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Progress on Louisville
We are well into Phase
II of the building of Louisville. The structure has been raised
and the vinyl coated galvanized wire mesh is currently being
mounted. Stay tuned as we install our electricity, running water
and internal features. Thank you again to all of our supporters
for making such an enormous difference in the lives of homeless
ducks and geese.
Phase II of Louisville is well underway
Majestic Newcomer:
Salvadore
Young Pilgrim Gander
Surrendered to an animal shelter, this young gander was
scheduled for euthanization. Salvadore is in perfect health and
is looking for a new home.
Salvadore
will eat out of our hands. We carry him from pen to pen
and he is very well tempered. Salvadore is a very gentle
boy and would love a home where he can meet a beautiful
goose.
Salvadore is
currently available for adoption.
Majestic Newcomers:
Jasmine & Aladdin
8-9 week old Pekin
ducks
This
very young pair were rescued from a park in Middletown CT. They
were starving and terrified. They were living at the edge of the
forest, taking cover under briar thickets.
Aladdin &
Jasmine will be available for adoption September 1st.
Recommended
Viewing* 
Keeping Ducks--Beautiful, Comical
Things
If you are
starting with duck keeping, or just interested in ducks,
this video by Tom Bartlett is well worth watching.
"There is something
about ducks that attracts human company," says Tom Bartlett in this
beginner's guide to duck-keeping. Tom follows the journey of
ducklings from incubation through their lives as he explains his own
methods of feeding, housing, breeding and generally caring for ducks
on the farm and at show. We meet Ross Kent, a beginner whose
ambition is to breed quality birds, and with Tom's guidance Ross
prepares for the British Waterfowl Championship.
WARNING: Majestic has
recently purchased this disc and after multiple returns we have come
to the conclusion that although the content of the DVD is wonderful,
the disc quality is far below average. Until they
improve their production standards, we do not recommend the
purchasing of this DVD.
Click
here
for purchasing information.
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* |
For
our full recommended reading list, click
here. If you order from
Amazon by way of our website, Majestic receives a
portion of the proceeds!
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My How We Have
Grown!
We have
really grown since our inception in 2004, and we have a
lot of animals depending on our time and attention and
many more pens to build. For this reason, we are going
to limit the size of our newsletters for the next few
months,
so we can focus more attention on the ducks and geese in
our care and those out on ponds and in shelters, in need
of our assistance.
We will
continue providing quality health information and
sanctuary updates to assist you and your flock members,
and as always, we will continue to field your questions
if you need us.
Feather Eating
Occasionally, you may
see your ducks or geese eating feathers off of the ground. We see
this most frequently among rescued ducks that have been deprived of
healthy diets.
This behavior can be curbed by introducing a small amount of crimped
oats to their diet. We add a small handful of oats to their bowls of
Mazuri feed and within a couple of weeks we notice the disappearance
of the feather eating behavior.
Contact Us
Majestic Waterfowl
Sanctuary
17 Barker Road
Lebanon, CT 06249
directorATmajesticwaterfowl.org
Our Newsletter
The Majestic Monthly is published 12 times per year.
Previous issues are available in our
Archives.
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Eye Troubles
Tear Duct Infections
Tear duct infections
occur occasionally and are not too big a deal if they are
treated right away. If you see swelling under the lower eye lid,
or it appears as if your duck’s eye is not all the way open,
this may be an indication of a tear duct infection.
Your duck or goose
will need to go to the vet for some antibiotic eye ointment.
Treatment is normally administered 2-3 times daily depending on
severity. Take precautions keep your bird’s pen extra clean
during this time to avoid impeding progress. Be sure water
sources are fresh and clean.
Tear duct infections
are normally not contagious, but ask your vet if any quarantine
procedures need to take place to protect the rest of your flock.
If you do have to separate the infected bird, be sure to keep it
in visual range of the others or provide a mirror for company.
Even with treatment
this type of infection can be stubborn and may take a few weeks
of treatment to clear up.
Scratches /
Abrasions
If you see swelling or
tiny bubbles foaming in or around your duck or goose’s eye this
is most likely an indication that your duck or goose has been
scratched or poked in the eye. A stray piece of hay can cause
this type of injury, but most often it is caused by another
duck. Separate the injured duck from the others using a dividing
fence. We flush the bubbles out a couple times a day with a
sensitive eye saline solution.
If your duck has this
kind of injury you will also want to bring them to a vet for a
prescription of antibiotic eye ointment, which is normally
administered directly to the eye 2-3 times daily. With
treatment, minor injuries of this nature normally clear up
within a week.
Eye Loss
It is not unheard of
for one duck to poke out another duck’s eye. Over-eager drakes
can easily poke out a hen’s eye when trying to mate—especially
if you have too many drakes and not enough hens. Multiple
drakes can do real damage to a hen. Remember to keep your flock
ratio at 1:4; that is one drake for every four hens.
Aggressive drakes can
also poke out an eye while fighting among themselves. It is
vital to separate fighting ducks to avoid this type of injury.
Some times the eye
will get pushed inside the head cavity, other times it will roll
over in its socket—so the back side of the eye is facing
outward. Both are signs that you are not properly protecting
your flock from one another. It is time to examine whether you
have too many birds in too small of a pen, or if a couple
individuals just can’t get along and need to be separated. If
one of your birds exhibits this type of serious injury, you need
to bring them to the vet immediately.
Crocodile Stanley’s
open eye socket
Open eye sockets can
become infected and a round of antibiotic ointment may be in order.
Some vets will recommend you always have a tube of this medicine
on hand in case of future flare-ups. Monitor open sockets
closely, especially in hot seasons—when flies are prevalent and
they can easily become infected. Ointment is administered right
inside the socket.
Special attention will
have to be taken for ducks with one eye. Ducks and geese rely
heavily on their vision. Try to clap your hands or make noise
when approaching, so as not to startle them. Ducks with this
type of injury are even more vulnerable to predators than
healthy ducks, so be sure to protect them properly.
Most vets will not
remove an eye that has been pushed inside unless a serious
infection is present, putting the duck at risk of further
issues. This type of surgery is best not performed unless the
situation requires it.
Dehydration
A translucent film
forming over your duck or goose’s eye can be a sign of severe
dehydration—and the first stages of blindness. Responsible pet
owners will never see this, but neglected animals taken into
animal shelters sometimes exhibit this condition. The
introduction of plenty of clean, fresh water along with vet care
will normally turn this around. Do not attempt to wash away or
remove this film. Any loss of eyesight, however, will be
irreversible.
New Fundraiser:
Aviary
Structure for Abby's Goose Run
Abby’s Goose Run is
currently usable only as a day pen; the geese are led out into
this pen every morning and escorted back to the Courtyard every
evening. We have the aviary net already purchased for this pen;
however, we need to raise enough funds to build the support
structure for this net. The aviary support structure is
comprised of steel kennel poles and lumber cross beams. Once the
structure is complete, the net is pulled over the top and the
pen is instantly usable as a day and evening pen.
Please help us to
raise $500 to purchase poles,
beams and hardware to install the aviary support in Abby’s Goose
Run. Click here to
donate.
A Special Note:
Ducks of the Month
Joker & Riddles
Joker and Riddles are
the best of friends. They are the cutest things—watching them
running around. They don’t take slack from anyone and will
bicker through the fence at Ali & Chan or Tutter & Angelo if the
pairs get too close. When the two Runners are released into the
goose run, they are wise enough to keep a wide girth of the
geese, and do extremely well.
Joker and Riddles are
shy and are not interested in close interaction with humans, but
they will come within a few feet of us if we are handing out
nightcrawlers or lettuce treats.
This entertaining and
happy pair will fit into a number of flock types. They are a
good option for a family wanting a pair of ducks to join their
family, a family with 4-6 hens looking for a couple drake
companions, or even for a family with one large drake and a
number of hens who wish to open their home to a couple of
rescues (Riddles & Joker do very well with a larger drake who
knows how to rule the roost; they show respect to a strong alpha
drake).
If you are interested
in adopting this Riddles & Joker, please fill out our
online adoption
application and email us photos of your duck pen.
Special Thanks
to Jennifer & Flock:
Enrichment Toys!
 
Lettuce Treats have never been so much fun!
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Eye Troubles
