half worried, help please?

[Miss Lydia]

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.

Okay now we're into match making.

I am thinking thomassio isn't in the US since he took the above pics before dark, hopefully we'll hear from him tomorrow. or today depending on where he is.

 

[thomassio]

Thanks for the replies guys.

We have only had him for three weeks but he has always been this way, I think his character is brilliant and I like that he is 'special' he just potters around the garden eating everything then stands around doing nothing until you throw some peas and he's on them like a rocket, often barging the girls out the way! It's only the couple of falls that got me worried.

His relationships duck to duck are fine but that's all. No fighting but he will happily wonder off completely seperate from the others which none of the girls would dream of doing.

Cider vinegar in his drinking water? Will that be ok for all the flock?
Ducky vitamins - any recommendations? I will order them online.

As far as the shape goes, yes, his chest almost seems too far forward, malformed or pet quality maybe but that's fine with me, he's great! I just don't want him suffering. I don't handle him but could catch him for a bath. How warm is warm?! (Daft question!) .......... Now that I think of it, he preens but doesn't ever swim in the pool. He also looks a little scruffy, has since I got him. It's like he isn't quite waterproof but he loves the rain and even more, the mud!

I am indeed in the uk, sorry I didn't think about that!

Thanks again.

 

[Amiga]

Thanks for the replies guys.

We have only had him for three weeks but he has always been this way, I think his character is brilliant and I like that he is 'special' he just potters around the garden eating everything then stands around doing nothing until you throw some peas and he's on them like a rocket, often barging the girls out the way! It's only the couple of falls that got me worried.

His relationships duck to duck are fine but that's all. No fighting but he will happily wonder off completely seperate from the others which none of the girls would dream of doing.

Cider vinegar in his drinking water? Will that be ok for all the flock?
Ducky vitamins - any recommendations? I will order them online.

As far as the shape goes, yes, his chest almost seems too far forward, malformed or pet quality maybe but that's fine with me, he's great! I just don't want him suffering. I don't handle him but could catch him for a bath. How warm is warm?! (Daft question!) .......... Now that I think of it, he preens but doesn't ever swim in the pool. He also looks a little scruffy, has since I got him. It's like he isn't quite waterproof but he loves the rain and even more, the mud!

I am indeed in the uk, sorry I didn't think about that!

Thanks again.

Oh, I think he could be going through some real adjustment, then, emotionally. I don't know how similar your management and environment are to what he was accustomed to. Lukewarm - tepid - not that warm for a healthy duck, don't want him overheating, but mild enough that he can relax his muscles a bit and get some good circulation going as he paddles. and you can sniff for off odors which might indicate infection. He may just feel really insecure. Bean, our first drake, was adopted a year ago and wow, was he insecure! That made him act out a bit. I think he is better now, and little conflicts don't escalate like they did six months ago. I like the guy. He's a buff.

Cider vinegar is used as a tonic, the whole flock should be fine with it - just don't use galvanized metal waterers, or anything that could leach from the increased acidity.

I use a product called Vitamins and Electrolytes Plus (probiotics) from Jeffers Supply. Don't know what you could find where you are, but I would think there are some good sources for supplements there. Isn't the Indian Runner Duck Association based in the UK?

 

[thomassio]

They are based in the uk, maybe I should try and give them a call in the morning. Ok, he is in the bath now but he is nervous and we haven't ran it deep enough to force him into swimming so he is just standing still. When I felt his chest/neck it feels soft almost like the bulk of it is feathers.

Didn't feel like there was any food trapped in there. I also noticed, as I suspected, his tail and lower back/wing tips are damp. Again, it's been like this since we got him and I thought that as his feathers finished appearing that it would go. Now three weeks on he is still damp. I read about blocked oil glans and thinks but I don't want to over think it.

Thanks again Amiga and miss Lydia, I hope it's just a few 'lifestyle changes'
Here's fatty......

 

[Amiga]

Is he starting a molt?

 

[thomassio]

Dosent appear so. Still a little fluff on him but very little.

 

[thomassio]

After taking him out of the bath, he was soaking wet. Far less waterproof than I had suspected. Oil issue? Diet - which I think is fine, infection relating to oil production, maybe a lack of preening?

 

[Amiga]

Sounds molty to me.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Didn't you say he's 4 months old? then probably not molt, although they do go thru small ones till they get their adult feathers as we know. Check his oil gland or better yet after his bath did he preen? that is the only way he's going to get his feathers water proof so maybe keep putting him in bath for a couple days to see if he begins to preen, next time make his water deep enough you can see how he floats maybe with his chest being so large he doesn't float so good is the reason he doesn't get into water on his own. And it's fine for all the flock to have the ACV it's good for them and us too.
http://keeping-chickens.me.uk/what-to-keep-in-stock/apple-cider-vinegar

He's is so pretty I hope it's just a malformation and nothing else. Keep us updated on progress

 

[thomassio]

So he is inside tonight, gave him a bath again and now letting him dry out. I was advised that worming him should be the first course of action so that's what I'm trying. Will keep you posted. Thanks again.