Hello all, (This is really long, I'm sorry)
My husband and I recently purchased a pair of Ancona ducks (hatched this Easter), we picked them up around the 8th or so of June and brought them home.
We have kept chickens for 2.5 years now and put the ducks in a new (second hand but cleaned and scrubbed with f10) tractor run type enclosure.
The ducks have duck pellets, a tub with water (changed daily) and warm bedding (we live in Tasmania, Australia and it's getting cold).
My husband pointed out a week ago that he thought one of the ducks might have different posture to the other, I couldn't see it but kept an eye on them. A few days ago (22nd), I went up to feed and change the water for the day and found our boy looking wet and lying on his back. I brought him inside, cleaned him up best I could and got him somewhere warm.
He wasn't interested in eating or drinking so I did some research and discovered botulism best suited his symptoms. I wasn't too hopeful that he'd last the night but we got vitamins and water in him.
He lasted the night and seemed slightly stronger, he was drinking and eating on his own no problem. We put him in warm water to gently wash him and discovered that along with the floppy neck he throws around randomly and the fact that he can't stand, his small downy feathers just come out in the water AND his tail is always under him.
He seemed weaker after being washed and again I wasn't expecting much but he was still alive and eating and drinking.
We still have him in the house in a box with a towel (to help monitor poop) but while he has more energy and his head and neck feathers look great, he still can't control his neck, his tail is almost curled underneath him (which he poops in like a nappy), he can't stand or even sit like a normal duck and his feathers just pour out.
The neck, legs and feathers could all be tied to botulism, but I can't find anything about his tail, the closest is to do with issues with his hips. Does he have a severe case of botulism or is it something else mixed with a vitamin deficiency/botulism?
His sister is fine, and I can't figure out what could have caused botulism in the first place. My husband is wondering if the boy has a genetic issue which causes the neck and tail issue?
My husband and I recently purchased a pair of Ancona ducks (hatched this Easter), we picked them up around the 8th or so of June and brought them home.
We have kept chickens for 2.5 years now and put the ducks in a new (second hand but cleaned and scrubbed with f10) tractor run type enclosure.
The ducks have duck pellets, a tub with water (changed daily) and warm bedding (we live in Tasmania, Australia and it's getting cold).
My husband pointed out a week ago that he thought one of the ducks might have different posture to the other, I couldn't see it but kept an eye on them. A few days ago (22nd), I went up to feed and change the water for the day and found our boy looking wet and lying on his back. I brought him inside, cleaned him up best I could and got him somewhere warm.
He wasn't interested in eating or drinking so I did some research and discovered botulism best suited his symptoms. I wasn't too hopeful that he'd last the night but we got vitamins and water in him.
He lasted the night and seemed slightly stronger, he was drinking and eating on his own no problem. We put him in warm water to gently wash him and discovered that along with the floppy neck he throws around randomly and the fact that he can't stand, his small downy feathers just come out in the water AND his tail is always under him.
He seemed weaker after being washed and again I wasn't expecting much but he was still alive and eating and drinking.
We still have him in the house in a box with a towel (to help monitor poop) but while he has more energy and his head and neck feathers look great, he still can't control his neck, his tail is almost curled underneath him (which he poops in like a nappy), he can't stand or even sit like a normal duck and his feathers just pour out.
The neck, legs and feathers could all be tied to botulism, but I can't find anything about his tail, the closest is to do with issues with his hips. Does he have a severe case of botulism or is it something else mixed with a vitamin deficiency/botulism?
His sister is fine, and I can't figure out what could have caused botulism in the first place. My husband is wondering if the boy has a genetic issue which causes the neck and tail issue?
