coughing duck... is it serious?

[xxSonja]

My female bantam mallard duck sort of coughs every now and then, ive been reading alot about chicken and duck diseases and such recently and now have become a little parnoid about my duck trio getting sick..
the coughing is not constant, only now and again, she seems perfectly happy and healthy otherwise.. as they are currently molting and preening a fair bit i assumed she may have swallowed a feather or something

.. sort of like when a cat has a furr ball?
I just wonder if it could be something serious or contagious?
Im reasonably new to ducks so i just want to be sure, & get as much info as possible.
My three ducks (1 female 2 male) are approx 4months old, i got them from a family friend who hatched eggs from their pet backyard pair, they do not leave my backyard, they do not have contact with other ducks or chickens, and i do not intend on breeding them or eating them, they are strickly pets!
I will be moving soon and just want to be reassured they are ok to move, and i wont be putting them or anyone else at risk...

i feel paranoid... am i being paranoid?

 

[dirge]

Not sure if i can help here.
I don't really know the context of when you ducks cough - but if it's around meal time, this may be normal.
Ducks need water to digest their food and often choke it down if they don't have quick access to the water.

You mentioned that you're new to the duck world so i'm just throwing out a -basic-, just in case.

So yes, if it's anytime around mealtime - i would be less concerned about this vs. if they're half-napping and chronically coughing.
I'm no expert, but just tossing out what i've noticed in the last two years of having my two Rouen boys run around.
Good luck and hope everybody's okay!

 

[chickensioux]

I have a Mandarin ducks that has been coughing. No other symptoms. I asked the director of the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue who's knowlege of ducks is great and she said it could be gapeworm. I just today dewormed for this in hopes that it stops the cough. I used wormazole.
Does your duck always have a deep water source to be able to completely submerge its bill under water? Sometimes they can have things stuck in their nostrils. If its nostrils are clear and the cough continues for too long ( a couple of weeks or more) you may want to consider deworming.

 

[xxSonja]

Thanks guys.
Im pretty sure it's not a food/choking thing, as shes is usually not eating when i see her cough, and sometimes she even does it while in one of her little paddle pools. They have two pools which they can fully submerge their whole bodies in that get cleaned and refilled on alternate days, and two reasonably sized water bowls which i put fresh water in twice a day, so they always have plenty of water to clean, play in and help with food.
I havent noticed any feathers or anything blocking her nostrils, im always pulling feathers out of one of my drakes nose but not hers.
I wasnt even aware that something like worms can make a duck cough, i always assumed they just affected the animal silently from the inside makeing them sick,
I'm going to look into that and see if i need to re worm them, Thanks!

 

[Theresa263]

Thanks for the advice I will try it...

 

[Carebearsmiles]

Just had my duck start a cough today. Didn't know if it was from the cold or what. Thanks for this info. It's something else to consider.

 

[buffyandangel]

g'day my mallard female duck make a very low sound like a cough every morning for the last 2 weeks, she is six months and her partner. they life with 2 isabrowns chickens 1year, no grass in my yard from flooding twise this year they swim in a baby pool i empty every 2nd day i feed them twice a day with a pellet crumble mixed in water then chooks like this too. greens at my back door and a handful of seed for a treat. every time i go near the kitchen all 4 fun to door quacking and brucking. i think im spoiling them but i love the interaction. with the cough i ask vet about worming, and try to get them a bigger water supply, but it gets dirty, cleaning is an issue too
thanks

 

[Procyron]

My Rouen just started coughing infrequently a few days ago. He shakes all over like he's choking sometimes. It makes me wonder if he ate something unnatural like a piece of plastic. He often plays around in the protected wetlands behind my house, and every once in a while I see soda lids or cigarette butts lying around that area, which makes me nervous. Could be a cause, but the dewormer solution sounds plausible. I guess fecal testing is the key here?

 

[DeeJay]

Our muscovy hen is coughing late night/early morning when on the lay. Doesn't appear serious, no wheeze or discharge and seems to be her normal self otherwise. If picked up for a cuddle she stops coughing and coughs more when close to laying. Is this a normal thing?

Last time gave her antibiotics to be on the safe side but don't want to dose her up if unnecessary. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

There is no evidence of gapeworm in our country (Australia) as advised previously by a vet.

 

[Amiga]

See if you can contact @Miss Lydia , she has Muscovies and has had broodies.