I don't believe in the hay-fever theory myself! - But there must be something going on here, since yesterday evening Rusty Drake has a red eye. It doesn't seem too bad and i am not sure if this isn't the result of a drake brawl. -That time of the year came too early this year… Its not even ½ of February and 25° (77F) are forecasted for Wednesday…
Anyways, i continue to spray the bedding every second day with vinegar to fight off the ammonia, though to be honest i don't smell much of it on the second day. It has been much worse during last summer when we had the hot and humid weather spell with way too much rain and everything was damp inside and outside the house…
I have not been using hay for the last seven days, but that hasn't changed anything on the situation here, i'm afraid this is some contagious disease and it is spreading. I am shying away from mixing antibiotics into the duck's supper bowl as a precautionary measure because that would end up in the eggs… They get Vitamin C and K (Niacin) peppered rice in their bowl every second day though.
As for the little runner, she is sleeping in the duck house most of the day, wandering around here and there and i don't want to move her into a hospital-bed. She is already scared by her impaired vision, moving her into an unfamiliar environment just would increase the level of stress unnecessarily. She is not being trampled or force-mate and she enjoys quacking with her sisters in the evening. Having her in the duck house is more of an inconvenience for me than for her.
But she urgently needs a bath! - As said, there is some warmer weather in the forecast for the mid of the week, hopefully by that time will be used to me coming and picking her up, that i can fill a bowl with warm water, pick her up and bathe her without taking a shower myself…
Need to go and offer her food and water again.