HELP! DUCK MISSING BIG PATCH OF FEATHERS!

[brood mother]

I have noticed that around their pen an in grass around pond an such, there were little white feathers laying around. This has been goin on for a bit now. I didn't think much about it, thinking maybe molting some feathers. Everyone seem as happy as can be. THEN, last night when I was putting them in their pen I saw a clump of feathers in grass. Then this morning I saw one had clump missing around th breast/ wing area. It's down to the skin like plucked out. I don't know what to think. Did something get to him? Is it something else? Just freaked me out. Wonder if I'm doing something wrong? They have access to pond and free range all day. They have food(game bird feed 20%protein) inside pen,an also small pool I keep full of pond water for them. And they get treats most evenings. At. Loss here! Will attach a pic soon!

 

[brood mother]

Ok, here is the picture I got if the spot on my duck! I am worried. ANY AND ALL ADVICE IS WELCOME!

 

[buff goose guy]

Go to your co op or tractor and supply you can use the wound healer they sell


Also sometimes I use neosporin , anyways put him in a pen alone with a pool full of clean water , really clean ! Also keep it clean . Same happend to a Muscovy I have that was attacked by a raccoon or fox

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Ok you need to start wound care:
Epsom salt baths, Neo if you think that will help, otherwise Blu Kote from your farm store. Above all, once the skin is token open like that, you need to be vigilant at keeping that creature someplace where flies won't get in it. Fly strike is just one consequence of skin wounds to consider.

So that leads you back to how did this occur? You need to know so that you can protect the rest of your flock, plus if whatever did this returns and goes after the victim again, the victim might not be strong enough to make it thru a 2nd attack. So you need to observe your flock carefully, inspect your pen perimeter walls and any other possible place that a predator could have come inside. Do not make the mistake of thinking that only a predator could do that kind of damage, tho... Aggressive drakes are certainly capable too.

@Amiga@miss lydia @haunted55@Leahs Mom@[@]fuzzybutt love[/@]
All smart folks who have experience with wound care and predators.

 

[brood mother]

Ok have blue kote I had for an injured chicken so will put that in a couple if times a day, and will clean the pool water out each day. I just don't have anyway of seperating him from flock. I haven't seen any signs of a predator around pen. I was wondering if another male could have done it. Still struggling with sexing but I believe injured one is male and I'm almost positive my biggest is a drake also. Do you think it would help to sprinkle some diatomaceous earth in the hay in their house to help with flies, mites or something like that bothering it??

 

[Amiga]

I can echo what HollyDuckFarmer said - clean off with some Epsom salt solution ( a couple tablespoons in a pint of lukewarm water, dribble gently over the wound to rinse it off, don't put the duck in Epsom salt water, they may drink it, and it is a laxative).

I wanted to send that warning a.s.a.p.

Get and keep the duck away from anywhere there are flies (for us this means indoors into sick bay - which is a dog crate in a spare room, very safe and quiet).

And something has been pulling feathers.

Another duck? Is this a female and how many drakes do you have? Usually the injuries are around the head and neck, vent and legs if it's drakes.
Geese? Visiting wild waterfowl?
A while ago . . . was it some feathers every day, or the pile of feathers appeared and you later noticed the wound? I am not trying to make you feel bad. Just trying to piece together where the risk is for your ducks.

Predators come back. Increase security even if it inconveniences someone for a little while, till you can assure yourself and the ducks that they are safe.

I think it was @Learningstill who had to revise flock management after attacks.

 

[buff goose guy]

I really do recommend separating him . Because some ducks can continually peck at the wound of others ,


Also if you put him inside or just alone outside in a pen with grass and a pool no flies come by for some reason as long as it is clean .

If there is no where to put him I recommend getting some fending or cage parts and just putting him inside . Recommended the bathroom or garage .


Yes the salt helps a ton

 

[Leahs Mom]

If not from mating or other predator, it's also possibly a hawk attack. I have seen them try (and succeed at times) to get a Canada goose

.

I recently had one of my pullets escape hawk attack and had a very bad wound. I separated her so that she would have a place to rest without worrying about others "curiosity pecking" at the wound. She healed very well. This is what I did:

First a note: I DO NOT like using blu-kote on a wound. Once it is on there, that blue color stays for a long time and it is VERY HARD to see the condition of the wound. You can't tell if it is getting red/irritated/infected as that gentian violet in it stains everything a dark blue that lasts and lasts. When I have a wound I need to see if it is getting infected and do something about it quickly...and I don't want to guess. Just my .02 on that.



-I flushed out the wound. I happened to have some Vetericyn on hand. But it is just a bottled "Dakin's Solution" that you can make yourself with items you already have at home. Recipe here: http://www.virginia.edu/uvaprint/HSC/pdf/09024.pdf Put it in a squirt bottle (like a mustard bottle, etc.) that you can use to thoroughly flush the wound.

-I have NuStock in my first aid kit. It is very healing and very quick. It also deters flies very well. Very strong smell, however. This stuff really works and is one of my "go-to" products. It is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.

-I also have an herbal wound formula made for poultry in my first aid kit that I used on it for about a week afterwards. It can be found here. http://www.moonlightmileherbs.com/poultryherbcart2014.html It is the wound formula.

-Assuming that you don't have any NuStock or the wound formula there are some natural items that work even against antibiotic resistant bacteria. One of them is RAW honey. (Not the kind you get at the grocery...the kind you get from someone that will guarantee that it has not been heat treated and that there are not other added ingredients like corn syrup.) Sounds counter-intuitive, but it really works. It is also very sticky and things get stuck to it. I would also think it would draw flies and may not be the best item to use during fly weather. I have never tried it in the summer.


If I didn't have anything else in my first aid kit, I'd make the Dakin's and flush the wound and just uese the antibiotic first aid ointment you can get at the store with no added pain reliever. Then I'd keep watch on the wound. Possibly another flush if things were getting stuck to it (like bedding and what-not).


Honestly...most of what I'm saying is to encourage anyone who has animals to have a first aid kit ready with items to treat a wound. Hopefully you won't ever need it. But when you do, it is so important that you don't have to order items and wait for them to show up (or use items that you really don't want to use but don't have anything else).

Hope that is some help.

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ETA: I have never used NuStock on a duck and if anyone decides to try it, I would recommend trying it on a small area to see if there is any adverse reaction. More and more I lean toward using the least intrusive items possible that don't lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria, etc. Neither NuStock OR Blu-Kote are "approved for use in poultry". That can just mean that it has never been tested on them but are not an issue. Never-the-less, this is something you should consider.



RE: Blue Kote:
Quote: http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/10/diy-anti-pick-antibacterial-blu-kote.html