Help please, sick runner duck!

[jods]

Hello, i'm really worried and I don't know what to do:

I let the ducks out this morning, all was fine but about half an hour later, bubbles ( a 1.5yo female runner duck) who is normally VERY vocal and hyper, seemed very lethargic and very quiet, that was instant alarm bells.
I watched and she seems to have developed a slight limp, but more importantly her breathing seems laboured and later on shes shivering quite a bit (its a warm day), her bad leg was shaking for a bit. All she wants to do is hide herself away and shes normally quite an inquisitive duck, i'm not wanting to intrude and stress her out more
At first she looked like she was trying to pass an egg/egg bound but i'm now not too sure as that wouldn't explain the limp and the shaking? and i'm hesitant to start poking and prodding around as I think it will stress her out more - shes making it clear she doesn't want bothered

I've popped her back in the shed with squeak, and a deep bed of hay and food and water

Any suggestions what it could be, what we could do? I was going to pop her in a warm bath but i'm not sure now?

Thank you in advance!
Jodie

 

[Miss Lydia]

It could very well be an egg stuck and warm bath in quiet surroundings might help shaking n of pain and limping might mean egg pressing on a nerve. Do you have any kind of calcium? Tums will even work dissolve in a warm cup of water just enough for her to get a good drink


We had company last week and when we went out on the front porch to see the ducks one of my Runners was standing off by herself she didn't even come running for meal worms they love meal worms. So I walked around to where she was and she was laying down when I got to her she got up and there was a soft shell egg so she was having some difficulty with that egg. Today she is fine and I have been keeping close eye on the eggs. So far so good. So hopefully with some warm soaking [if that is what it is] will help her to relax enough to lay it.

 

[jods]

Thank you for you help, gave her a warm bath and a dissolved Rennie, she was back to normal in the morning, but hadn't laid an egg, and is laying fine again a couple days later, so I'm wondering if she maybe just bashed her leg funny and was therefore more reserved/fearful? she's an odd one

 

[Miss Lydia]

Awesome to hear. Yep Runners are quirky for sure. But I love them to pieces.