Hello all from a frosty Bedfordshire in the UK. I am looking for some advice on caring for a sick duck please, if anyone has the time. I am a lot more comfortable and familiar with our chickens but want to give this little duck the best chance! Apologies for the length.
Buttercup is a Cherry Valley duck who came from an egg farm (she was barn kept) last summer. I would guess she is now around 2 years old. She lives wild on our lake (not confined at all and we generally can't catch them) and she has a slightly deformed beak, although this hasn't stopped her. Over the last fortnight or so she has really slowed down and eventually stopped eating altogether... on Tuesday night she was sitting on our patio, not down by the water with the others, and we were able to catch her and put her into a little kennel type house. She has been there ever since and I am doing my best to help her but she will not eat at all.
Here in the UK we do have an avian flu warning and captive poultry should be confined and kept away from wild birds, but since our ducks live totally wild it is not feasible for us to do that since we literally can't catch them. She doesn't appear to have the classic bird flu symptoms at all and no other ducks around here show any signs of sickness, I am confident it is not that (or I would report it). She is weak and can stand and take some steps, but had pretty much given up walking around or swimming by the time we were able to pick her up. She will drink if I coax her - I have added amprolium to the water as I feel coccidiosis could be an issue here. She has been wormed now too. Since becoming ill I have also noticed parasites on her, around her eyes, and I have sprayed her with permethrin and they seem to be gone.
I have not seen her eat in many days, maybe 5 or more, but this morning she still has the strength to attack my hand! Her water is in a tray as twice I found her flopped in the water and unable to get out, and I don't want her to wash in amprolium, but foolishly I didn't think about her needing to keep her eyes moist. This morning they were closed but I have sprayed them with antimicrobial eye wash and she opened them almost immediately. I will spray them regularly with fresh water from now! She is extremely frightened of being handled and I am trying not to touch her and stress her, but she appears to have no wounds, no discharge from eyes or nostrils, no cough, no wheezing, looks normal. I haven't really been able to see her droppings as she has at the back of the little house and I would have to fish her out of the way. I believe she laid eggs until recently but I can't be sure. I do know that on Monday she was sitting as if to lay an egg, but where they choose to lay is on an island and I can't say if she was successful. Her back end is clean.
My questions:
What else do I need to keep in mind and how can I tempt her to eat if she improves? I have tried layers pellets (her normal feed), layers crumble/mash, sweetcorn, peas, some mixed seeds, some floating duck pellets in the water (she usually loves them).
I do have critical care formula... can that go in the water if it has amprolium in? She is seriously lacking in energy at this point. Prior to being ill she was a very robust, healthy looking duck and fairly weighty.
Thanks in advance for any tips. We don't have a vets here that familiar with ducks and my parents (where the ducks live) are not keen on that idea, plus I think she would be absolutely petrified. I am not really hopeful for a good outcome but for now she is sitting quietly in a safe place and has quite a bit to drink this morning.
Buttercup is a Cherry Valley duck who came from an egg farm (she was barn kept) last summer. I would guess she is now around 2 years old. She lives wild on our lake (not confined at all and we generally can't catch them) and she has a slightly deformed beak, although this hasn't stopped her. Over the last fortnight or so she has really slowed down and eventually stopped eating altogether... on Tuesday night she was sitting on our patio, not down by the water with the others, and we were able to catch her and put her into a little kennel type house. She has been there ever since and I am doing my best to help her but she will not eat at all.
Here in the UK we do have an avian flu warning and captive poultry should be confined and kept away from wild birds, but since our ducks live totally wild it is not feasible for us to do that since we literally can't catch them. She doesn't appear to have the classic bird flu symptoms at all and no other ducks around here show any signs of sickness, I am confident it is not that (or I would report it). She is weak and can stand and take some steps, but had pretty much given up walking around or swimming by the time we were able to pick her up. She will drink if I coax her - I have added amprolium to the water as I feel coccidiosis could be an issue here. She has been wormed now too. Since becoming ill I have also noticed parasites on her, around her eyes, and I have sprayed her with permethrin and they seem to be gone.
I have not seen her eat in many days, maybe 5 or more, but this morning she still has the strength to attack my hand! Her water is in a tray as twice I found her flopped in the water and unable to get out, and I don't want her to wash in amprolium, but foolishly I didn't think about her needing to keep her eyes moist. This morning they were closed but I have sprayed them with antimicrobial eye wash and she opened them almost immediately. I will spray them regularly with fresh water from now! She is extremely frightened of being handled and I am trying not to touch her and stress her, but she appears to have no wounds, no discharge from eyes or nostrils, no cough, no wheezing, looks normal. I haven't really been able to see her droppings as she has at the back of the little house and I would have to fish her out of the way. I believe she laid eggs until recently but I can't be sure. I do know that on Monday she was sitting as if to lay an egg, but where they choose to lay is on an island and I can't say if she was successful. Her back end is clean.
My questions:
What else do I need to keep in mind and how can I tempt her to eat if she improves? I have tried layers pellets (her normal feed), layers crumble/mash, sweetcorn, peas, some mixed seeds, some floating duck pellets in the water (she usually loves them).
I do have critical care formula... can that go in the water if it has amprolium in? She is seriously lacking in energy at this point. Prior to being ill she was a very robust, healthy looking duck and fairly weighty.
Thanks in advance for any tips. We don't have a vets here that familiar with ducks and my parents (where the ducks live) are not keen on that idea, plus I think she would be absolutely petrified. I am not really hopeful for a good outcome but for now she is sitting quietly in a safe place and has quite a bit to drink this morning.
