Runner duck with a green bill

[zinnia]

Requesting info... please help...
My runner has a green algae-like growth on her bill. I change all water daily. I also have 2 KC's and 2 Blue Swedish and parts of their bills seem to be a bit greenish also. Their bedding is bone dry and clean. They free range in the yard. Talked to the people at the local feed store and one person says he has this problem on his Pekin too. I searched the web and found nothing worth anything. The gent at the feed store tried a weak solution of bleach/water and it has not helped. He said they can lose their bill if it gets worse... What is it and what can I do? I live in Northern California where it's wet, but the weather has been beautifully dry and sunny for weeks, almost Southern California-like. It does not seem to be bothering her or hindering her in any way, but it is spreading. Any thoughts or suggestions would be incredibly apprreciated. Thanks so much! Great site!

 

[crtrlovr]

is it a fungal infection of some kind? I know nothing about ducks, but hopefully some of the many knowledgeable duck owners on here can give you some help.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Could you post pics? Perhaps someone has seen something like it...

 

[froggie71]

I don't know about the green on the bill. Our runners started get brownish spots awhile back. It looked sort of like mildew. I tried to clean it off before I did research only to find that as runners age about the time they start laying eggs they will get "freckles" on their bill. But if your Swedish and Khakis have it too, I don't know what to tell you. Keep us posted. I'd like to know what it is as well.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

How old are your ducks?

 

[Calebs Acre]

Be sure it's not just a greenish coloring. Some of my runners have green sections of bill and it's just the color of the bill itself. Like froggie said, if they all have the same thing, then I'm at a loss.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I thought of the same thing as Caleb's Acre. My ducks are Swedish and the boys have green bills... But the OP mentions that "its spreading" so I am at a loss?

 

[CityChicker]

Without seeing it, it is hard to tell what you are talking about. What do you mean by algae-like? Is it something on the actual outside of the bill? or is it something that is in the bill structure and can't be rubbed off?

Spots or splotches on the bill are completely normal. It is due to changes in hormones. They will look like they are part of the bill though, not like something on the bill. If the whole bill is green, that is also completely normal.

 

[kitkatbahr]

I have two of four ducks that have army green colored bills. Only one is a boy though (curly tail feathers). They are silver/gray colored ducks, half Jumbo Pekin and we believe the other half is Swedish. They are in my avatar. Anyway, the green bill for them is their coloring.

Oh, I wouldn't use ANY kind of bleach solution on them, even a weak one. Their nares are right there on their bill. I can't even imagine how that must hurt them to breathe in the fumes, or if any of the liquid got in the nose holes. Uggghhhh, poor things!

 

[CityChicker]

Those were my thoughts too, kitkatbahr. If that poor duck the guy was talking about lost its bill, it was probably from the bleach water! That poor thing. Who in the world would think cleaning a duck's bill with bleach water would be a good idea?