Ill Cayuga 6ish weeks old

[bfinley]

I noticed yesterday that one of my cayugas was being lethargic and not sticking with her friends (the other Cayuga and the 2 buff geese they arrived with) when I went to her to investigate she didn't run away like normal and gave very little protest when I picked her up to check her crop. After being outside all day her crop was empty. Leading me to think she hadn't consumed food or water on a very warm Wisconsin day.

I brought her inside gave her a Luke warm bath, where she just floated, she drank a little and washed her head. I tried to feed her some lettuce but she wasn't interested at all. Took her out and dried her off, she preened a little and then hunkered down in her towel next to me while I gave her a water dish with probiotics, I used my last electrolyte solution on my new chicks. She was eliminating a thin clear/whitesh solution yesterday after her bath. I put her in a crate overnight with paper towels to monitor her poop and it is now very white with a darker substance though still very thin and runny.

She seemed a bit more active this morning as she scuttled away from me this morning when I changed her water, but for the most part she is still just sitting in one spot in the crate, very quiet, not moving much.

We had a nasty storm this morning and I've been dealing with upset hens after my coop was damaged so I have not yet called the vet to see if they are willing to look at a duck or not.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Ben and beetle

 

[Amykins]

Call the vet. If she's not eating she may need to be tube fed; when a duck becomes this lethargic and shows no interest in food they're in big trouble. Poor little baby bird. :/

Her crop is empty; are you sure there isn't anything in there blocking it? Since there was a storm, is there any possibility that a screw or nail got knocked loose and she ate it?

 

[bfinley]

Thanks for the quick reply. Waiting to hear back from the vet.

She was indoors this morning with the storm.
I can't feel anything stuck in her crop, doesn't mean there isn't anything just that I can't find it.

I was very diligent in picking up screws and staples when I built our fence but I could have missed something.

 

[Amykins]

Good luck with everything, I'm rooting for your little baby girl!

 

[bfinley]

And the vet said that there isn't anything they can do for birds...

 

[bfinley]

Beetle passed away while I was at work.
I will be taking her for necropsy in the morning to find out what happened so as to protect the rest of the flock

 

[bfinley]

Necropsy found a piece of wire lodged in her digestive track. Which got infected. I'm glad to know its not disease that will affect the rest of the flock but disappointed that something preventable was ultimately to blame. I'll be getting a floor magnet to comb the rest of the run for metal tonight.

 

[Debs Flock]

Necropsy found a piece of wire lodged in her digestive track. Which got infected. I'm glad to know its not disease that will affect the rest of the flock but disappointed that something preventable was ultimately to blame. I'll be getting a floor magnet to comb the rest of the run for metal tonight.

Very sorry for your loss! Does that mean the baby actually ate a the piece of wire?

 

[Amykins]

Oh Finley, I'm so sorry...it's as I suspected. :/ I'm kinda ticket at your vet for flat-out refusing to help, even if they don't specialize in avian medicine they could have at least found someone for you that does!

I'm so sorry for your beautiful baby Beetle. Please don't be too hard on yourself, ducks are VERY good at getting into things they shouldn't, and even if you spend hours painstakingly combing an area for metal objects, they'll find the 1 out of 1,000 that you missed. I think the magnet is a good idea, though, and I applaud you for your diligence. I know you love your duckies.

Deepest condolences. I've lost several ducklings and every time it's like a knife to the heart. We're here if you need us, ok?

 

[bfinley]

Very sorry for your loss!  Does that mean the baby actually ate a the piece of wire?

Yeah, a piece of wire or broken staple.