- Jul 27, 2009
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As some of you know, I own a small feed store and Monday evening I had an older lady bring 11 mallards to my store - an adult pair & 9 almost full size ducklings. She wanted me to take them to our farm because they had begun dying on her - she had lost 4 I believe at that point. She thought it was too cold for them & that is why they were dying. When she called she said they were ducklings so I assumed she may be correct.... however when she arrived they were young adults - fully feathered but obviously feeling poorly as shown by their eyes & huddled positions. She also brought in a half bag of feed & set it down at the loading door. I did not look at the feed at first as I was getting water for the group & watching them trying to figure out what was going on. Within a hour one was dead. About 3 hours later as I closed up & loaded the ducks in the truck to carry home I picked up the bag of feed. It is not one of the brands I typically sell so I began reading the bag ingrediants. It was medicated chick feed (not the newer med APEX which is safer for use in ducks). Thats when I figured that this is the culprit. Our weather has been cold this week - down to the high teens at night & 34 or so during the day but not excesive for fully feathered ducks. Had to be the feed - due to they are eating more as it is so very cold & the higher input of the medicated feed is poisioning them. So got them home - set up a 10 x 10 kennel with doghouse & water/swimming pool. Ducks are still hunched up & about half have that "look" in their eyes..... supplied them with a auto feeder with just scratch & filled the pool. About all I can do at this point. Tuesday morning..... 5 ONLY 5 of the 10 are still alive. The parent pair & 3 of the subadults.
JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE to everyone to use care in feeding medicated chick feed to ducks especially young ducks & especially free feeding it this time of year. Ducks GOBBLE in good weather but GORGE in cold weather.... I am positive that this is why they are dying. I did not call the older lady & tell her - I don't have the heart to as she was so concerned & upset about it. I don't want her blaming herself. I do not know where she bought this feed or if anyone warned her about medicated feed use in ducks. These animals were absolutely beautiful - glossy feathered - obviously cared for but as the grass has died & cold weather set in, she had penned them & began feeding heavy with the starter feed.... thought she was doing the right thing & wound up killing over half of the ducks she had raised. As of this morning - the remaining 5 look good & the 3 remaining young adults are no longer hunched up - hopefully the medicated feed has traveled out of their body after 2 days... of course - if they live - it means we now have mallards to mix in the farm flock! Reckon the scovies wont mind - as long as it doesn't affect the amount of food THEY get!
JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE to everyone to use care in feeding medicated chick feed to ducks especially young ducks & especially free feeding it this time of year. Ducks GOBBLE in good weather but GORGE in cold weather.... I am positive that this is why they are dying. I did not call the older lady & tell her - I don't have the heart to as she was so concerned & upset about it. I don't want her blaming herself. I do not know where she bought this feed or if anyone warned her about medicated feed use in ducks. These animals were absolutely beautiful - glossy feathered - obviously cared for but as the grass has died & cold weather set in, she had penned them & began feeding heavy with the starter feed.... thought she was doing the right thing & wound up killing over half of the ducks she had raised. As of this morning - the remaining 5 look good & the 3 remaining young adults are no longer hunched up - hopefully the medicated feed has traveled out of their body after 2 days... of course - if they live - it means we now have mallards to mix in the farm flock! Reckon the scovies wont mind - as long as it doesn't affect the amount of food THEY get!