Dark splotches around eye, tear stains or a real problem?

[Niss]

I know you really need a pic to know for sure, but my ducks are skittish, so I haven't been able to snap a good one.

My female pekin has a brownish area under/in front of her eyes. At first I worried she was sick with something nasty, but on an up close inspection (which she hated) it really just looked like the tear stains my dog sometimes gets. Do I need to worry/treat them?

 

[duckyfromoz]

What kind of water do they have access to? In most cases making sure they have clean deep water to wash their faces in will help stop the crustiness they can get around their eyes. My huge big Aylesbury gets dirty eyes from time to time since he is too big to get his body into the pool to wash properly. I have to actually pick him up and put him in for him to have a swim.

 

[Niss]

That sounds about right, thank you!
They use to free range and had a little streem with 4 or 5 pools deep enough to dive in, but the eye problems started shortly after I began locking them in the run until I get home at 4. In the run there is just a chicken waterer and they can't really wash their faces until I let them out in the evening. I was just tring to limit the birds' time at large to improve neighbore relations as this spring the ducks have taken to going down streem instead of up and then running amuck in the nieghbor's yard.

At one piont I had kiddie pools in the run, but I have young chicks right now and worry about drownings.

 

[Mum]

Maybe a compromise can be found between your duck needs and those of your chicks? Is it possible to put your chick waterer at a higher level so the ducks can't reach it but your chicks can? Then, you also need to make a deeper waterer for your ducks so they can soak their nostrils/heads!

I've seen brooder cages with a milk carton (the larger sort, made of plastic) with a section cut out which a) allows the duck deep enough access for cleaning purposes - whilst preventing it from using it as a pool

and b) this would work to prevent your chicks from going in and drowning?

Ducks can get "sticky eye" if they do not have enough access to deep enough water to clean their eyes. I think this may be the root of your ducks problem. Having said that, you also need to consider if it is an infection or dietary deficiency. So, an increase in Vit A would be required.

 

[Niss]

I'm thinking of putting rocks/bricks in the kiddie pool so the chicks could climb back out if they jumped in. The ducks will be able to clean up it that while they are confined.

I might not have explaned the set up. The 4 chicks are with a mama, and the chickens and ducks shair a coop (with no water inside) and 2000sqft fenced yard...so ducks being ducks isn't a problem, but I did have chicky 5 end up in the pool

The eye doesn't LOOK infected, but I may try a dietary supliment for good messure.