What's the scoop on Duck POOP!?

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samuelsonfarm

samuelsonfarm

Chirping
6 Years
May 27, 2013
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OK, I have 13 4-week old ducklings. They are foaging/free ranging during the day with duck crumble available all day and night. I am wondering- what is a normal duck poop supposed to look like? Are there certain kinds of poop that should alarm me? I am seeing a lot of pure liquid poops. They do spend a lot of time in a muddy/wet bog area and love to nuzzle around in it. They get a small amt. of treats like chopped up sugar snap peas, broccoli stems chopped up, crushed whole oats. Is there a good resource of what kinds of poops are normal, and what kinds are a red flag? I'm new to ducks, but I love them so much! I'd hate to be ignorant on the subject. Everyone seems happy and energetic, nonetheless.
 
I am new to ducks as well, but I have done a lot of research and have noticed that my ducks' poop is always in conjunction with what they are eating. Some days it is liquid, others it is harder and different colors. I got quite worried the first few times it looked "different", but then read that it was likely because of their diet changes.
 
Wow, wouldn't that be a terrific resource, an encyclopedia of poop. Yeah..... I hope someone runs with this idea.

So, from what I have seen and read, I feel that dark metallic green (not the stuff we see after feeding peas or greens, no, I mean dark and metallic) poop is not a good thing. And sometimes dark, greasy runny poop can mean trouble.

Watery poo may mean they have been drinking alot, but somewhere I read that could be a sign of diarrhea.

I have one runner - I do not know which one - who has always had somewhat runny, dark brown poop. But everyone is healthy, we have had fecal tests done. There are always outliers, in my experience.

I was alarmed the morning I saw their poop color had changed from a tannish brown to almost black. Then I remembered we had our first outdoor day the day before. They had been eating soil.

The fact that they have throughput, in itself, is always a good thing and one of the first things many of us ask when a member worries about their duck's health.
 
CaptainQwak said:
Tomato poop is the worst.
Click to expand...
sickbyc.gif
 
Amiga said:
So, from what I have seen and read, I feel that dark metallic green (not the stuff we see after feeding peas or greens, no, I mean dark and metallic) poop is not a good thing. And sometimes dark, greasy runny poop can mean trouble.
Click to expand...

I know from experience that neon lime green poop is serious. Again, as you said, not bright grassy or pea green but neon lime like:

 
Fitz223 said:
Duck feces is directly related to what they have eaten. As they have a fast metabolism what goes in comes out relatively quickly.
Click to expand...
Sort of. And by that I mean not at all.

Pretty sure my Leucocytozoon infected ducks didn't actually eat the parasite. (in case you don't want to look it up it's a blood parasite transmitted by biting insects like black flies or mosquitoes)

While it pays to be cognizant of what your birds are eating so you don't freak out when their poop is purple (I'm not the only one who has fed beet peelings and freaked out, right?) to imply that poop isn't an indicator because it's "directly related to what they have eaten" is both wrong and potentially fatal.
 
Last edited:
Replying to the person who posted about bright green poo. It's now January and it's been really cold with lots of snow, so no foraging. I have tried to feed them some pineapple or grapes or peas but not since yesterday (pineapple) and peas a few days ago. I just noticed my muscovy duck that is laying pooed bright green and white just now, then the drake she is hanging with (she's the current favoured concubine :p ) had a white poo. I feed them all the same... don't know what to make of it.
 

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