Weird Lumps on Ducks Head

[GardenerEvan]

Hello!

Around a month ago, these weird spots started forming on my female ducks head. At first they just looked like crusty dirty feathers. I would wash them daily but they came back the next day. I thought maybe it was from excessive mating but I'm not so sure now. It's about a month later now and the areas that used to be crusty feathers are 2 lumps. One is quite big and on the side of her head behind her eye. The other is on the other side of her head and above her eye.

She still eats, drinks, blows her nose, preens her self, and even lays eggs. She acts perfectly healthy but looks ill do to these lumps on her head. She is 4 years old now.

Are they dangerous? Is there a cure? Is there something I should be doing different?

This is the one on the side of her head. Recently it has started bleeding but not very much and not for very long.

This is the one above her eye on the other side of her head. I haven't noticed this one bleed.

I'm not sure if they are painful to her or not. I have touched them gently to see what was going on but she didn't seem to be bothered by it. Her eyes also look a bit odd. They seem to be widened. Does anyone know what is wrong?

 

[Debbie292d]

Awe, she's beautiful and that's sad.

Can you separate her somewhere from the male(s) as a test? That looks like one I saw earlier today, which was from mating. That would prove to you that's what it is in a few days when she starts healing and gets no more wounds or bumps on her head.

I see what you mean about the eye. That could be from swelling and maybe that'll go back to normal after she starts healing.

 

[GardenerEvan]

Awe, she's beautiful and that's sad.

Can you separate her somewhere from the male(s) as a test? That looks like one I saw earlier today, which was from mating. That would prove to you that's what it is in a few days when she starts healing and gets no more wounds or bumps on her head.

I see what you mean about the eye. That could be from swelling and maybe that'll go back to normal after she starts healing.

Will it be okay to separate her? It's just her and the male and I'm worried they will become lonely without each other.

 

[Debbie292d]

Will it be okay to separate her? It's just her and the male and I'm worried they will become lonely without each other.

Could she just be put in a pen somewhere during daylight hours where they can still see and talk to each other? At nighttime, you could let them be together as he'd leave her alone, but then the next morning he'd be at it again, if he's the reason for this.