Projectile Pooping

[ChickaChickaBoomBoom]

Well, sorry for the title, but my mama Muscovy (they all hatched 1 week ago) has suddenly turned to projectile pooping, for lack of a better word. It is most noticable when she is a little upset, but all she seems to do is a once a day diahrea like .... splash. It fans out in a stream about 6 inches wide and 12 to 18 inches long. Oh, and it smells HORRIBLE.

Is this just her getting her system recalibrated or is there more to the story?

Thanks for any help.

-Dave

 

[saxet]

I have a few that seem to be able to do that on demand, or so it seems. Nasty. And the next batch looks normal again. No clue how or why.

 

[Bleenie]

well they usually do that while they're brooding and horrible SO does not describe it!!!

Maybe it's just because she's still brooding the babies? if it's like normal broody poo it should go away after a while.

 

[ChickaChickaBoomBoom]

Well, the wierd thing is that I don't see any other kind of poop other than the "nasty" stuff - and it's nasty. The covered run has shavings in it, and they have stayed very clean. The problem with her movements is that anything behind her is getting tagged. I had just put fresh food in for the little guys yesterday when all of a sudden - woosh, all over the food. So I had to throw it out and wash the container. Today it was woosh - partly onto one of her kids.

Anyhow, maybe it will always be that way .... but I HOPE NOT!

-Dave

 

[ChickaChickaBoomBoom]

Quote:
Well, now that you mention it, it did seem like she was doing that during her daily outing while sitting on her eggs. It wasn't nearly as bad as now, but I guess it could simply be a holdover. Hopefully she can work through it quickly.

-Dave

 

[Bleenie]

She could be doing it more now because she's more stressed out, being out in the open with all the kids. is this her first clutch? she could just be a really nervous mother and any kind of noise is frightening her or upsetting her(because she wants to keep her babies safe) and causing her too poop...... scaring the crap out of her.

 

[ChickaChickaBoomBoom]

Quote:
Bleenie, that is probably what it is to a large extent. She is a nervous mom, it is her first clutch, and she and I have never really bonded. I'd like to spend some more time around her, but it is so wet around here lately (as you know) and she has never wanted me near her, so it's a challenge. Tonight I was able to pick up one of her babies for the first time since I held one on Day 1, and I thought she was going to have a coronary. It was the first time I've seen her sit there and stamp her feet in a tantrum.

Come to think of it, maybe I'm the problem.

-Dave

 

[nettie]

It could be the dreaded "Every 7th poop" also called the cepal poop. For some reason (I'll have to look that one up) it seems every 7th poop or so it really wet, really dark, and extra smelly... The Projectile part you are referring to is often lovingly called "Explodobutting" lol. One Joe, aka Duck_feeder was holding Victor duck when he decided to explodobutt, straight up in the air, all over joe.... I was amused, but joe was not, lol.

 

[ChickaChickaBoomBoom]

Explodobutting - I love it!

-Dave

 

[angelnavywife]

My not quite a week old Muscovy duckling does this too. Should I be worried?