Help! Something is wrong with my 5 wk old boy

[Mama_Owl_3]

I don't know what to do. He was perfectly fine last night when I put them away, but this morning there is something wrong. I have checked for wounds and made sure nothing was broken(that I could tell). He is keeping his head close to his body and any time he tries to stretch out his neck he immediately brings it back to his body. His crop(?) looks larger than the girls, almost like something is in there, I have gently felt around and felt maybe a small lump, but I am not sure. He walks, hops, and swims okay, except for not diving. He tried to groom but is having problems. I made sure to fill a pan with water because he can't seem to reach into the buckets. I did notice that his bill/nares(?) were kinda crusty from food and not clean like the girls. There seems to be no discharge or build up of discharge, was not impressed at first when I helped clean him up but then calmed down. I have included many pictures of him, standing by the gray pan in the back, with his sisters to try and show the difference of behavior and body language. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[katiebrock]

Is he acting sleepy too? One of my girls did this for a few days, almost like her neck was sore, because she would snap it back into place whenever she tried to extend it.

I mean this in the friendliest way possible... Your pool is scary! You must live in a really hot area. It is so hard to get rid of green in the pool when it is hot!

 

[Mama_Owl_3]

Is he acting sleepy too? One of my girls did this for a few days, almost like her neck was sore, because she would snap it back into place whenever she tried to extend it.

I mean this in the friendliest way possible... Your pool is scary! You must live in a really hot area. It is so hard to get rid of green in the pool when it is hot!

Thats okay about the pool, it's almost time to close it up for the season, the ducks just don't know it yet.

As for him, I'm not sure if he is sleepy. He was huddled by one of the water buckets with his sisters, hence the lower pan of water. I just checked on him and he does look like he is trying to sleep but seems uncomfortable trying to bury his beak in his back feathers.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you noticed him eating? poop how does poop look?

@casportpony

 

[Mama_Owl_3]

Have you noticed him eating? poop how does poop look?

@casportpony

Umm my husband says that he saw he boy walk over to the food and bobbed his head up and down like he was going to try to eat, but then stopped. As for the poop, I don't know yet. We do have him separated for now from the other ducks just to play it safe.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Once you see poop post a picture.

Feel his crop does it feel hard squish or just like the rest? you probably are going to want to feel one of the others for comparison. It may just look larger because of the way he's holding his neck down into his body.

No chance he got into anything metal? or eaten something toxic?

 

[slordaz]

looking at picture 2 looks like you have more than one doing it, which would make me think something growing in the pool water if they have been in it, could be parasitic.

 

[Mama_Owl_3]

Once you see poop post a picture.

Feel his crop does it feel hard squish or just like the rest? you probably are going to want to feel one of the others for comparison. It may just look larger because of the way he's holding his neck down into his body.

No chance he got into anything metal? oreaten something toxic?

Okay, I felt up one of the girls crop and compared his, they seem to be about the same. The hard lump I was feeling is because his head is down. As for metal, I crawled around on my hands and knees when we finished building, just to make sure there were no stray pieces of metal. It is possible I missed something... Toxic? Oh I hope not, but I don't think so. They stay in a group, play, eat, swim, and make messes in a group. None of my other ducks are showing the same symptoms, but mother nature could have grown something and I didn't catch it.

Currently still on poop watch

 

[Mama_Owl_3]

looking at picture 2 looks like you have more than one doing it, which would make me think something growing in the pool water if they have been in it, could be parasitic.

Actually this the first time they have been in the pool in days. Normally when the water is clear they are in the pool like crazy, but when the water turns green they avoid it like the plague. We haven't treated it because we are getting ready to close is up for the fall/winter seasons.

As for the picture, the girls are all fine, they just happen to be grooming themselves like mad. I made sure to check them all over when we first noticed the boy having some problems.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do You have activated charcoal capsules on hand? Nothing fell and hit him? Just trying to rule out what this could be. Can he see the other ducks?always a good idea they can see each other or put another duck in with him for company. Have you tried a treat to see if he’ll eat anything and is he drinking?