My duck suddenly died

[laurenluckyriri]

I agree with @chickens really. Ducks need a complete feed. If they're free ranging, they might not need as much, but keep it available anyway. Proper nutrition is important, no matter what type of poultry you raise, but an inadequate diet will cause serious problems for ducks in particular. There's just less room for error with waterfowl and game birds. Over time, nutritional deficiencies can lead to death, or contribute to death via weakened immune systems. Fresh water daily, deep enough for them to dunk their heads, is also a must.

All this being said, we can't really give you a definite cause for the death. It may have been completely unrelated to diet. However, as a general rule, healthy birds are less likely to die from unknown causes, so I'd still recommend improving their diet.

yes I figured they would have problems without nutrition and I really was just listening to the woman at the supply store but I am now feeling extremely guilty that I may have potentially caused health issues and death for my birds. their water is deep enoughh for them and they even try to swim in it. I will have to go to a different store and get real feed. the remaining two seem perfectly healthy which is what is confusing.

 

[chickens really]

Don't beat yourself up over it.....Just change things and they will do fine....We all learn as we go...

 

[chickens really]

I feed mine a mix of Duck feed, scratch and oat and barley crumble ..Fresh veg daily plus free range time...

 

[casportpony]

yes I figured they would have problems without nutrition and I really was just listening to the woman at the supply store but I am now feeling extremely guilty that I may have potentially caused health issues and death for my birds. their water is deep enoughh for them and they even try to swim in it. I will have to go to a different store and get real feed. the remaining two seem perfectly healthy which is what is confusing.

Don't feel guilty because it's quite possible that they died from disease or worms.

What state do you live in?

 

[laurenluckyriri]

I feed mine a mix of Duck feed, scratch and oat and barley crumble ..Fresh veg daily plus free range time...

okay thank you very much.

 

[lastco]

Don't feel bad. Not one bit. We all learn something new everyday.

Like I said before, it may have nothing to do with their diet. Since we can't know what went wrong without a necropsy, we just have to consider the variables that we do know.

I also completely understand your ordeal at the feed store. The folks at mine know nothing about waterfowl.

 

[Sundevill11]

This is what our ducks are fed.

 

[chickens really]

Ducks do not need the added oyster shell or layer feed...They need oyster she'll in a separate bowl to eat as needed...Ducks need grains and greens daily...