Cayuga Can't Walk, Breathing Heavy

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i have a one-year-old Cayuga female. She has a deformed upper beak, and i had to help her out of the egg when she was born. She has been fine up to this point, with no other apparent deformities. Past week or two, i've noticed she hasn't been getting in the pond (kiddie pool). Yesterday and this morning she seemed tired, only taking a few steps then sitting down. i brought her in the house and put her in the bathtub. She seemed to really enjoy getting wet and cleaning herself off. i gave her a big bowl of peas and hard boiled eggs, and she ate like she was starving. Although i have noticed she has been eating fine all along with the other ducks.

i keep a tub of Flockraiser out all the time. Twice a day they get Mazuri Waterfowl maintenance softened with warm water with peas added. Then they get lettuce and greens almost every day. We have no drakes and all the ducks get along. Oh, i also gave her some Polyvisol without iron this morning.

So i come home from the store to find she can't walk at all, legs out behind her. Not as much worried about that as the fact that she is breathing very heavy and her feet feel warm. i have her inside now in a 40 gallon rubbermaid container, with a bowl of water right by her head, and then turned a fan on low - not directly on her, just to move the air around.

My vet will be in tomorrow probably after 10:30 am. Any suggestions as to what else i can do?

 

[Amiga]

I don't know how it's going a few hours later . . .

She may have an infection, or could be having oviduct troubles (a guess).

Have you felt her belly and around her vent? Is it possible she is eggbound?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

I'm a little more experienced with chickens. But her vent looks normal. I don't see or feel a stuck egg. Her abdomen is soft.

Since I posted, she stood up and I put her back outside. But I see she is laying down again so can't walk far. This is certainly a mystery.

 

[SaraFL]

Did you go see your vet? How is she doing now?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thank you for asking. After i put Mrs. Wiffle outside, she seemed fine, just moving slow and laying down a lot. When i went to put all the ducks to bed, i had another duck who was unable to walk, legs straight out back. i've had this happen before, when i had a drake, so attributed it to him being too rough. But now i'm thinking i either have an environmental or nutritional issue. The duck who couldn't walk, i brought her inside and gave her water. After an hour or so, she was able to stand up so i put her to bed outside with the others.

i worked all day today getting a new coop and pen ready for the ducks - more room and less muck. Their old pen was so saturated with water from a very long wet winter and Spring. i was thinking the mucky water wasn't good, and could possibly be contributing to the lameness if it had cooties in it. But i also did a lot of searching on this board and read that a niacin deficiency could cause lameness. Couldn't find Brewer's Yeast at the grocery store today, so i will get some at the local health food store tomorrow. i did put Avia Charge 2000 in their water today, which contains lots of good vitamins, minerals, and other stuff. They were all leary at first to drink it, as it does color the water a chocolate brown, but eventually gave in.

Mrs. Wiffle was eating today, just moving slow and laying down a lot. If i can get a fecal sample from her tomorrow i'll take it to the vet. That will at least get me started on some type of diagnosis.