Can ducklings get fowl pox?

[LaynaDon95]

My chickens recently came down with fowl pox. Grr! I have ducklings due Saturday the 23rd. There's nothing I can do because my duck is hatching them, so I can't exactly cancel the order. Can ducks catch fowl pox?

 

[LaynaDon95]

Oh, and they are Muscovies.

 

[Kevin565]

I think it is transmittable to ducks

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just found this link http://quackling.com/articles/two-respiratory-diseases-common-to-ducks/

 

[LaynaDon95]

Well, that's horrible. :\

I'm so glad to see comments from you two! I was afraid I'd have to go find you guys and ask you to look at this. I'm trying not to panic. I have no idea what I'm going to do. I'm terrified that my babies are going to die. I have chicks due this coming Saturday, and next Saturday along with the ducklings. I was going to separate the chicks that the duck is sitting and raise them myself with the chicks in the incubator, and let her keep the ducklings. Now, I'm think I may just give her all the chicks and ducklings and separate them all in the front yard, and hope they don't get sick. I have no idea.

I could put them all in a tractor in the front yard (there is a fence, so the sick birds can't get into the front yard.) and let her raise them. I could let her and the ducklings out sometimes for them to go swimming. I'd also let them out to free range when I could watch them. I just wouldn't want Mama to get into the back yard and get sick, and she could easily fly over the fence if she wanted to. (though my Muscovies never fly. 0.o My mom was all worried about them flying into her garden but they never fly. Is that weird?)

I was also thinking about taking her eggs and finishing them in the incubator, putting Mama in the front yard, then giving her the babies, so that the babies were never exposed to the coop. Is that stupid? Would that be pointless? Her nest is underneath the roost so there is a lot of poop and feathers from the chickens in it. Would she reject her babies if I moved her before I gave them back?

I could take all the babies and raise them myself, but I would hate doing that. I would almost rather leave them with her and risk them dying. Not that I mind raising babies, I love it, but I would hate it for her, having set for so long and having nothing to show for it.

There are a lot of options. What would you do in my situation? I have no idea. I've never dealt with this.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So your saying your duck is sitting on chicken eggs too? I would get her and the eggs out of the coop into their own space and keep them separate from your chickens that have the pox. Have you looked at your duck to see if she is showing signs of the pox? is it dry or wet? Get her and ducklings /chicks some poultry vitamins and start her on them now and babies when they start to drink. Do you have any oxine ah if not i would get some and mix according to direction and spray your coop from top to bottom and also mist your chickens and ducks with it. it may help to keep it from spreading. keep spraying your mama duck with it. spray it over her head so it gently falls over her face and body.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Oh yeah, I should probably have included that. =P I put chicken eggs under her 2 weeks after she started sitting on her eggs so they would hatch at the same time. it was an experiment, and it seems to be going rather well, except for that whole chicken pox thing... :\

How am I supposed to move her and her nest without her leaving the nest? I'm afraid to do that because the eggs have already developed so far and I can't put them in the incubator is she decides not to set because my Wyandotte eggs are in lockdown.

 

[LaynaDon95]

And I think they are dry pox. I haven't noticed any breathing difficulties and they are still eating like horses. She shows no sign of illness.

 

[Amiga]

What about Plan A and Plan B backup? Plan A . . . move brooding duck and eggs to safe zone, prepare incubator in case she abandons them due to the disturbance?

 

[LaynaDon95]

That's what I was saying. I can't prepare the incubator. :\ I have eggs in lockdown right now. I don't see what choice I have. I have to get her out of there or she's gonna catch it and won't be able to mother her babies safely. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and do it. If I move her and she refuses to set on her eggs, then they die, if I leave her and she catches pox, she'll give it to them and they will probably die.

I can't win, can I?