female shelduck problem...

[pheasant24]

I got a female shelduck thats losing weight and its feathers are not right. they get wet when it rains... she also has a broken wing so she's a wreck.
anyone know why all of this is happening??? she look awful compared to her mate.

 

[chickenzoo]

Has she been wormed?

 

[pheasant24]

I've had it about 2 months and i havent...and the guy doesnt orm them i dont think... can i use goat safe gaurd wormer?

 

[jbourget]

My ruddy shelduck female died the other week no idea why either. just went out and was dead with ehr mate so i let him out to free range with the barnyard ducks. what a waste! nothing got in and killed her either

 

[pheasant24]

yah...idk...I just wormed her but since i've had her she's lost so much weight...and i had a male too that died of the same thing. but when i got him he was pretty bad lookin.

 

[KansasKid]

Did you ever separate the egyptians from the shelducks? Can't remember what was said on your other thread about her wing, but the egyptians might have got her wing and be running her off of the feed as well. Also when introducing new birds like that they need to be quarantined for at least a month before introducing them into an aviary to prevent spread of disease.

I use Noromectin to worm. Its for cattle but the vet Ok-ed it in small dosages, he had me use 2 droplets for the mandarins so you could probably call your vet up and ask.

 

[pheasant24]

Quote:
no i havent separated them yet. but i know why her wing is broken now. and quarantined, does it still matter if they we all from the same place? I got them all from the same guy. but i dont know if that matters...

 

[KansasKid]

If you get them all it once it won't make a difference unless something shows signs or symptoms of an illness in which case i would think twice about purchasing them anyhow. But if purchased at different times of the year something could have been introduced into his flock that could potentially spread to yours.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

sudden, unexplained weight lost in birds is usually a sign of Avian Tuberculosis. It is carried by mice. When they get into the feed, their urine and droppings get on the feed. Any bird that eats this feed will then contract it. There is no cure and pretty much it will end up killing them. They still eat like a horse, but gain no weight, eventually they get weaker and weaker til they can hardly move and die the next day. Their feathers get dry, ruffled and a mess. When you pick them up, all there will be is a beast bone wrapped in feathers, no meat on them at all. The onset is very quick, usually by the time you notice the first ruffled feather, they are well into the illness and usually die within a week .

Does this sound like what she's doing?

Good thing is from what I have read and seen, it doesnt spread bird to bird, has to be consumed from the contaminated feed.

Now if the broken wing is bothering her, it of cousre could be the cause too.

But if other birds have died in a similar manor without ailments, my bet would be Avian TB.

 

[pheasant24]

Quote:
yah it sounds like that....wow..that stinks... I got them all in the same month about. well thanks for clearin that up boggy bottom bantams and kansaskid.