Help! My 3.5 week old runner duck may be very sick?

BuckDucks

In the Brooder
Apr 10, 2017
39
7
34
Pender Island, BC
Our runner duck spontaneously went flat on her back and wouldn't move. I went for her and picked her up. She managed to have energy to try and run away, but then just fell over. I picked her up and she is very limp.
I had her outside a lot today and the last couple days. I wonder has she caught a chill?
Now, she is on my husbands lap, her neck is very limp, she won't accept clean water, I slowly put her beak in and see her breathe out and then remove the cup. I wonder if she ate too much dirt?
We love her so much and they've been doing so good, that I wan't expecting anything to go wrong!
They're still on non-medicated starter, I was going to introduce grower and grit tonight!

Any suggestions as to what the heck?!
 
I have a Rouen that did that when he was little, he would get super stressed and suddenly just start falling over, I would take him and his sister to a quiet room and either leave him they're to rest or sit and hold him for a bit. He's fine now hasn't done it in a long time.
Is your runner imprinted? If so take her to a quiet room and hold her for a bit (with siblings)
 
Three of them went down with the same thing. They were completely limp for a long time and shivering, we thought they were lost. We wouldn't really let them doze off too much, kept trying to put water in their beak and slowly but surely, after 7 hours of serious nursing, they are all back together again!
Not sure what it was.
we did administer the apple cider and we'll keep that going.
 
Sounds like a nutritional problem/ deficiency
Are you adding nutritional or brewers yeast to their food?
And are you feed a flock raiser? Or chicken / chick feed?
 
Our runner duck spontaneously went flat on her back and wouldn't move. I went for her and picked her up. She managed to have energy to try and run away, but then just fell over. I picked her up and she is very limp.
I had her outside a lot today and the last couple days. I wonder has she caught a chill?
Now, she is on my husbands lap, her neck is very limp, she won't accept clean water, I slowly put her beak in and see her breathe out and then remove the cup. I wonder if she ate too much dirt?
We love her so much and they've been doing so good, that I wan't expecting anything to go wrong!
They're still on non-medicated starter, I was going to introduce grower and grit tonight!

Any suggestions as to what the heck?!
how old is it?
what % protein are you feeding? you need an all flock feed not a chick starter

could it have gotten into something moldy? sounds like maybe it ate something bad
could be botulism
 
how old is it?
what % protein are you feeding? you need an all flock feed not a chick starter

could it have gotten into something moldy? sounds like maybe it ate something bad
could be botulism
I was thinking the same since their necks were limber. Could be botulism or nutrient.
 
how old is it?
what % protein are you feeding? you need an all flock feed not a chick starter

could it have gotten into something moldy? sounds like maybe it ate something bad
could be botulism



I was just on nonmedicated starter still. Just moving then onto grower and grits today.
So, I was wondering about botulism as well, but we keep their pen sooo clean, and there's really nothing they could have gotten into
I wonder now after all, if they didn't catch a chill. I may have pushed the boundary of bringing them outside yesterday, it was windy and the days are not totally warm yet.
Haven't been able to find a lot of info on what the symptoms of a chilled duck are. But the three that were down, are back at it. Took a lot of love and attention and warmth!

So so so glad we didn't lose any. We feel real lucky
 
I was just on nonmedicated starter still. Just moving then onto grower and grits today.
So, I was wondering about botulism as well, but we keep their pen sooo clean, and there's really nothing they could have gotten into
I wonder now after all, if they didn't catch a chill. I may have pushed the boundary of bringing them outside yesterday, it was windy and the days are not totally warm yet.
Haven't been able to find a lot of info on what the symptoms of a chilled duck are. But the three that were down, are back at it. Took a lot of love and attention and warmth!

So so so glad we didn't lose any. We feel real lucky
yes their pen is clean but when they were outside they may have ingested something bad
they peep a lot when they are cold
 
I was just on nonmedicated starter still. Just moving then onto grower and grits today.
So, I was wondering about botulism as well, but we keep their pen sooo clean, and there's really nothing they could have gotten into
I wonder now after all, if they didn't catch a chill. I may have pushed the boundary of bringing them outside yesterday, it was windy and the days are not totally warm yet.
Haven't been able to find a lot of info on what the symptoms of a chilled duck are. But the three that were down, are back at it. Took a lot of love and attention and warmth!

So so so glad we didn't lose any. We feel real lucky
Make sure you offer grit separate from feed not in it they will use as they need to.

We're thankful too you didn't lose them. It's very heartbreaking to hear that from our members. If they are 3 weeks old and it was windy and cool and they were out for quite a while that may have been the problem Runners don't have a bit of body fat and being up right chill alot faster than other ducklings.
 

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