OMG! I think i killed all my ducks! HELP!

[RhodeIslandRed5]

Grasshoppers must taste candy to birds. They must be to them what french fries are to me. My girls LOOOOOVVVVE them to no end! As a matter of fact, my sweet baby hasn't shown near as much interest in mealworms like she used to. I think she prefers hoppers now. Sounds like your ducks ate too much at once.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Good grief @WannaBeHillBilly I just read through your hopper & duck experience and wow! So glad to hear everyone seems to be doing ok now, that must have been frightening to go through

It was very frightening! Especially Limpy was hit hard. All duckies are a bit calmer today, except for Blanca. Blanca is coming to the patio every five minutes asking for something to eat! I can't believe it! That duck must have a black-hole as a stomach.

 

[Willowspirit]

I stayed somber until I found out they were all okay. Even Limpy.

 

[AmyJane725]

I stayed somber until I found out they were all okay. Even Limpy.

I lost it when he was talking about the flies dropping dead midair from the smell of the diarrhea

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I lost it when he was talking about the flies dropping dead midair from the smell of the diarrhea

You have no idea where all i found poop in that duck house. That must have been explosive diarrhea, it was a meter up the walls. I hosed down the whole house, so i guess the pumpkins that grow on the duck-bedding compost pile will now grow at an explosive rate too.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Sorry, @WannaBeHillBilly , but your antics ALWAYS make me laugh. You could be commentating on getting a root canal, and it'd be hilarious. You have quite the knack for storytelling. I remember feeling truly guilty when I lost it that time you had a run in with that very same hill...

I guess that makes the score Hill = 2, HillBilly = 0.

Poor HillBilly...

 

[Aunt Angus]

Actually it is Hill 3 and Billy 0.
I have started a potato patch on that hill and out of the 42 potatoes i planted only three came out, the rest rot in the ground because of all the rain we had and the poor drainage of that [censored][beep][beep] hill!
But i will not give up: In autumn there will be plenty of fresh and half composted duck bedding going into that spot and that will break the spell of the hill! (if i don't break something again…)

Well, it's great to see your spirit isn't broken!

And for what it's worth I believe you will overcome that hill!
(But if you can't/don't, be sure to post about it)

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Lessons learned:
So with all ducks alive and back to well i think it is time for some lessons-learned:

1. Ducks can over-eat! (Ok, except Blanca Duck.) Ducks can over-eat on tasty treats so badly that they become sick and can even choke to death.
2. Herding grasshoppers towards ducks is a bad idea, because of 1.
3. Sooner or later if your ducks are free ranging something like that will happen - my ducks dug up an ants nest not long ago and had a feast on ants which could have easily lead to 1.
4. Don't panic! Be prepared and don't freeze up like an idiot!
5. Know how to clean out a duck throat.
6. Know how to get medication (Charcoal pills) into a duck.
7. Know how to get some water into a duck.
8. Most important: Have your duck medicine cabinet stocked and available!
9. Again: Do not panic!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

By the way, Blanca Duck being Blanca Duck, see that duck sleeping with her head in the no waste feeder? That's Blanca!

She was actually sleeping with her head in the feeder until one of the other ducks stepped on her tail. One day she will swallow the whole world…

 

[ValerieJ]

This is the first time I've heard of activated charcoal and just looked it up. (After following various posts on her I feel like I should get a medicine cabinet together for my chickens.) I'm curious how you give this to the chickens. Do you put it in their water or food?