disappointed and sad with Holderread's silver appleyards

[wildpeas]

Did you, yourself contact Holderread's? I am sure they would want to know, like any other responsible breeder, that you are having trouble with some of their stock.

I do believe that not every animal is suited for every environment. If you are in Phoenix, Arizona they very well could not be adapted to your kind of heat.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I agree with OB, this doesnt have anything to do with where the birds came from. I would be seriously critiquing everything they have, can get to, and are exposed to. The day they arrive, the next couple of days after, yes contact the hatchery/breeder. A month later having various reasons for losses is not breeder/hatchery related.

 

[ChristineR]

As I stated before, all the other breeds are fine. My muscovies, harlequins, magpies....it's just the appleyards. If they were "getting into something" they would have all eventually have gotten into this "something". I started combing my yard after the 2 went down at 4 weeks old and I found nothing. I did find a thread about another woman who had ordered appleyards from Holderreads and her males and females both developed water belly and died. She contacted them and was told that appleyards sometimes do not do well in certain environments. I don't buy it and neither did she. This is perhaps the reason that so few people are raising appleyards? I do not have an overabundance of animals on my property, so crowding is not an issue, filth is never an issue, always have fresh feed and water and never and pesticides. So I don't know.

Your original post said you lost a Harlequin, too.

Couldn't hurt to go ask on the Appleyard breed thread.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We have a large flock of SA as does Oregon Blues. I havent seen OB post about water belly, and we have never had it.

You did mention loosing other birds (not SA) originally.

 

[pastrymama]

We have a large flock of SA as does Oregon Blues. I havent seen OB post about water belly, and we have never had it.

You did mention loosing other birds (not SA) originally.

Yes I did. It was a female harlequin and an appleyard that initially went down. I immediately called Holderreads, described symptoms to Dave himself, living conditions, feed, he simply said some birds do not make it. They were around 4-5 weeks old and staggered like they were drunk. I tried the molasses flush like he said, nothing. I took them to a bird rehabber and the appleyard died, while the harlequin is alive and disabled but cannot come home. Not botulism. Not pesticides. Not plant poision. Perhaps trampled, who knows? The other 2 appleyards, it's beyond me. I have been critiquing everything in my yard, why do you think I am on here? I am at a loss. It does not make sense to me that one breed of duck would be sensitive to something that I can't find and does not affect the other 3 breeds. Don't tell me it's the heat, Celtic lives in Florida. And, I called them before I even ordered the ducks to be sure they would do well down here in AZ.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

my heat is far different from yours. We are hot and humid year round not hot and dry. So we are not comparable in climates at all.

Do you have an open air house?

Is their water and pools in the shade to keep the water as cool as possible?

What are you feeding?

How often do you feed?

Are they on grass?

How much shade do they have to escape the heat?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Quote:

 

[EmAbTo48]

Sliver Appleyards in my personal experience are very heavy set birds. They are stocky and hearty. They LOVE food and I swear mine would eat all they could if I didn't limit to them. Water belly is very common in heavy set ducks, its not due to a hatchery problem just the breed of duck. Just for an example Pug dogs have issues with breathing due to their smashed noises not because of the breeder just a genetic trait. SA are just huge birds LOL! Mine are bigger then my Pekins!!!!

I limit my feed to my trio, my male I swear is just a fatty no matter what. As for your feed I usually leave my ducklings on starter grower feed for up to 12 weeks. Did you use this at all for your ducklings? This may be a key reason you were losing them from vitamin issues at such a young age. No matter what vitamin deficienys can catch up with a duckling at any age. And like Dave said some birds just aren't ment to make it. We usually will lose a few ducklings of our pekins we sell and raise just out of the blue. I lost one at 12 weeks, to me it looked fine, even though they are good at hiding it, it seemed 100% healthy and then bam next morning it was dead.

You could always send in one of the dead birds to a university see if anything comes back abnormal!?!?

Could their be a genetic issue? OF COURSE and if thats the case Holdereads would want to know that some of their birds are producing ducklings that have a genetic issue. But usually a genetic issue would show up in the first few days of life for the duckling not over a month later.

 

[GrannysRoost]

I would think if the issue is with a heavy-breed duck, the problem if genetic will come down the road when the weight goes on to show deformities or abnormalities with the weight, such as leg issues. If the breed of duck genetically would have a weak heart or heart issue due to being a heavy breed, it won't show until that weight is on and the heart stressed, no?

As far as heat down here (AZ) this summer has been extremely wet and humid with the monsoons, so dryness is not so much an issue. My misters when running in humid air drops moisture to the ground and it is wet to the point I shut them off. This summer has been more humid than not and I would think young ducks would adapt with the more humid versus older birds. My Harlequins had no problem with the heat and did fine before the misters with just hosing them down a few times a day before I got the misters or when are they are not on.

 

[pastrymama]

Sliver Appleyards in my personal experience are very heavy set birds. They are stocky and hearty. They LOVE food and I swear mine would eat all they could if I didn't limit to them. Water belly is very common in heavy set ducks, its not due to a hatchery problem just the breed of duck. Just for an example Pug dogs have issues with breathing due to their smashed noises not because of the breeder just a genetic trait. SA are just huge birds LOL! Mine are bigger then my Pekins!!!!

I limit my feed to my trio, my male I swear is just a fatty no matter what. As for your feed I usually leave my ducklings on starter grower feed for up to 12 weeks. Did you use this at all for your ducklings? This may be a key reason you were losing them from vitamin issues at such a young age. No matter what vitamin deficienys can catch up with a duckling at any age. And like Dave said some birds just aren't ment to make it. We usually will lose a few ducklings of our pekins we sell and raise just out of the blue. I lost one at 12 weeks, to me it looked fine, even though they are good at hiding it, it seemed 100% healthy and then bam next morning it was dead.

You could always send in one of the dead birds to a university see if anything comes back abnormal!?!?

Could their be a genetic issue? OF COURSE and if thats the case Holdereads would want to know that some of their birds are producing ducklings that have a genetic issue. But usually a genetic issue would show up in the first few days of life for the duckling not over a month later.

thankyou for being one of the first to agree that this is a breed issue, not my backyard issue. i think i have had about 5 conversations with either dave or millie in the last few months, with dave saying that there were some leg issues that would pop up in a small percent of his large appleyards. i got one of those appleyards, not noticable at hatch but as she grew. does this have anything to do with waterbelly? i don't know.

as far as using chick starter, i never did. vitamin deficiencies should not have occurred as i have been using waterfowl feed this whole time and now they are older, yes, their feed has been limited and protein cut. they have an open air pen with straw bedding and in the back it has walls so they can sleep, the bedding is piled high, tiny solar nightlight. pen is in the shade with a roof under a huge pine, they are on grass and swimming water most of the day.

@ Celtic as far as trying to drain her poor swelled up abdomen, why mention this now when she is already gone? the poor duck couldn't hardly walk, feet turned in, fast labored breathing, stopped eating, hadn't quacked in over a week and she was the loudest duck i had. i don't just willy nilly kill my animals so i don't have to deal with them. research goes into it first to make sure i am making the right decision for that animal. i may be new to ducks but i do have a brain.