runner duck - cough or hiccups? aspergillosis?

[Jenbirdee]

this is poppy
she did this cough thing at least a dozen times while I was out there
. however as soon as I start filming, she stopped. Of course.
I wonder if she ate too much? or swallowed a piece of ice?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is she still doing it? If Ice is in the bucket or around it that could be a possibility I see mine eating snow and ice to crazy things.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Is she still doing it? If Ice is in the bucket or around it that could be a possibility I see mine eating snow and ice to crazy things.

she stopped. i watched for a while and i noticed she looked hungry. so I put some mazuri in the water bucket and she ate some and that made her start up again. but after a few minutes she stopped. It seems like hiccups. But at sunset I am going to catch her and check for anything stuck.

 

[Jenbirdee]

i didnt feel anything in her neck or chest - but I went ahead and gave her a little chunk of solid (cold) coconut oil anyway . which she mostly spit out

 

[Miss Lydia]

How is Poppy this morning? That be is once it’s daylight and you can actually see Poppy.

 

[Jenbirdee]

How is Poppy this morning? That be is once it’s daylight and you can actually see Poppy.

well at first i was thinking her belly looks big but is she making an egg or could it be start of ascites (please God no- poppy my favorite baby) compared to my other FWR (pic)
i also see she is “fluffed up”
however, she is running around foraging, eating, drinking, pooping. Perhaps drinking more than normal…. Then I noticed all the little tiny feathers she was pulling off of herself.. Like the beginning of a molt- she’s even got them on her bill-maybe she’s been swallowing some and that’s what’s making her cough? I also stared at her for 20 minutes until she pooped so I could get a pic of that too lol I wonder if the coconut oil made her poop the extra white? One of my other runner ducks a blue one just started a molt last week. I am like noooooo it’s December!!!…. What are you doing?!!

 

[Jenbirdee]

oh and i also noticed she’s been picked on by some of my older ducks and the chickens try to get her too- she’s just the funniest, craziest most curious and friendly duck -always up in everyone else’s business and trying to do everything- so they get annoyed with her and I’ve seen them poke her with their bills in the chest area - and look her poor little wing tip feathers are tattered like they were bitten poor sweetie she’s only 10 months old

 

[Jenbirdee]

one more question - i wonder if there’s any worms involved - but i checked the poops not only hers but from the others too and can’t see any. can there be like invisible worms???

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've heard they can have worms and don't always show up in their poo until they get a big load. My ducks and goose get wormed when I worm the chickens since they all eat together. And many on here would say the herbal wormer I use doesn't work but I use to see a load of worms in my chicken's poop that let me know I needed to worm but I don't anymore so the herbal must be doing something, I also use safeguard for goats since I have a little OEGB who rarely eats out of the feeders so I worm her separately. Okay enough about worms.
I have a few still molting it's been a crazy year for molt . Sure looks like Poppy is in molt, can you put her and one of your younger separate and see if she can finish her molt with out being picked on? but where everyone can still see each other.
Poppy sounds like my younger 4 they are always in everyone business and I have seen my adults poke at them to make them get away. They don't seem to care.
I have a Runner with ascites and she is doing great but at Poppy's age I don't think so maybe it is just her being fluffed?
I am not sure if that is a cough It sounded like one, put some ACV with mother into their drinking water for a couple days. I give it as a tonic for mine a couple times a week. 1-2 Tablespoons per a gallon of water.

added: I use to be a good speller but my hands tell a different story when I try and reply to fast.

 

[Awaytome]

You probably won't see any sign of intestinal parasites in the poop unless there is a large load of worms or flukes, as Miss Lydia noted. You'd need to do some fecal smears to find evidence of eggs, then you could use an appropriate medication to target the specific offender. My concern with regular use of dewormers as preventive is producing parasites that are resistant to the dewormer.