Lethargic Duck Overnight, Possibly Egg Bound or Poisoning?

[DuckyDonna]

You've done all you know to do right now. I've been struggling with a situation with mostly 2 of my girls who have been doing weird things since the middle of March. I did all I could think of to do from Vitamin B-complex, calcium gluconate and even tried Baytril. The problem is slowing down but it never stopped and I still don't know what is wrong. They're still alive and the problem has slowed down quite a bit but I'd sure like to know what is wrong with them. They never stopped eating and drinking though so I know how worried you must be.

I just went back and read your post from the beginning which I should have done in the first place. I think, since you mentioned poison, you ought to try some activated charcoal and try to flush her out. What have you got to lose? I don't think it can hurt. You get it at Walmart in the vitamin section of the pharmacy dept. I just cut open a capsule and put it in the drinking water or if you can do it push the capsule down her throat. It's good to have on hand anyway for other animals as well as humans!

 

[graypes]

You've done all you know to do right now. I've been struggling with a situation with mostly 2 of my girls who have been doing weird things since the middle of March. I did all I could think of to do from Vitamin B-complex, calcium gluconate and even tried Baytril. The problem is slowing down but it never stopped and I still don't know what is wrong. They're still alive and the problem has slowed down quite a bit but I'd sure like to know what is wrong with them. They never stopped eating and drinking though so I know how worried you must be.

I just went back and read your post from the beginning which I should have done in the first place. I think, since you mentioned poison, you ought to try some activated charcoal and try to flush her out. What have you got to lose? I don't think it can hurt. You get it at Walmart in the vitamin section of the pharmacy dept. I just cut open a capsule and put it in the drinking water or if you can do it push the capsule down her throat. It's good to have on hand anyway for other animals as well as humans!
View attachment 2757805

Just got some of that to help her out! any dosage recommendations?

It could be the mushrooms. but I'm also worried that she got broody and I snapped her out of it all of the sudden by taking her old eggs away right when she just started molting? Ugh I'm so frustrated.

I called the closest bird vet, but they'll get back to me tomorrow at the earliest

If she were egg bound, is there any chance that I wouldn't be able to feel it? I'm just so worried I gave her two doses of the calcium gluconate yesterday and nothing today. She's been in the tub all day everyday for the past few days. Has no interest in her food, but will eat grapes and meal worms occasionally. She doesn't seem to be laying down at all either only standing on two feet head resting on breaks (not tucked in) even at night.

 

[graypes]

Also her poop is now dark green and skinny, which recently happened to my other duck, Booby, about a month ago when he also mysteriously stopped eating. It was enteritis, but the cause was unknown. Considering it didn't kill everyone by now, I'm assuming its not viral and was instead either bacterial or parasitic. Since none of the meds really improved his feces, and only tube feeding did, maybe it was poisoning? These mushrooms have been popping up in my lawn this summer and really bugging me. Not sure what kind they are but one is in a "fairy ring" cluster which could be either poisonous or safe mushrooms, so that doesn't really tell me much. There are also som reddish purpleish inverted caps that may be russula? I know NOTHING about mushrooms so idk. But if that were the case, the little girls ate them too yet they seem fine :/

 

[DuckyDonna]

Just got some of that to help her out! any dosage recommendations?

It could be the mushrooms. but I'm also worried that she got broody and I snapped her out of it all of the sudden by taking her old eggs away right when she just started molting? Ugh I'm so frustrated.

I called the closest bird vet, but they'll get back to me tomorrow at the earliest

If she were egg bound, is there any chance that I wouldn't be able to feel it? I'm just so worried I gave her two doses of the calcium gluconate yesterday and nothing today. She's been in the tub all day everyday for the past few days. Has no interest in her food, but will eat grapes and meal worms occasionally. She doesn't seem to be laying down at all either only standing on two feet head resting on breaks (not tucked in) even at night.

As far as the activated charcoal one capsule dissolved in her water bucket or if you can push on down her throat that will be good too. I've never done that before but @Miss Lydia has.

I have Indian runners so they stand very different from other ducks but when they get egg bound the stance is very obvious. Here is a picture of Eva who was egg-bound. She would stand like that and eventually put her wings out and use them to walk or get away from me. In the second picture look at her neck. It almost looks like an "S". That seems to be a common sign of egg bound at least in my girls.

I've had a few girls be egg-bound and no, I have never been able to feel an egg.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Also her poop is now dark green and skinny, which recently happened to my other duck, Booby, about a month ago when he also mysteriously stopped eating. It was enteritis, but the cause was unknown. Considering it didn't kill everyone by now, I'm assuming its not viral and was instead either bacterial or parasitic. Since none of the meds really improved his feces, and only tube feeding did, maybe it was poisoning? These mushrooms have been popping up in my lawn this summer and really bugging me. Not sure what kind they are but one is in a "fairy ring" cluster which could be either poisonous or safe mushrooms, so that doesn't really tell me much. There are also som reddish purpleish inverted caps that may be russula? I know NOTHING about mushrooms so idk. But if that were the case, the little girls ate them too yet they seem fine :/

I don't know about mushrooms either but I've read or heard that in nature anything red means danger.

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.britannica.com/list/7-of-the-worlds-most-poisonous-mushrooms #6 is in the Pacific NW region.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-give-pills-to-ducks.1246505/

 

[Miss Lydia]

How did you force her into molt?

 

[graypes]

How did you force her into molt?

I followed a guide on Tyrant Farms, I just essentially left her eggs in and gave her a dark quiet place to be and put her inside earlier. but other than that she had normal days being outside and she was finally like nesting like a real momma instead of just leaving her eggs strewn about. oh and she was holding her poop inside when on the nest. But a few days after she started doing that, she didn't lay an egg which was odd, but then laid it outside in her run in between their two plastic pools. That one was weird, there are several places in the run to get cozy and lay if she wants like under this lawn chair where they all sleep when it gets toasty out. But she dropped that sucker in open air.

she started molting when she went broody but then stopped a few days in. no eggs no feathers since. it was prob 5 days ago when she laid her last egg which was the outside egg.

 

[graypes]

As far as the activated charcoal one capsule dissolved in her water bucket or if you can push on down her throat that will be good too. I've never done that before but @Miss Lydia has.

I have Indian runners so they stand very different from other ducks but when they get egg bound the stance is very obvious. Here is a picture of Eva who was egg-bound. She would stand like that and eventually put her wings out and use them to walk or get away from me. In the second picture look at her neck. It almost looks like an "S". That seems to be a common sign of egg bound at least in my girls.
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View attachment 2758798
I've had a few girls be egg-bound and no, I have never been able to feel an egg.

Ahhh josh doesn't look like this at all, she is just standing like normal with her chin resting on her chest. She's a runner too! these pics are super helpful! Could this mean she is not egg bound?

 

[graypes]

I followed a guide on Tyrant Farms, I just essentially left her eggs in and gave her a dark quiet place to be and put her inside earlier. but other than that she had normal days being outside and she was finally like nesting like a real momma instead of just leaving her eggs strewn about. oh and she was holding her poop inside when on the nest. But a few days after she started doing that, she didn't lay an egg which was odd, but then laid it outside in her run in between their two plastic pools. That one was weird, there are several places in the run to get cozy and lay if she wants like under this lawn chair where they all sleep when it gets toasty out. But she dropped that sucker in open air.

she started molting when she went broody but then stopped a few days in. no eggs no feathers since. it was prob 5 days ago when she laid her last egg which was the outside egg.

@Miss Lydia forgot the link sorry! https://www.tyrantfarms.com/why-and-how-to-make-a-duck-go-broody/