duck flipping on it's back

[cadams]

I feed last night at 5pm when I got home everything was fine all ran up to the gate waiting for their second feeding for the day when I went to put them to bed at 8 one of my ducks was waddling like he was drunk and flipped on his back feet kicking like crazy. I righted it same thing again and three more times. placed it in a nesting box and it settled down and a 10 was still in the box still alive and looking fine any idea what causes this? I was thinking it's air bladder might be messed up for the onset to be so quick not knowing if it and the rooster had a go around.

 

[Amiga]

Sounds like neurotoxicity. When we see it in ducklings, it is often associated with low niacin levels. In adults, it could be the result of botulism, in which case the duck needs care immediately to help flush the toxin out of the system and support the duck as it recovers.

It could be a head injury, a neck injury, or occasionally (if I recall correctly), a tumor.

How is the patient this morning?

I would keep the duck separate and quiet as possible, with plenty of fresh water and food. I would put some activated charcoal (not the briquettes for grilling, but food grade, activated charcoal from the drugstore) in the water to absorb toxins still in the gut.

 

[cadams]

Ducks fine after a nights sleep in the cage but he keeps giving the rooster the stink eye had to separate them.

 

[bexnd]

some times if ducks fall and get stuck on their backs their organs shift so when you put them back on their feet their completely un-ballanced causing them to fall over again untill the organs have re-settled which is probably why she was ok in the morning after settling in the nest box its not always the case tho we rescued a duck who couldnt ballence her self we kept her in a quiet box for 2 wks and as she got better moved her into a duck house with our tame duck who was so good with her after about a month in this house she got back to normal and went in the run with all the ducks she was fine for another months or 2 then went again but took only week for her to get better again that time. we think maybe she suffers from something like fits or such like but she's been fine since