Runner Duck Dead in Pond- No Sign of Injury

[momo18clara]

Thanks for all your help! I think I`m going to go ahead and try the Epsom salt flush, mix some flock raiser with my corn, and get out there to watch my goose for awhile. Hopefully that will solve the problem and I wont loose any more ducks!

 

[Poultry Couture]

It's not bucholism. I watch my birds carefully and our pond has four fountains so it's always moving.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for all your help! I think I`m going to go ahead and try the Epsom salt flush, mix some flock raiser with my corn, and get out there to watch my goose for awhile. Hopefully that will solve the problem and I wont loose any more ducks!

Keep us updated on what you find out, hopefully you'll not lose anymore.

 

[FenDruadin]

So sorry for your losses!

I would be concerned about the ratio of males to females, as you may be seeing deliberate or consequential drownings due to fighting and over-breeding. Do you have 3 males & 7 females AFTER the losses, or was that before?

2 males and 6 females is the limit of what will generally work with ducks, and even that is cutting it close and will only work if the two males are pretty friendly with each other. That's 3 females each. At 3 males & 7 females, you've got just barely more than 2 females each... and there will be fighting. Plus, the males have (ahem) "needs" to be met, and they will breed as often as they need to... which will mean a few females being bred too often, sometimes to the point of exhaustion. Because they breed in the water, and the males frequently hold the female's head underwater during breeding, this situation can easily lead to drowning. Males may deliberately drown one another during a fight over females.

I hope whatever the problem is, that you're able to identify it. Losing them is always painful.

 

[Miss Lydia]

iam, I think she said one of the ducks was a male which made me think maybe the gander could have something to do with it. Just speculation on my part, good to see you back on BYC.

 

[jdywntr]

I am under the impression that your pond is a natural pond, not a plastic one.

Does anything live in the pond, fish or turtles?

Unless you have either a lot of animals living and going to the bathroom in it or if something large died in it or it has no water plants (which filter the water) it would be unlikely that it is causing the problem.

If any of these things are true about the pond, I would test the water before allowing them back in.

 

[FenDruadin]

Hi Miss Lydia! Good to be back. Thanks for the welcome.

I've got a gander who swims with the flock, and he doesn't seem to see himself as competition with the drake. BUT, he was raised with them and treats them as family, so I don't have any experience seeing what a gander might do with drakes who are not like children to him. So it could definitely be the goose. It could also be the drakes drowning each other in competition.

To the OP, it's good that you're going to spend some time watching them. Hopefully that will give you some insight into what is going on!

 

[Poultry Couture]

I am under the impression that your pond is a natural pond, not a plastic one. 

Does anything live in the pond, fish or turtles?

Unless you have either a lot of animals living and going to the bathroom in it or if something large died in it or it has no water plants (which filter the water) it would be unlikely that it is causing the problem. 

If any of these things are true about the pond, I would test the water before allowing them back in.

Me? If so, our pond is lined with plastic.

 

[jdywntr]

Me? If so, our pond is lined with plastic.

Nope, meant for the OP.

 

[Poultry Couture]

Ahhh