Expert: Abi - 7/8/2008

Question
One of our 7 ducks is constantly hurt during mating.  Our vet says there is nothing he can do and advises us to leave her wounded head alone and to not even bathe it.  I have tried isolating her in a large pen inside our poultry enclosure and putting her in a separate shed at night.  She seems content during the day but is stressed while I try to catch her in the morning and at night.  Would it be kind or unkind to leave her alone in the enclosure at night while all the other poultry are together in a shed, or would this be preferable to the twice daily stress of being caught?

Thank you.

Answer
I doubt your ducks will mate at night, so why don't you just stick her in the shed with the other ducks at night so she can be with her friends, and put her in the small enclosure during the day? Make sure you put her in when it's very dark so the ducks are well settled and sleepy and won't peck at her. I would definately advise you to bathe her head in a saltwater solution. Boil some water and mix the salt in with it (it doesn't matter how much) and use a cotton wool disc to gently dab at her head with it.
If you can't put her in the duck shed at night, is the pen big enough to put a cheapo guinea pig or rabbit hutch in there for her to hide in at night? That's always what I use when I need to isolate a chicken.

If you can't do either of these things I would say to continue what you are doing; she may act like she wants to be left out all night but chances are she'll be cold and frightened and much more stressed out than if you put her in a warm enclosed space on her own. She'll probably get used to being handled the more you do it anyway.

Thanks for your question, sorry I couldn't be of more help.