Duckling Dropped Dead in Front of Me

[TassieSheDevil]

One of my 8 week old muscovies was walking across the grass, seemed to trip or stumble and then fell down dead. It hadn't been sick and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. There are poisonous snakes in our area, so I'm wondering if it was bitten. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Danish aseels]

One of my 8 week old muscovies was walking across the grass, seemed to trip or stumble and then fell down dead. It hadn't been sick and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. There are poisonous snakes in our area, so I'm wondering if it was bitten. Anyone have any ideas?

Same thing happened with me twice

 

[TassieSheDevil]

Same thing happened with me twice

Did you discover what caused it?

 

[DuckyDonna]

What is your location?

 

[Miss Lydia]

True location helps a lot.

 

[chickens really]

Heart attack..Sorry that happened.

 

[johntfs]

One of my 8 week old muscovies was walking across the grass, seemed to trip or stumble and then fell down dead. It hadn't been sick and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. There are poisonous snakes in our area, so I'm wondering if it was bitten. Anyone have any ideas?

Well, if if was a snake, figure you'd see a bite/puncture on the body. Did you find anything like that?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’ve never had any of my poultry drop over from a heart attack but I do know that they can hide sickness really good until it is too late at times. I agree about snake bite if that was the culprit you’d see the bite somewhere on the body. Very sorry for your loss.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I had an old hen last year drop dead. My wife is a vet pathologist a d she necropsied it and found it had chronic heart disease. It wasn't a heart attack per say just heart failure.
I would be hesitant to assume snake bite. Unless you see routinely venomous snakes in your yard and even then, the odds are very low. Not ruling it out but it would be low on my list of possible causes.

 

[TassieSheDevil]

What is your location?

I live in Tasmania in a rural area.