What's funny bump on end of 12 day old duckling's beak?

[Amy S]

I can't get a pic at the moment, but one of my runner ducklings all of the sudden has a weird thick area near the end of his beak. It doesn't appear to be an injury, but more like a thickness in an oval shaped area near the tip.

Searching the wonderful internet also, just wanted to throw it out there! TY

 

[Amy S]

Correction....duckling "bill". That will help in my search as well....

 

[Amiga]

Bills, beaks, . . . I looked it up once.

I am guessing you are talking about the little "button" on the end of the bill.

Does it look like the image at this link?

http://piccsy.com/2011/04/duck-bill/

 

[Amy S]

Yes, amiga. Thank ya. Funny, I found that same photo online as well.

My two other runners don't have it. I guess the part I'm concerned about is that the button appears to have little red veins in it (like broken blood vessels?) and around the button is an uneven ever so slightly raised portion of bill. It reminds me of getting a piece of paper or cardboard wet and how it reacts (raises) to the water.

I will have to get a picture on here sometime today....my batteries died. I have investigate their little home up and down (rubbermaid bin) and can only come up with two things that could be the culprit - either the little guy stuck his beak in the hole in waterer, or he stuck it in the end of their feeder tin. I used one of those long metal ones with like twenty holes in it. I noticed that the ends of it could allow for a duckling to possibly stick a beak tip in and get it caught up. He seems fine, but there was a time yesterday (I was not at home) where the family said they heard a bit of a ruckus in their bin, screaming and squawking....but saw nothing out of place when they looked.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Amy S]

And, curious.... why the button on some but not others?

 

[Amiga]

I think that bill coloring may have something to do with a more noticeable button on some than others.

It could be that there is some injury to the tip of the bill. Poor baby. You may want to dab a tiny bit of triple antibiotic ointment on the bill twice a day to reduce the risk of infection, just in case.

And do watch out for hazards. Ducklings can get into some of the most unexpected troubles! Mercy.

 

[Amy S]

Thank you!

Like you said, on closer inspection I do see the button on the other two. Hard to see because their bills are one solid color.

 

[Amiga]

I remember it was easier to see the button on my chocolate runners than on my black ones. Then, when they were about two months old, maybe three months, their bills began to get green or blue highlights. Then it was easier to see that little button.

By the way . . . the highlights change color. There seems to be a correlation between green highlighting of the bill and outspokenness.

Like a mood ring!

 

[Amy S]

How funny!

My three already have very different personalities. Ming Ming is super tall, loud, and VERY bossy. Petri is fat and seems to be the master 'picker' of the bunch....loves to hunt for goodies. Then we have our runt, McNugget. He/she is noticably smaller than the other two, with a very calm and shy demeanor and can swim both forward and backward.

Also doesn't make a lot of noise. McNugget has the injured bill. I am hoping that we have two girls of the three!

 

[Lute]

My pekins have that. I figured it was normal.