A little over a week ago I found our one (Pekin) duck covered in blood. My best guess is that a fox or some other small critter tried to get her, but she was able to get to her coop fast enough to keep herself safe. The wound was bad and deep, but she’s seems to be doing really well.
When should I start letting her back in with the rest of her friends?
Is she as mobile as usual? I would observe for a bit at first when putting her back.
Yep! Eating and drinking just fine, still laying healthy eggs, but the wound is still there. It’s healing, but still there. I have no experience with ducks so I’m not really sure how to gauge it.
If the wound is bare of feathers and/or raw-looking, if ducks behave like chickens, her flockmates might peck at it.
Besides possibly hindering healing, that could make her a scapegoat & her place in the flock could be permanently changed for the worse*.
For a hen in the state I described, I’d cover the wound with either Blu-Kote or the charcoal that comes in a puffer.
Helps heal & the others don’t see the “red” they’ll peck at.
*friends gave me a Cochin hen that was lowest in the pecking order of their small (13) flock.
She hid under the nest boxes, never going out in the fenced henyard with the others.
At my house - & much smaller (5 w/her) flock she’s been accepted & is one of the girls.
Layed regularly & goes out in their yard daily.
Rooster courted her relentlessly for about a month, but no damage done & she pretty much ignored him.
Our Pekin was injured twice in her long life; deep wounds, suspected owl/dog type bites. She recovered completely from both; I know I put something in the wounds but don’t remember what; probably flushed with diluted iodone at first and then neosporin FWIW. I think I probably kept her in for a week each time before turning her out with the rest. No swimming until she was healed though for obvious reasons. They can be pretty tough! Just keep an eye out for the others pestering but IME ducks aren’t as bad about that as chickens.
She is a tough little one! When we initially found her I was very guarded about the chances of her pulling through, but she’s been a good patient. Luckily her wings weren’t affected, just her body/rump.
I scrubbed her out with betadine and I’ve been keeping her clean and also letting her clean/preen herself in clean water under supervision. I was originally putting antibiotic oitment on it but now we’ve just been spraying it with vetricyn. My concern is that parts of the injury are still proliferating but being separated is miserable for her. I did let her play with the other three yesterday for a little while and she was so happy. Unfortuantely our drake just wouldnt leave her alone so I decided to keep her separated for a few more days.
Ducks have been a learning curve for me. I’ve never had any type of fowl - not even chickens. I went to the feed store to pick up my order and there were four that were on clearance. In a moment of emotional weakness/hormonal imblanace I couldn’t stand the fact that you were able to put a life on clearance and ended up coming home with four ducklings (and had forgotten my order that I went there for in the first place).
That’s how we got our ducks too! I was working at the feedstore and Teagan the Pekin (daughter named her) was the last bird left before a long weekend. I felt bad nobody wanted her so took her home. My then teenage daughter didn’t put her down for the whole weekend and she was instantly a puppy instead of a duckling. She lived in the hood of a hoodie for weeks. Then of course she was lonely when it was time to just be a duck so we had to get a few more leftover ducks to keep her company and they turned out to be all males. They were called the Boyfriends and before you knew it we had free refills on ducks for about ten years! LOL
I’m glad I’m not the only one! Ours are Tony, Paulie, Silvio and Christopher because I texted my boyfriend “Can i get ducks?” and his response was “Only if we name them after the Sopranos.” I don’t he knew I was serious and I don’t think he expected to come home to four ducklings in the kitchen…
Men sometimes think they are cute, only to find out later, … not so much. 
Done in True COTH Goodheartedness Fashion 
The Poultry version of Equine Math 
First we get a horse.
Then we get another horse.
Then we get ALL the horses!
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