Help: Weird Sleeping Position?

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GeeseGoose

GeeseGoose

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Jul 17, 2020
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32D9B927-B3D4-4A4D-9D1C-31944D39DA23.jpeg Sally, my female Duclair occasionally sleeps/rests like this, and it worries me. It seems pretty innocuous, but I can’t help but fear somethings up. There’s not much else concerning going on, other than that she is slower than the rest of the flock and seems a bit “air headed.” She is also a messy forager and awful at clearing her nostrils, so I can hear her breathing sometimes. Could she have an infection? I’m just worried
 
I have seen my ducks sleep in some strange positions. My Pekin will put her head back with her beak under her wing, but it won't stay and will slowly drop. Occasionally she gives up and crashes her beak to the ground.

The heavy breathing may or may not be anything. If you hear any croupy sounds coming from her, then that is a definite sign of infection. But she could just be hot and having a harder time breathing due to her weight and the heat. With my Pekin, I sometimes need to put her in the pool to get her to clean. Often, I find they clean far better in the pool or bath instead of in deep water dishes.
 
Quatie said:
I have seen my ducks sleep in some strange positions. My Pekin will put her head back with her beak under her wing, but it won't stay and will slowly drop. Occasionally she gives up and crashes her beak to the ground.

The heavy breathing may or may not be anything. If you hear any croupy sounds coming from her, then that is a definite sign of infection. But she could just be hot and having a harder time breathing due to her weight and the heat. With my Pekin, I sometimes need to put her in the pool to get her to clean. Often, I find they clean far better in the pool or bath instead of in deep water dishes.
Click to expand...

that’s cute!
And while it certainly isn’t hot weather, she IS a bit on the heftier side of duck breeds. No croupy sounds!
She doesn’t seem to like clearing her nose in the dishes, either. We have a large pond that they spend most of their day in/by, where she usually does her swishing.
 
GeeseGoose said:
that’s cute!
And while it certainly isn’t hot weather, she IS a bit on the heftier side of duck breeds. No croupy sounds!
She doesn’t seem to like clearing her nose in the dishes, either. We have a large pond that they spend most of their day in/by, where she usually does her swishing.
Click to expand...
If there is no other unusual behavior and she is eating and drinking just fine, I wouldn't worry. Heavy breeds are more likely to overheat themselves, especially Pekin. Not sure about duclair, since they are supposed to be a lot lighter of a breed.

Nice that you have a large pond. So she is getting plenty of cleaning.
 
One of my muscovy drakes often rests with his neck stretched out like that. It was his preferred position as a duckling. He used to rest his neck along the back of another muscovy drake, but hormones kicked in in January and they are no longer close buddies. Instead, he [and lately one of my pekin drakes] comes and rests their necks across my lap when I sit on the back steps hanging out with them, and then closes his eyes.

So, nothing to worry about with the posture.

Both my pekins drakes are air headed but very sweet with it. They are slow to learn anything. The smaller one thinks he is alpha male -- he is half the size of the muscovies -- he is not alpha male, just noisy. The other keeps fighting with a muscovy that can easily turn him on his back and stand on him. The muscovy learnt within a couple of weeks that I do not want him fighting with the pekin, and the muscovy just stays away from said pekin, while being good buddy with the smaller, loud pekin. My larger pekin is the alpha male and tends to stand aloof from noisy pekins and the other drake. But he has lost his chest feathers as the noisy pekin comes and pulls at his chest feathers. Bare chested pekin also learnt very quickly that I don't want him fighting with the little pekin even if the little pekin pulls out his chest feathers.

So, in my experience there is a lot of air headedness around in pekins, but mine are sweet ducks that like being around people, stroked and petted. Muscovies, in contrast, can learn quite profound behavior changes and quickly. [My bigger, alpha male, muscovy is also a great soft lump of duck with me: he really loves being petted and pokes me when he thinks I am giving the other ducks too much attention that should be redirected to him. The second muscovy drake emphatically does not like being petted, but wants to hang around with me all the time: he spends hours each day on the back steps peering in through the patio doors, looking for me.]
 
ruthhope said:
One of my muscovy drakes often rests with his neck stretched out like that. It was his preferred position as a duckling. He used to rest his neck along the back of another muscovy drake, but hormones kicked in in January and they are no longer close buddies. Instead, he [and lately one of my pekin drakes] comes and rests their necks across my lap when I sit on the back steps hanging out with them, and then closes his eyes.

So, nothing to worry about with the posture.

Both my pekins drakes are air headed but very sweet with it. They are slow to learn anything. The smaller one thinks he is alpha male -- he is half the size of the muscovies -- he is not alpha male, just noisy. The other keeps fighting with a muscovy that can easily turn him on his back and stand on him. The muscovy learnt within a couple of weeks that I do not want him fighting with the pekin, and the muscovy just stays away from said pekin, while being good buddy with the smaller, loud pekin. My larger pekin is the alpha male and tends to stand aloof from noisy pekins and the other drake. But he has lost his chest feathers as the noisy pekin comes and pulls at his chest feathers. Bare chested pekin also learnt very quickly that I don't want him fighting with the little pekin even if the little pekin pulls out his chest feathers.

So, in my experience there is a lot of air headedness around in pekins, but mine are sweet ducks that like being around people, stroked and petted. Muscovies, in contrast, can learn quite profound behavior changes and quickly. [My bigger, alpha male, muscovy is also a great soft lump of duck with me: he really loves being petted and pokes me when he thinks I am giving the other ducks too much attention that should be redirected to him. The second muscovy drake emphatically does not like being petted, but wants to hang around with me all the time: he spends hours each day on the back steps peering in through the patio doors, looking for me.]
Click to expand...
So cute! My Sally is a bit shy to touch, but definitely enjoys my company.
I’m trying to get them to the level you’re on with your drakes, but it’s a slow process.
Luckily, my goose is a total love!
 

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