Duck with scaly/swollen/warty looking bill

[rugbyrebel]

Hello,

Has anyone seen a duck bill like this? Any ideas what’s happening? I’ve been searching the forums/google and can’t find similar images. I’ve seen some threads about duck bill peeling. My ducks have had peeling before but I don’t remember if it ever looked this bad.

He’s an 8 year old buff Orpington. He’s had arthritis for years which is getting progressively worse limiting his mobility and I recently had to treat him for wet feather (he’s looking good currently, aside from the bill issue).

 

[Jenbirdee]

I havent seen this so lets ask @ruthhope and @Miss Lydia they may have
in the meantime I would add Apple cider vinegar with the mother,, 1 Tbsp per gallon of water in his drinking buckets

 

[ruthhope]

I havent seen this so lets ask @ruthhope and @Miss Lydia they may have
in the meantime I would add Apple cider vinegar with the mother,, 1 Tbsp per gallon of water in his drinking buckets

I haven't seen this before. I see plenty of scarred bills [my drakes go through phases of biting each other!] and flakey bills but not one with circular bumps like yours.

AS a wild guess, it might be a fungal infection of the keratin in the bill. try and get a vet opinion -- on line vets are not excessively expensive

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have never seen this either. I agree with @ruthope getting a vet to have a look. It could just be age too since he is 8 seems we all get weird bumps as we age. But still a good idea to send pics to an online vet if at all possible.
Do these bumps feel soft or hard? What does the inside of his bill look like

 

[ruthhope]

It could just be age too since he is 8 seems we all get weird bumps as we age.

So true!!! lumps and bumps all over the place!!!

 

[rugbyrebel]

Thanks for the responses. I was thinking the same things…. Fungus or age. The bumps along the feather line are soft and felt swollen. I don’t think I touched the ones further down.

I’ll update if I can get a vet to look at him. I do have a local vet I’ve used for birds but the duck is so unfriendly and wild (despite me feeding him every day for 8 years!!!) I’m not that keen on driving him to a vet and stressing him out. An online/telemedicine appointment would be ideal!

 

[Heathmess]

Thanks for the responses. I was thinking the same things…. Fungus or age. The bumps along the feather line are soft and felt swollen. I don’t think I touched the ones further down.

I’ll update if I can get a vet to look at him. I do have a local vet I’ve used for birds but the duck is so unfriendly and wild (despite me feeding him every day for 8 years!!!) I’m not that keen on driving him to a vet and stressing him out. An online/telemedicine appointment would be ideal!

Any update on what was wrong with the duck bill? My buff Orpington drake now has the same exact thing!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Any update on what was wrong with the duck bill? My buff Orpington drake now has the same exact thing!

Any chance you can get a vet to take a look? online vets might be able to help too.
Have you been putting anything on it? and did you look inside his bill to see if it is the same inside as outside?

 

[Heathmess]

He’s going to the vet Friday bc he also has a foot infection now so they will check him out

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please post back and let us know what the vet says.