Hole in duck foot

[Missy60]

I just noticed tonight one of my mallard ducks has a hole in its foot. It doesn't look infected or red or anything just a hole. It's on the web part of her foot should I do anything or just watch it?

 

[jdywntr]

As long as it doesn't look bad i wouldn't worry. Many people use hole punches on the webbing to identify ducks and chickens.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

I toe punch most of our birds. Never had a problem.

Just watch for infection, it will probably be fine.

Good luck

 

[70%cocoa]

If it is a little round hole it may have been put there by the breeder to identify the duck. Some breeders use a little punch to put patterns of holes in the webbing of different ducklings e.g. all females get a hole punched in the webbing of the left foot.

Or it may be that your duck stepped on something spiky. But if it looks like it has healed up well or is healing well then I would not worry about it. It sounds fine to me.

 

[70%cocoa]

LOL, you got three pretty much identical and reassuring answers within seconds of each other. Gotta love BYC

 

[Going Bhonkers]

How long does it take a hole to close up again?

 

[70%cocoa]

It may never close up. It won't be detrimental to the duck in any way

 

[Missy60]

I think you all might be right it looks like a punch. These ducks are Easter babies though and I have never seen it before. The mallards don't really like to be handled much, but they were when they were little. I need to start doing an over all check on them regularly. It's been so hot lately they stay in the creek almost all day, and only come up when its time to be put up for the night. Tonight my grand kids came out when I was putting them up and chaos broke lose so we had to catch them and put them up thats how we noticed the hole.