Muscovy first laying season and panting

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

I took my duck to the vet for a diagnosis. They could hear respiratory changes in her when listening to her chest with a stethoscope and see a fungal mass on an x-ray. However, aspergillosis is tricky to diagnose. My duck passed away, and on the necropsy the fungal mass took up half of her chest, which the vets were very surprised with as it looked smaller on the x-ray.

For me, the first sign was a hiccupy like squeeky noise. Then she started shaking her head. Then the open mouth breathing. Near the end I could hear her breathing.

For medication we tried a variety of antifungal and antibacterial drugs. Both oral and inhaled. They worked for a while, but eventually would stop. However, about two years later my other duck started making the dreaded hiccupy noise and knowing what it was I took her in immediately. They put her in itraconizole and within 6 weeks her issue was resolved! It's been 1.5 years now and she hasn't had any respiratory problems!

I took my duck to the vet for a diagnosis. They could hear respiratory changes in her when listening to her chest with a stethoscope and see a fungal mass on an x-ray. However, aspergillosis is tricky to diagnose. My duck passed away, and on the necropsy the fungal mass took up half of her chest, which the vets were very surprised with as it looked smaller on the x-ray.

For me, the first sign was a hiccupy like squeeky noise. Then she started shaking her head. Then the open mouth breathing. Near the end I could hear her breathing.

For medication we tried a variety of antifungal and antibacterial drugs. Both oral and inhaled. They worked for a while, but eventually would stop. However, about two years later my other duck started making the dreaded hiccupy noise and knowing what it was I took her in immediately. They put her in itraconizole and within 6 weeks her issue was resolved! It's been 1.5 years now and she hasn't had any respiratory problems!

I’m so sorry to hear your first Duck passed away but glad to hear your other is doing so well. Thank you for sharing. I’d been out of town the last week or so and since returning have noticed that she’s no longer panting however she does seem a little ‘scrunched up’, tucking her head in a bit at times. She had been and still is making a squeaky noise when vocalizing (as opposed to breathing) that started when she began laying eggs. At the time it hadn’t concerned us as this was what our other female had done as well when laying but now she’s not laying and still squeaking so will definitely keep an eye on things.

 

[AlyssaB4]

My female Muscovy is on day 20 of her first laying season and whether indoors or out with access to a shaded pool and fresh water she is panting much of the time. She has a VERY hardy appetite and seems otherwise okay but I’m wondering is it normal for her to be panting so much?

Hi,
The same thing is happening with my mallard. She increased her eating almost double and gained a lot of weight in the last week that she started laying again. Now all evening/night that she is mostly laying down, she is panting heavily. I think it may be from the weight gain but am unsure. Were you able to find out what the cause of this was for your Muscovy? Or how did she end up doing?

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Hi,
The same thing is happening with my mallard. She increased her eating almost double and gained a lot of weight in the last week that she started laying again. Now all evening/night that she is mostly laying down, she is panting heavily. I think it may be from the weight gain but am unsure. Were you able to find out what the cause of this was for your Muscovy? Or how did she end up doing?

She’s doing well. She ended up laying that first time for 25 days or so, the average for a Muscovy being 18. She’s still a pretty prolific layer but rarely as long as that first time. We now have two female Muscovies along with a female Pekin. Both Muscovies get very broody and develop a squeak when they’re broody. They’ll both still pant occasionally and particularly when laying, our Pekin just quacks really loud until she passes her ‘gift’.

 

[AlyssaB4]

She’s doing well. She ended up laying that first time for 25 days or so, the average for a Muscovy being 18. She’s still a pretty prolific layer but rarely as long as that first time. We now have two female Muscovies along with a female Pekin. Both Muscovies get very broody and develop a squeak when they’re broody. They’ll both still pant occasionally and particularly when laying, our Pekin just quacks really loud until she passes her ‘gift’.

Ah ok. Ya, she doesn’t seem to pant during the day really when I see her. Just at night, because she’s laying down. So I think it is from the weight gain. But I was just concerned a bit because it’s all night that she’s heavy breathing so she doesn’t seem to get much sleep at night for now. Hopefully when she looses the weight the panting will ease too. Thank you for the reply!

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Ah ok. Ya, she doesn’t seem to pant during the day really when I see her. Just at night, because she’s laying down. So I think it is from the weight gain. But I was just concerned a bit because it’s all night that she’s heavy breathing so she doesn’t seem to get much sleep at night for now. Hopefully when she looses the weight the panting will ease too. Thank you for the reply!

Is she currently laying an egg in the morning? She may be ‘working on it’ overnight. My Pekin doesn’t really but my Muscovies will still pant a bit while they’re in the process of laying. Does yours seem otherwise okay?

 

[AlyssaB4]

Is she currently laying an egg in the morning? She may be ‘working on it’ overnight. My Pekin doesn’t really but my Muscovies will still pant a bit while they’re in the process of laying. Does yours seem otherwise okay?

This is her first laying season; she’s still not super consistent on timing. She started off in the morning and then got a little bit later in the day. She first laid 9 eggs then stopped for a month and a half. Which she ended up having an infection which was treated a few weeks ago. So, she started laying again last week. She laid 6 and then hasn’t laid the last 3 days so far. Otherwise she looks and acts fine. She still has the big appetite, but I’m keeping her to her normal “measured out” amount of layer feed (last week I pretty much gave her free choice which was a mistake because then she gained weight so fast).

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

This is her first laying season; she’s still not super consistent on timing. She started off in the morning and then got a little bit later in the day. She first laid 9 eggs then stopped for a month and a half. Which she ended up having an infection which was treated a few weeks ago. So, she started laying again last week. She laid 6 and then hasn’t laid the last 3 days so far. Otherwise she looks and acts fine. She still has the big appetite, but I’m keeping her to her normal “measured out” amount of layer feed (last week I pretty much gave her free choice which was a mistake because then she gained weight so fast).

We’ve always free fed our ‘poo crew’. Even though we have both Muscovy and Pekin not sure how the mallard derived Pekin laying compares to others mallard derived breeds or how prone they may be to becoming egg bound but if you’re sure you can rule that out amd/or that the infection’s completely cleared then she’s probably fine and her little system’s just sorting itself out. I would just keep an eye on her (which I’m sure you are anyway) and if anything changes that causes particular concern bring her back to the vet. You’re actually lucky if you have one knowledgeable about ducks and willing to see her as not every area has such vets.