Were at a loss here...

[Amiga]

Thanks, your routine sounds similar to mine. We have 9 runner girls, 3 buff girls and a buff drake. Their night shelter is about 90 sf, shavings for bedding, we had to keep it divided for probably six months because . . . .well . . . Zwei and some of the other girls did not like seeing Bean, our drake, on top of anyone, so they would all pile on top of him and grab him by the shoulder feathers and drag him off, swearing at him.

Anyway.

Hormones have subsided, Bean is more self-confident now (we adopted the trio a year ago), and we are one flock. I hope we can keep this up.

I wonder if your guys just have a greater need for some sort of distraction. Please bear with me, I am wondering if some kind of "toy" or something might help them burn off extra energy. Or, maybe there is a nutrient imbalance making them more aggressive.

Some people hang bundles of things for them to pick at - like a sheaf of wheat tied carefully so that no one gets wrapped up in the twine. I used to hang a length of rope over the edge of the brooder, the bottom hanging right around the top of Einz's head, and she used to nibble on that off and on all day.

 

[davekayse62]

Sorry I didnt get pictures of Mightys leg & foot I got too caught up in trying to get him bandaged up I didnt remember till after.
We brought him in for a tubby and I let him soak in an epsom salt bath after he was clean. Man that "bumble" on his foot is nasty..yuck! It is about the size of a quarter on his middle toe(?proper term) on the bottom it has cracked and I can see some of the infection inside, nothing oozed when I squeezed it (gently) so I gave it a good scrub with the Betadine solution put neosporin on, bandaged and put his shoe on to keep it as clean as possible. I picked up the Durvet Duramycin-10 Antibiotic Soluble Powder and im putting that in everyones water. I also picked up the Durvet Vitamin & Electrolyte powder to put in the water.... can I add that in with the antibiotic at the same time or should I wait till after??
I wonder if anyone has experience with doing the surgery on the foot? I watched a video of someone doing it on a chickens foot but not a ducks...Im really hesitant to go that route #1 just because of infection alone afterwards and #2 what if I hit a vein?! Rubber got a pin prick of a cut on his leg one time during the summer and he was SQUIRTING blood everywhere! I brought him into our (all white) bathroom to see what was going on and it looked like i had tried to slauter him in the bathtub.... there was literally blood on the ceiling! lol no joke! So im very much afraid to try and do this surgery ourselves, plus they are such kickers it really quite hard to hold his foot still. Cant imagine what that vet bill is gonna be...
Thank you all for your advise and support!

 

[Amiga]

Have you seen this?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/807777/bumblefoot-new-ideas-on-treatment-with-pictures

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

X2

 

[piggirl19]

i know the pekins are a little more aggressive than the other 2 breeds i have. my pekin get pretty aggressive with one of our females right now during mating season, but usually they are all fine with each other than the little bit of neck biting, but yeah pekins are a little more mean than the other breeds if seems anyways.

 

[davekayse62]

Welp... Mr.Mighty is at the vet today. Brought him in last night to see how things were looking and the bumble got 2x worse. I let him soak in the tub for awhile & then he got to spend the night inside with us. Vet is going to open up the infection, clean it out and is going to xray the other leg..... & blood work, meds, fluids.... = $900.00! Merry Christmas Mighty, he's lucky we like him!
....ill be in the corner crying with empty pockets :'(

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Oh dear, that's a lot of dough. Yes, I guess he is lucky that you like him. So did you treat that bumble at all, with the iodine or otherwise, before going to the vet? I'm sorry you're having such a rough go of things... But you're an awesome duck owner!

 

[davekayse62]

I did treat the bumble. Let him soak in a Epsom salt bath (after getting a "get clean" bath) and then I cleaned it with Provon antimicrobial soap, put iodine on it then the triple antibiotic ointment & then bandaged it to stay clean.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Hmm. He is lucky to have you!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hmm. He is lucky to have you!

X2!! Keep us updated on how Mr. Mighty is doing. He's one blessed ducky to have you for his owner.