Help!

[jdreynolds]

We just had a duck suddenly die, and we don't know what caused it. We had 4 khaki Campbell ducks, all about 3 months old. We also have 10 chickens. The ducks and chickens normally are kept separate, but we just recently tried putting them together. The ducks have a small pond that we have been having trouble keeping clean (we are experimenting with the set up to get it to work right).

This morning everything was fine. All 4 ducks seemed normal when they were fed. this evening when we were out checking on everyone, there was one duck in the pond, swimming funny. Kinda crooked with her head tucked down tight. My husband went over and picked her up out of the water (usually she would not let this happen so easily).When she was placed on the ground she flopped over as if she had no control of herself. We put her in the duck house, and I went inside to google what was going on. We thought maybe it was botulism, so we got water with Epsom salts ready, walked back outside and found her dead. No more than 20 minutes had passed.

Should we be worried about our other ducks? our chickens? could we possibly get sick also? We are quite worried, any help would be appreciated!

 

[Miss Lydia]

We just had a duck suddenly die, and we don't know what caused it. We had 4 khaki Campbell ducks, all about 3 months old. We also have 10 chickens. The ducks and chickens normally are kept separate, but we just recently tried putting them together. The ducks have a small pond that we have been having trouble keeping clean (we are experimenting with the set up to get it to work right).

This morning everything was fine. All 4 ducks seemed normal when they were fed. this evening when we were out checking on everyone, there was one duck in the pond, swimming funny. Kinda crooked with her head tucked down tight. My husband went over and picked her up out of the water (usually she would not let this happen so easily).When she was placed on the ground she flopped over as if she had no control of herself. We put her in the duck house, and I went inside to google what was going on. We thought maybe it was botulism, so we got water with Epsom salts ready, walked back outside and found her dead. No more than 20 minutes had passed.

Should we be worried about our other ducks? our chickens? could we possibly get sick also? We are quite worried, any help would be appreciated!

So sorry about the loss of your duck, really no way of knowing for sure unless you decide on a necropsy, it could have been any number of things including eating something she shouldn't have plant or metal. They are very good at hiding illness up until it's basically to late to do anything. And being 3 months old something genetic could have been wrong and caused it. I'd walk the property they are kept on to make sure there isn't something there they could eat mushrooms come to mind for one, and I walk our property often especially after hard rains looking for anything that might get washed up, I've have found nails, screws etc. I wish i could tell you for sure but these are all just guess's keep a close eye on the rest, but I will say ducks are very hardy and don't come down with illness like other poultry.

 

[Onlyducks]

I had a rouen duck die suddenly. It had apparently been swimming in the pool and exhausted itself getting out. It was just lying on its back on the ground, dead. The other three were fine. They had not been out of their pen, so it did not eat anything bad and nothing could have attacked it. I just figured sometimes duck die. I did watch for signs in the other three—unfortunately, the neighbor dog got two of the remaining ones when I did let them out. The fourth was fine. It's really hard to tell. One thing in my yard I have to watch for is milkweed. The ducks have never actually eaten any, but some did nibble on it. It's supposed to be toxic.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had a rouen duck die suddenly. It had apparently been swimming in the pool and exhausted itself getting out. It was just lying on its back on the ground, dead. The other three were fine. They had not been out of their pen, so it did not eat anything bad and nothing could have attacked it. I just figured sometimes duck die. I did watch for signs in the other three—unfortunately, the neighbor dog got two of the remaining ones when I did let them out. The fourth was fine. It's really hard to tell. One thing in my yard I have to watch for is milkweed. The ducks have never actually eaten any, but some did nibble on it. It's supposed to be toxic.

I was up on the fenced property above our house yesterday looking for anything that may need to be dug up that's harmful and found a beautiful Fox Glove almost ready to bloom, no idea where it came from I had to give away all my fox glove years ago when my flock use to free range all over so out it came, in case anyone doesn't know Fox Glove is digitalis which I believe is a heart stimulant and can be fatal to poultry.