half worried, help please?

[thomassio]

So here are a couple of photos of Stanley. He is supposed to be a runnee but he is gradually turning into a monster! He is far bigger than my 5 runner girls and has a very 'manly' appetite! In fact he dosent do much except sit around waiting for food and the occasional foraging. At first he just appeared to be some sort of cross breed but a couple of times when I have thrown peas for him he has tripped over 2 or 3 times on a row. This is why I started to worry.
Can anyone enlighten me on whats going on?

He always sits like that too, very low to the ground, neck tucked in.

Thanks,

Thom.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So here are a couple of photos of Stanley. He is supposed to be a runnee but he is gradually turning into a monster! He is far bigger than my 5 runner girls and has a very 'manly' appetite! In fact he dosent do much except sit around waiting for food and the occasional foraging. At first he just appeared to be some sort of cross breed but a couple of times when I have thrown peas for him he has tripped over 2 or 3 times on a row. This is why I started to worry.
Can anyone enlighten me on whats going on?




He always sits like that too, very low to the ground, neck tucked in.

Thanks,

Thom.

Stanley makes me think of a WH, can you see thee resemblance?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-are-breeding-or-want-to-breed-their-whs-talk

 

[thomassio]

Yes Miss Lydia, I can, very similar. But that doesn't explain the sheer size of him does it? Also, any ideas why he is so lethargic (maybe just lazy!?) and why he seems to fall over occasionally if he runs? He stands almost upright when I go near him in the garden but the rest of the time he slouches like this.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes Miss Lydia, I can, very similar. But that doesn't explain the sheer size of him does it? Also, any ideas why he is so lethargic (maybe just lazy!?) and why he seems to fall over occasionally if he runs? He stands almost upright when I go near him in the garden but the rest of the time he slouches like this.
Thanks for the help.

I'm not that familiar with WH since I only have Scovy's but My drakes don't move around like the ducks do. what do you feed them? maybe he is eating too much of something, Can't explain the falling over when running either. How old is Stanley?

 

[thomassio]

He is only young, maybe 4 months. He also has no interest in the girls around him either. He eats the same as the others, just a standard duck grower feed and then free ranges the garden a few hours a day.

 

[thomassio]

Sorry for poor quality images, I'm just trying to take a few before it gets dark.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sorry for poor quality images, I'm just trying to take a few before it gets dark.

Now looking at him I am almost inclined to say he is a Runner that is malformed. Sounds better than deformed. Looking at him in these pics. seems his chest area is just not right. maybe his feed stay's in it too long [crop] can you handle him? if so feel this large area does it feel hard, squishy in the last pic it looks very large. almost like he's top heavy could be one reason why he topples over. and 4 months would be normal as far as sexual attraction goes.

 

[Amiga]

One of my nephews - a big guy - went through an immense growth spurt in his teens. So much so, that he was exhausted all the time.

I wonder if Stanley may have just a variant gene for size, and maybe he needs more nutrients? It is also possible he has picked up an infection. That will run a duck down, and sometimes antibiotics are needed. I don't like using them unless they are necessary, and sometimes they are.

So, ideally, a duck vet's opinion would be great, and in any case I would be sure to give him vitamins-electrolytes-probiotics, at least one lukewarm bath so I could observe his movements and balance in the water, a cash of apple cider vinegar in his water for a day or two as a tonic.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Amiga since you have Runners do you think Stanley could be one? I am a bit worried about his chest looks like the weight is on the side where his crop would be. And I do think Unpasterized ACV would be a good idea 1-2 Tab to 1 gal of water, fine for all the ducks also.

 

[Amiga]

I think Stanley could indeed be a runner - pet quality, like my girls. He would be a nice match for my Zehn girl. She has broad shoulders, cleavage, short neck, and sassiness that just won't quit!

This is the third (that I can recall) case of a duck with swelling in the body this week. What is going on? Quackers was likely something like oviduct infection, and we don't know about Stanley and the other one right now.

My thoughts for possibilities are infection (fungal, bacterial or parasite), including possibly out of balance gut flora which would be something like a yeast infection.

What are his duck to duck relationships like? Is he picked on? Has he experienced any losses recently? Ducks grieve, so I would not rule that out.