this happened Sunday. Do you think it's pain that may be causing him not to want to swallow?
Tube feeding can be stressful but dying can be even worse. It doesn't take them long to lose ground when they stop eating.
Have you tried making a soup out of his feed with warm water and see if that may entice him. Is he drinking good? he may drink some soupy feed.

I’m thinking it’s painful for him, these are my first ducks so I’m still learning.
I will definitely try soupy pellets. His drinking is just small sips, he doesn’t fully tilt his head back like he used to when he drinks. He’s turning his neck and cleaning under his wings like normal without shaking and does his good long stretches so I don’t think there is any broken bones.