My duck has stopped walking. :(

[Sarynu]

My families duck, "spider-man" is less than a year old. She has recently begun laying eggs and has been a reasonably happy duck.

A few months ago her sisters were all killed by raccoons and I found her in the corner of her house covered in blood. It wasn't hers.

A week ago I gave four young drakes she helped raise to a family friend for their poultry farm, and Spider-Man stopped laying eggs for a few days. She must have been sad, despite them consistently jumping on her in the water as a group.

Most recently, I put the finishing touches on their giant newly built extra secure, pole barn-like duck mansion.
My toddlers took advantage and began chasing the ducks. My four-year-old must have been roughly trying to hold Spider-Man so he could pet her, but I think he hurt her.

I noticed that Spider-Man was standing by her pool, looking drowsy. She kept teeter-tottering back and forward like she couldn't keep her balance and slowly opening and closing her eyes like she was falling asleep.

I became worried when I approached her and she didn't waddle away.

A few hours later, I checked on her and tried to get her to waddle to her newly finished duck mansion and she wouldn't move. She just laid there calmly.

I picked her up gently and Spider-Man remained reasonably calm and let me gently place her in the duck mansion on soft shavings. I placed the water and food close to her, but I am still so worried.

Does this sound like a foot thing? Does this sound like she was physically hurt from my toddlers?

(Please no parenting advice, my kids are very sweet and helpful with the ducks. They are toddlers and it was my fault for not constantly watching them with the ducks - not theirs.)


Is there anything I can do or a next step in helping Spider-Man? I feel so terrible. This poor duck has been through a lot and I feel so guilty for everything.


Thank you.

 

[416bigbore]

Can you please help Dr.0 @Isaac 0

 

[Isaac 0]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry to hear Spiderman is having problems.

Could we see a few pictures of her, or better yet a video? To post a video you'll need to upload the video to a video platform like youtube or video, then copy/paste the link here.

Just a few questions I hope you can answer.

What is she being fed? What's her pen area like, do you have any pictures? Have you inspected her legs for signs of swelling, discoloration, or bumblefoot? Do her legs feel hot? Is she eating and drinking well? Is she producing poops frequently? How does her abdominal area feel? When was the last time she laid an egg?

 

[Sarynu]

Hi! Thank you so much for the help. I will take pictures and a video in the morning. We feed her a brand from Tractor Supply Company, it's a flock raisers brand for chickens and ducks. We recently purchased a few baby chicks and they helped us find a food for the chickens, our three young Rouens, and Spider-Man (A Pekin).

When I gently picked her up and held her against me she jolted when my hand slid by her legs, but I didn't feel them. I re-positioned my arms to avoid her legs and she calmed down.

Her abdomen felt firm and there was a weird almost tendon/bone linear line that I could feel against my forearm that ran down her abdomen. It may have been a normal internal feature, I've never held spider-man as a 'big duck.'

Since the toddler attack this early afternoon she has been sleeping, not moving, standing and rocking, but pretty stagnant.

She laid an egg this morning, but it was partially underdeveloped on a 2.5 inch circular part of the shell.


I will gently feel her legs tomorrow and take a picture of the pen and a video of her.


Warmly,

Saryn

 

[Isaac 0]

The "weird almost tendon/bone linear line" was likely her keel.

IME, most often when they suddenly start acting lethargic, especially with females, it tends because they're having a hard time expelling an egg. Sometimes, if an egg is abnormally shaped it can apply pressure to the obturator nerve, which can cause short-term paralysis. Her recent, misshaped egg may further support this idea.

It certainly won't hurt any, but I might try giving her a calcium supplement to aid in the passage if there is indeed an egg stick in her reproductive tract. There are several ones you can use, such as tums, calcium citrate, or calcium gluconate. I've had the best luck with Calcium Gluconate 23%, you can purchase that at most feed stores in an injectable form, but you can draw 1ml out and give it to her orally, or over treats.

 

[Sarynu]

The "weird almost tendon/bone linear line" was likely her keel.

IME, most often when they suddenly start acting lethargic, especially with females, it tends because they're having a hard time expelling an egg. Sometimes, if an egg is abnormally shaped it can apply pressure to the obturator nerve, which can cause short-term paralysis. Her recent, misshaped egg may further support this idea.

It certainly won't hurt any, but I might try giving her a calcium supplement to aid in the passage if there is indeed an egg stick in her reproductive tract. There are several ones you can use, such as tums, calcium citrate, or calcium gluconate. I've had the best luck with Calcium Gluconate 23%, you can purchase that at most feed stores in an injectable form, but you can draw 1ml out and give it to her orally, or over treats.

Issac O you are spot on! I woke up this morning to her walking around with the other ducks, there was a large egg on the soft bed I placed her on last night. She even had a great time swimming and diving for the first time in her new pond. I'll take your advice and give her some calcium. She has been having a weird beginning to egg laying and with all the changes and stressful events I think it's caused her problems.

I was thinking of also giving her some yummy pees today. We gave her Kale from our garden this morning, which I know has calcium in it too.


Thank you so much for the advice! I'll post a picture of her in her new duck mansion and recently dug pond (I haven't even finished decorating it and hiding the tarp yet. )

She is the white Pekin.

Thanks again !!

 

[416bigbore]

Doc 0 @Isaac 0 is amazing, I am very thankful Isaac is so knowledgeable and willing to take the time to help us with our Avian Emergencies and questions.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Issac O you are spot on! I woke up this morning to her walking around with the other ducks, there was a large egg on the soft bed I placed her on last night. She even had a great time swimming and diving for the first time in her new pond. I'll take your advice and give her some calcium. She has been having a weird beginning to egg laying and with all the changes and stressful events I think it's caused her problems.

I was thinking of also giving her some yummy pees today. We gave her Kale from our garden this morning, which I know has calcium in it too.


Thank you so much for the advice! I'll post a picture of her in her new duck mansion and recently dug pond (I haven't even finished decorating it and hiding the tarp yet. )

She is the white Pekin.

Thanks again !!

 

[Isaac 0]

Issac O you are spot on! I woke up this morning to her walking around with the other ducks, there was a large egg on the soft bed I placed her on last night. She even had a great time swimming and diving for the first time in her new pond. I'll take your advice and give her some calcium. She has been having a weird beginning to egg laying and with all the changes and stressful events I think it's caused her problems.

I was thinking of also giving her some yummy pees today. We gave her Kale from our garden this morning, which I know has calcium in it too.


Thank you so much for the advice! I'll post a picture of her in her new duck mansion and recently dug pond (I haven't even finished decorating it and hiding the tarp yet. )

She is the white Pekin.

Thanks again !!

I'm glad to see it wasn't nothing too serious. Thanks for the update!