My duckling just died. What happened???

[PoultryGirly]

My duckling just died. Earlier this morning when I went to check on the four of them, the one was just laying there. Its tail was down. Later at around 3:00 p.m., all of the ducks looked fine. But just now, we found one behind the little swimming pool. We took him out and he was having neck spasms and was turning his body. Then, we gave him electrolyte water. As soon as we put his beak in the water he passed. What happened? Will it spread to the other ducks?

 

[Amiga]

It is very difficult to say what causes seizures and sudden death without a necropsy.

It could be viral, bacterial, he could have eaten something toxic, or sustained an injury to his back or neck.

It could be sensitivity to nutritional deficiency (not saying you did not feed him well, some ducks simply need much more of some nutrients to thrive and it is a matter of trial and error). It could be something congenital that was just waiting to happen.

He was behind the pool. Was there any stagnant water or dead animal or plant material around there? That would cause botulism if eaten. How are the others doing?

 

[PoultryGirly]

The pool was just put in yesterday and it was only 5 gallons of water in there. There was no dead animals around. There were plants, but they wer outside of the pen out of his reach.
R.I.P. Lil' buddy. I'll miss you deeply.

 

[Amiga]

I think all you can do now is look around, just to see if there may have been something he could have gotten into (to protect the others), and keep a close eye on the rest of the ducklings.

Can you tell us a little more about your setup and feed and things like that? Someone may be able to notice a problem you may have missed (not likely, but sometimes that happens).

 

[PoultryGirly]

The ducklings are usually let out of their cage in the day time in the big pen and at night they are put in a cage. They eat flock raiser. There are also more ducks in with them, which are a call duck and a black east indie. Straw is on the ground. The pool was in the right back corner. They drink water of course.

 

[duckyfromoz]

How old was the duckling?

 

[PoultryGirly]

About a month and a half.

Another duckling is limping now. Can I help him?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Sounds like the adults are picking on and injuring the babies. Best to remove and not put the, together until they are bigger.

 

[PoultryGirly]

We watch them togrther and they are fine.The now limping duck was fine yesterday and yesterday night they were put in their cage and so were the call duck and the BEI. When the ducklings came out of the cage the one was limping.