Ducks dying after drinking water???

[DiYMama540]

Very good information to know @casportpony ! Thank you!! You're so smart!

 

[Flockofmine]

Ok so update!!!!i was at the barn tonight and I brought down very warm water around 101/102 degrees and I’m sure it cooled a tiny bit but was still warmer than body temp. I refilled everyone’s water..... my older ducks are 4 months the young ones are 3 months 2 months and 1 months.

same routines.... my 4 month old ducks drank and one became disoriented and woozy But later recovered ....I took the water away after noticing. Then my younger ducks (all ducks are in separate areas from older ones and also in different pens / houses) they drank and 5 of the younger ones in one duck house and two in another duck house became disoriented within 5 min Of drinking falling over ..... seeming to have seizures... pupils changing larger and smaller. Third eye lids fluttering .... wings and legs just aimlessly trying to right themselves. Then they almost seem to be paralyzed but breathing. After 15 min or so mostly all the ones that displayed these symptoms recovered and began acting normal Again walking and totally fine but two did not recover and died. I even took one of the ones that ended up dying to warm up it’s whole body with warmth to rule out a temp issue...

the symptoms struck right away in all the pens and tonigh I used warmed water from my garage sink not the hose. One pen had freshly laid pine shavings and the other ones did not. I have many many animals and none others are affected it’s strictly the ducks! It’s so bizarre. And it seems to happen in bouts. Like this happened now last two days but all was fine before and this happened afew weeks back as well. I even swapped out everyone’s waterers for different ones to rule out the waterer... switched to warm water from sink in garage. Changed one pine bedding and not others. this time I fed first before the water also. I’m so extremely puzzled.

 

[Jpat]

Are you leaving water out for theb 24/7?

 

[Flockofmine]

Are you leaving water out for theb 24/7?

Hello! Yes they have access to water however I do water rounds three times a day because they consistently and constantly willl do nothing but play with in and at the waterer until it is completely gone. They drink splash jump and play with it until it’s gone no matter how much I put in there at once . Just being ducklings! But it seems to be affecting them only sporadically and it’s immediately after drinking. But I’ve lost them the past two days immediately after drinking each time. And I’m so hesitant to leave the water in there now because they just don’t stop messing around in it and I’m worried are they taking too much of it or is there something in the water that’s affecting them and only them . We have well water we have used water from our two separate wells one from our house and one from guest house... so it’s different wells different pumps. Our water does go through an acid neutralizer that uses calcite as the neutralizer. Could this be affecting them . Or are they just drinking themselves into death? It’s sooo immediate after they drink!!

 

[DuckyDonna]

Maybe try leaving the daily water in not so big of buckets and see what happens. The buckets should be such that they can't "play" in them but can stick their whole heads in. Can you post a picture of the buckets? Something is very crazy strange here!

 

[NatJ]

Your problem sounds similar to this:

https://www.idealpoultry.com/poultry_care

To prevent over consumption of water which results in water logging and death, provide access to readily available water for about 15 minutes, remove the water for 10 or 15 minutes and then, allow them to have water again. Do this two or three times and the ducklings will adjust to proper water consumption.

Not quite the same, as they were talking about shipped day-old ducks. But if your ducks regularly spill their water (and then get thirsty until you refill it), they may act the same way.

You could try giving them just a little water, then coming back in 15-30 minutes and giving them some more, for several repeats before you just fill the containers up. Or you could try to refill the containers more often during the day, so they don't go thirsty for as long after they waste it. (I realize that would take an enormous amount of your time, so it may not be possible to do it even as a test of whether that's the problem.)

Of course, if that really is the problem, then the long-term solution is to find some kind of waterer that they cannot waste, so they don't run out between refills.

 

[hayley3]

You said you feed them and water them each time...have you checked your feed for mold?

 

[blackandtan]

I wonder if it’s an electrolyte issue? It sounds like what happens to people who drink too much water, they get a rapid electrolyte imbalance seize and die really quickly.
Perhaps because they’re excited to drink and they overconsume (we all know how they are!). I think temp may be part of the issue too as @casportpony said. Couldn’t hurt to add electrolytes to their drink when you water them
Good luck!

 

[drumstick diva]

What a horrible thing to witness. I wonder if ducks can be trained to use nipple water systems, They can only get a little bit at a time.

 

[Flockofmine]

Maybe try leaving the daily water in not so big of buckets and see what happens. The buckets should be such that they can't "play" in them but can stick their whole heads in. Can you post a picture of the buckets? Something is very crazy strange here!

Hello! So I have gone through a few different styles to see if any changes over past few weeks. I tried the open rubber “pans” filled with water and they drink stand a splash like mini pools( used for feeder pans but same rubber material as the bigger stock tanks and pools. I have tried the one gallon chicken waterers to cut down on the standing in and splashing and playing. Also, I have tried using plastic jugs with multiple circle holes cut Into sides around them to allow the ducklings to get heads and bills wet but not splash all the water out as quickly as the pans. Tonight and past few weeks I have the chicken waterers in use. It is wide enough they fit their bills and nostrils in and drink and clean themselves. I see them actively washing out their nostrils.