Help! Ducks have intestines falling out!

[melissap]

I had a beloved Pekin die yesterday, in the morning she was trailing blood and had her innards hanging out her vent, I've never seen anything like it. I tried to give her a warm bath and push it back in but she soon died. Now this morning I found a dead Khaki with about an inch of intestine hanging out and a bloody egg in the barn. What am I doing wrong? I'm heartsick. Thanks for any help.

 

[3BirdGirlz]

I am so sorry for your loss! But I have no idea what that could be except an egg that was stuck which is a lot of times fatal. I raise chickens and have raised ducks, but haven't had this happen. I hope someone more knowledgable here can help!

 

[melissap]

I'm reading about a prolapsed vent but it seems weird that it happened to two ducks right in a row, it must be preventable??

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Maybe read nutrients or diseases? I love google, but BYC has also helped me with tons of stuff....good luck and I pray you don't have any more losses.

 

[Amiga]

I'll be turning in soon, but would like to ask you to describe their environment, what they are fed, what other animals are around, how secure their night pen is, how many drakes, how many ducks, things like that.

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[melissap]

Amiga,
I have 39 ducks, all hens except 5. Also goats, alpacas and chickens. Very secure barn, heat lamp, hay and straw and wood chips on floor, and fenced in pasture. They are fed Poulin layer pellets and food scraps, mostly produce. Lots of water. The pekin was probably 3-5 years old, we adopted her, but the khaki was only 2. Thanks for any insight,
Melissa

 

[Amiga]

Melissa,

I am going to think "out loud" here and hope something will be helpful.

Maybe it's a coincidence you've had two ducks affected by prolapse so close together in time. If that's the case, it could be laying problems. Sometimes prolific layers get prolapses, sometimes oviduct problems contribute, from what I have read. Nutrition can play a role. I want to write, here, that in my experience, individual ducks have different nutritional needs. Some have trouble effectively handing calcium, some need extra niacin or thiamine, etc. With your flock, it be you have a few sensitive individuals.

If it's not a coincidence, it could be parasites, perhaps. I do not know of a predator that could inflict that kind of damage but I would not rule it out. That's just really low on the likelihood scale, I think.

If it were me, I'd see if I could get a fecal test for parasites, and start everyone on some extra vitamins with electrolytes and probiotics, and if there's a light on at night, turn it off earlier or have fewer lights on. I would see if I could borrow a game camera and train it on the duck area overnight for clues about something bizarre, just in case.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Melissa,

I am going to think "out loud" here and hope something will be helpful.

Maybe it's a coincidence you've had two ducks affected by prolapse so close together in time. If that's the case, it could be laying problems. Sometimes prolific layers get prolapses, sometimes oviduct problems contribute, from what I have read. Nutrition can play a role. I want to write, here, that in my experience, individual ducks have different nutritional needs. Some have trouble effectively handing calcium, some need extra niacin or thiamine, etc. With your flock, it be you have a few sensitive individuals.

If it's not a coincidence, it could be parasites, perhaps. I do not know of a predator that could inflict that kind of damage but I would not rule it out. That's just really low on the likelihood scale, I think.

If it were me, I'd see if I could get a fecal test for parasites, and start everyone on some extra vitamins with electrolytes and probiotics, and if there's a light on at night, turn it off earlier or have fewer lights on. I would see if I could borrow a game camera and train it on the duck area overnight for clues about something bizarre, just in case.

And just seeing this and adding to what Amiga said, if either of your girls had a prolaspe and something is sticking out the vent, it is a prime target for the others to start biting grabbing pullling at it. Which could have been the case here. So sorry for your losses.

 

[Irishgirl]

I've heard about parasitic worms that will do stuff like that. So sorry for you!

 

[raccooncottage]

It could be either a weasel, mink or bird of prey.

They often attack the vent area of chickens, ducks and geese, pulling their "innards" out through the vent. If this is the case, you need to cull the bird, there's really not much that can be done.

And, most of all you need to prevent another attack. Mink and weasel tend to hunt at dawn and dusk, birds of prey--it will depend on the bird. Owl, at night, Hawk by day. Basically, you may need to review the security against predation for your birds. If this situation is due to a hunter, he will be back.

Very sorry to hear of your loss.