Duck ill? I could use some help

[prancie]

My 5 month old Pekin duck seems ill. She(he?) has been sitting in the kiddie pools for days, instead of being out and about with the other ducks and geese. I have not seen her eat much at all, but she is drinking a lot. She seems to be shivering some. The last 2 evening I had to take her to the coop as she seemed to be all ready to just sleep in the pool.

i just brought her in and have looked her over. I don't think she's been grooming much, although she has groomed a little while floating in my kitchen sink. She just looks rough, and her vent seems kind of dark and crusty. She seems to be walking OK, but maybe a bit wobbly when I had to follow her about to catch her.

I haven't seen her eat outside, but she is eating some cat food i sprinkled in the sink water.

 

[jerseygirl1]

molting?

 

[prancie]

I don't think the duck is molting. The other ducks are the same age and seem fine.

 

[dawg53]

Do ducks get lice/mites? If they do, check her closely especially her vent area. I recommend you clean that area as well, maybe trim back some feathers with scissors.

 

[rita2paul]

is she being attacked by any males?

 

[prancie]

Yes, this is possibly the issue. There were some cockerels that were harassing the ducks and I processed them, but there are a couple left and I saw one mount her the other day. Is it possible that she's depressed? I have wondered about this.

Maybe that is why she stays in the pool all day...because the chickens won't go in after her!

 

[nickie]

Quote:
Have you ever had to check a duck down to thee skin? Holy cowabunga its not easy to do, and don't even think about it while their molting or you come away looking like you missed the tar portion of a tar and feathering.

Anyway... The girls seem cranky and not right when they go into their molt, so maybe the yard is about to be covered in feathers.

Watch her and check her poo for anything that doesn't look normal, and with ducks like chickens, a lot of stuff is normal.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Have you ever had to check a duck down to thee skin? Holy cowabunga its not easy to do, and don't even think about it while their molting or you come away looking like you missed the tar portion of a tar and feathering.

Anyway... The girls seem cranky and not right when they go into their molt, so maybe the yard is about to be covered in feathers.

Watch her and check her poo for anything that doesn't look normal, and with ducks like chickens, a lot of stuff is normal.

LOL I have no clue!

 

[prancie]

So, if when I pick up the duck I get feathers coming off all over my hands, is that molting? I hope it's something that simple.

 

[nickie]

Well, the downy feathers tend to stick to me when I'm sweating all the time, but basically yep. If she looks really ferklempt for lack if a better word.... If she us preening and ends up standing in a pile if feathers you have yourself the start of a darn molt. Do her wings look naked? Almost like meat case chicken wings with pinfeathers? if you pick her up can you feel all of the feathers under what you see just starting in? They have TONS of feathers layered deep for water protection. Let me see if I can get some pics of Fred's last molt. One second please...