A Very Sad Day and PLEASE, Need Help to Stop it From Happening Again [Long]

[Amiga]

Sad to read of your loss. I wish I had some good ideas.

When Neun died, I took her to the state ag college for a necropsy and received a full report in a couple of weeks. It may not help you now, but I wanted to mention this possibility in case it will help anyone in the future.

 

[Haunted55]

Firstly, I am sorry. You say the male had marks on his neck? i wonder if the pekin did hurt him although as you said that doesn't explain the little duck mallard. I don't know, hopefully others more educated on illness can be of help.

Thank-you so much for your reply. It's all a puzzle I may never be able to put together.

I am SO sorry for your loss. I had my first death two weeks ago tomorrow. Still hurts like crazy and I blame myself too. I have no idea what could be wrong with your ducks but it would seem if its an illness or disease it wouldn't be limited to just one breed of duck...

Oh, I am sorry to hear you have lost one of your babies! Yes it hurts and I know it will for a long time. Little Sheba was the girl I lost in July and I still look for her everyday. Stupid.... they're ducks for crying out loud. But tell that to your heart. I wish you peace sherrybintally.

As for it being a disease, I agree, the others should have it as well or at least be showing......something. That's what makes me suspect it might be botulism. The only other thing I have noticed that is the same with a few of the ducks is they are twitching their wings. As if they have an itch? Does that make sense? I have no clue if this is related or not. I guess I'll find out, if any of these others who are doing this get sick.

With the female in january it seems like stargazeing. The male seems like the pekin just got too frisky with him. Are any of the others have signs of sickness? Are you able to call a vet and ask them if they have a idea?

No Vet. Not a one around me will see poultry in any form. No help from the State either.

Little Sheba, the first to die, was 10 weeks old when it happened. She was eating Flock Raiser the same as all of the others. Botulism has some of the same symptoms as stargazing. I don't know, it could have been. These last two though were not suffering from a vitamin deficiency. Who knows, maybe the stock [ducks] they were selling this year was just not right. Makes as much sense to me as anything else right now.

Sad to read of your loss. I wish I had some good ideas.

When Neun died, I took her to the state ag college for a necropsy and received a full report in a couple of weeks. It may not help you now, but I wanted to mention this possibility in case it will help anyone in the future.

I agree, if any of this will help someone else, it'll be worth it. I just wish we had that opportunity open to us here.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

So sorry about the multiple losses.

keeping bantam ducks and wild type ducks with pekins often leads to the large domestic ducks injuring the smaller and they can often kill them.

 

[veronicasmom]

How far can you travel? I live in Southern Maine and have a wonderful vet that sees my ducks. She is in South Gorham. I have had to take 3 of my ducks there. They do will do a necropsy.
Avian vets can and generally will treat ducks.
I am sorry for your losses.

 

[Haunted55]

So sorry about the multiple losses.

keeping bantam ducks and wild type ducks with pekins often leads to the large domestic ducks injuring the smaller and they can often kill them.

Thanks for your reply. I am finding this sad fact out. It's only two of the oldest pekins, they have been marked and we'll see this weekend. When I bought the first mallards and pekins, I was told "Oh yeah, no problem. They'll do great together!" Mia culpa, I should have done my homework.

They usually do get along! I have geese and ducks, same house and pen and they have been extremely good together.....well except for two males and as I said before, the geese will not put up with that kind of goings on. They, the geese, are seriously like stodgy old ladies, all prim and proper. I guess I have been lucky up 'till now.

 

[Haunted55]

UPDATE

After the crying, you start thinking.

First, I walked everywhere in my yard, even if the ducks had not been there. I found some plastic that had blown off of a wood pile, probably in the spring, and had been left on the ground. Wonderful. Yes it had pockets of water on it and leaves and gypsy moth droppings and was pretty nasty. With all of the rain and then heat, gee, ya think? Great, way to go Deb. It very well could be botulism.

Second, locked ducks and geese out of their pen and added 8 cups of bleach to their 1100 gal. pool. Not enough to harm them but enough to stop anything more from growing. Ran the filter to mix it in then let it set for 5 hours. Drained and replaced half the water, added more charcoal to the filter and then ran it for 3 more hours. I really wish I knew if you can use the same chemicals in their pool as I do in mine. Life would be so much easier.

Third, when my husband got home from work, we started rototilling their pen. Heavy barn lime application and deep tilling. Added all of the sand I had. [the ground here is heavy on the clay and it quickly turns into a mess] Sanitized and cleaned everything having to do with their feed and water.

Have I missed anything?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

aside from cleaning the house they sleep in, sounds like you did a very good cleaning.

 

[Haunted55]

Right now their house is off limits to them because that's where the 2 were put before they died. That's for today. Bleach, power wash, dry. I don't know what else I can do. The area they frequent and beyond is cleaned up and will be double checked today and everyday from now on. thank-you so much for your help. Believe me, I really do appreciate it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Right now their house is off limits to them because that's where the 2 were put before they died. That's for today. Bleach, power wash, dry. I don't know what else I can do. The area they frequent and beyond is cleaned up and will be double checked today and everyday from now on. thank-you so much for your help. Believe me, I really do appreciate it.

Have you ever heard of Oxine ah? it is very safe to use around animals, I like it alot better than bleach, plus I use it in their stock tank and kiddie pool, you maybe able to use it in your flocks pond too. Every morning I spray down all the roosts in the chickens side of the house and wipe and also use it to spray bedding, even mist my whole flock with it 2X a month. heres a link to info
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

 

[Koipondduck]

I sincerely share my condolences.