Duck Poop Consistency Question

[kellyhubb]

Hi guys I have another question...I have read the other forum topics and couldn't find the exact question I have so thought I'd ask. My ducks are about 6 weeks old and their poop is extremely inconsistent -- sometimes it is light brown watery diarrhea, others its solid but has some white on the top, others it is watery clear with brown in the middle.

I did recently switch their feed from a starter chicken starter crumble formula with 20% protein to a 14% protein mazuri feed (I finally discovered where they sold this brand (was a little bit of a haul to get but that's ok) and wanted to give it to them instead of the crumble cuz I thought it would be healthier for them to get duck-specific food).

I keep worrying maybe I should take them to the vet but I had already called around prior and none of the vets in my area seem to do much with ducks and weren't all that helpful...

 

[Speceider]

You need to understand birds have three types of feces. There is one dominated by urates, which is white (uric acid), one dominated by what they are eating which is variable (I. e. green with vegetation), and cecal, which tend to be dark and smelly. Consistency is affected by the degree of hydrations and salt content.....a lot of water and slightly increased salt content will cause looser feces.....increased salt content wit stimulate the extra-renal salt excretion.

Clint

 

[Duckbuddy]

With regards to the food you are feeding them, you should also know that the digestive process for a duck is very different. Everything literally goes right thru them. Because nutrients pass thru their little bodies so quickly, only the surface area of the food particles actually gets absorbed. So, to help increase the surface area of their food, ducks will swallow little pebbles and coarse material that sits in their stomachs and grinds up or breaks up the food partials, hence creating more surface area and allowing more nutrients to be absorbed. With domestic ducks, it is important to give them access to such material or to make sure it is incorporated in the food brand you are purchasing. The one we use has ground up muscle shells to act as that agent.

 

[Learningstill]

Here is a site full of pictures of poo showing normal and abnormal. Thought this would be helpful in addition to Clint's explanation.

http://chat.allotment.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[Learningstill]

With regards to the food you are feeding them, you should also know that the digestive process for a duck is very different.  Everything literally goes right thru them.  Because nutrients pass thru their little bodies so quickly, only the surface area of the food particles actually gets absorbed.  So, to help increase the surface area of their food, ducks will swallow little pebbles and coarse material that sits in their stomachs and grinds up or breaks up the food partials, hence creating more surface area and allowing more nutrients to be absorbed.  With domestic ducks, it is important to give them access to such material or to make sure it is incorporated in the food brand you are purchasing.  The one we use has ground up muscle shells to act as that agent.

I did not know this. I figured that is why they are picking through the gravel, but I have never actually read that in any of my research, so thank you. Do you happen to know how often they need access to them? Like every feeding or daily?

 

[kellyhubb]

Very helpful info! Thanks!!!