Ducks dying

[bam4090]

I had 8 ducks, 4 Pekin and 4 Ancona, they would be 4 weeks old tomorrow. Last night we discovered one of the Pekins had died. We had one that we thought was kind of weak and didn't think too much of it. This morning we woke up to find 4 more of the ducks had died. All of the Pekins and one of the Ancona. I switched their food 2 days ago to Kent Hi Flyer 28, at the recommendation of the feed store. The room they are in stays pretty cool but we still had a heat lamp on them but it was up about 12 inches from the box. Can anyone give me some insight of what may have happened? We are thinking it may have been the food, they didn't seem to eat as much of the new food.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Amiga]

Do you have any of the old food left?

Certainly, it might be the food, in which case get rid of it and get them on something else.

But appetite problems from illness could have been the reason they weren't eating much, it is hard to know.

Do you have a thermometer in the brooder so you know if it is warm enough? I don't know what part of the world you are in, if it is summer or winter where you are.

Do you have poultry vitamins?

Can you tell us more about how they have been behaving, if they have been outdoors, what their bedding is?

Do they get opportunity to bathe daily?

 

[birdking11]

if u are feeding them medicated get off of that and give them game bird crumble

 

[bam4090]

The food is unmedicated, unless they gave us the wrong bag but I asked for unmedicated and the ingredients do not list anything that looks like medication. We are keeping them in a large plastic bin in our basement as we are working on the outdoor habitat. I do not have a thermometer. We do let them swim in a kiddie pool occasionally but not every day. It is summer here, we do take them outside during the day some. The feed they gave me at the feed store says it is for pheasants, quail, chukars & turkeys and I just learned that it has a higher protein content, 28%.

 

[Amiga]

The protein is a bit high, but that should not cause death. I am wondering if the brooder is too warm. The temperature needs to be lowered by about five degrees a week as they grow.

Sometimes they do get infections or viruses. How is the mosquito situation where you are? Ducklings can get diseases from mosquito bites.

 

[70%cocoa]

I would talk to the feed company ASAP to report what has happened. It could be the feed - sometimes feed companies can get it wrong with quantities of additives. To me, these sudden deaths sound like either poisoning, organ failure in response to something eaten or that they were exposed to or an acute illness. Those things would be high on my suspect list. Only a vet could diagnose correctly as I think it'd involve tests.

It must have been a horrible shock to find them all dead. I'm so sorry.

Have you been able to switch them back to a different feed?

 

[bam4090]

I will be calling the feed company tomorrow since they are closed today. I just hope the the we have left are OK, I did switch them back to the other feed. I appreciate the advice!

 

[Ash-Rose Farms]

i been using kent feed for the last year.. and never had something like this happen. could be smothering trying to get out of the heat lamp do that foot about the plastic tub seem close for a month old. due you still have a heat bulb in the light?

 

[Amiga]

i been using kent feed for the last year.. and never had something like this happen. could be smothering trying to get out of the heat lamp do that foot about the plastic tub seem close for a month old. due you still have a heat bulb in the light?

Yes, please do check the temperature in the brooder, give them a way to get away from the heat. Though some ducklings don't seem to realize they are too warm until it is too late.