Sick call duck? Please HELP a new duck owner...

[duckluck]

Quote:
What would the ratio of that apple cider vinegar be?

I did at one time use a teeny bit of blech in my water, but at like half the strength I was originally told...then I quit doing it. Can't recall what that strength was to a 3 gallon feed pan. I do think the Oxine would be safer if either was used. But I would certainly prefer to use the vinegar if I knew what the correct dosage was...seems to me it would be a lot safer for the gut. I've had my own stomach bacteria out of whack before and it ain't pretty!

I should also add that I personally don't drink chlorinated water for that reason unless it can't be helped...I often carry well water from home in my car when traveling for myself and for my animals.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Quote:
There will be niacin in the feed - it just isnt listed. You can request information about the actual feed content from the manufacturers. Find them on the net- and you will find that most are only too willing to help you. When I did it- I was asking more about the actual grains used- and what percentage of each is in the pellets- but also requested information on vitamins and other things not as commonly mentioned on the packs themselves.
Whereas things like protein are measured as a percentage- vitamins are ofter expressed as parts per million. Many feeds made for chickens are ok for ducks- it just depends on how it is fed- whether it is the only food they get- or if they freerange. A duck will eat more pellets in a day than a chicken- therefore consuming a greater quantity of the nutrients in the feed.

 

[lovesduckies]

Quote:
There will be niacin in the feed - it just isnt listed. You can request information about the actual feed content from the manufacturers. Find them on the net- and you will find that most are only too willing to help you. When I did it- I was asking more about the actual grains used- and what percentage of each is in the pellets- but also requested information on vitamins and other things not as commonly mentioned on the packs themselves.
Whereas things like protein are measured as a percentage- vitamins are ofter expressed as parts per million. Many feeds made for chickens are ok for ducks- it just depends on how it is fed- whether it is the only food they get- or if they freerange. A duck will eat more pellets in a day than a chicken- therefore consuming a greater quantity of the nutrients in the feed.

 

[Amiga]

duckluck,

for general purposes, the recommended proportion is a tablespoon of vinegar per gallon of water. Some use a stronger solution, depending on the situation. I drink a small dash of vinegar in a 12 ounce glass of water because I find it refreshing, and hey, it may be a good tonic!

 

[duckluck]

Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

AVC is a very good tonic for us humans! 1tea. to 1 tab. to 1 pint of water a day will help keep the Dr. away..

make sure it's the kind with mother in it.

 

[Amiga]

Oh, yes, it has the mother.

I keep trying to make my own. It's a skill that I find challenging. That means I keep failing!

Try, try again!

Hope little call guy is okay . . . . anyone heard?

 

[turbo]

I would use baytril on that call....you can get the pills from your vet, dilute the 1/4 pill in a small amount of water and ease it down his mouth. You could also use injectable Tylan 50, giving a 1/2 cc in the breast once a day.

Medicine in the water..such as the Tylan you have does not work very well since call ducks can drink a lot more water in a day than a chicken will...leading to overdosing.

I would guess that the call is also very light when you pick him up...he should be fairly heavy for a little duck when you pick him up. Keep him in the house and start him on the Baytril or Tylan 50 and he should recover...also if it is cold where you are at you will need to keep him in the rest of the winter....sorry, but if you put him back outside he will probably not do well.

Also some call ducks just wont clean their selfs up very well or at all and tend to have bad feathering....most call breeders will cull these birds, since they do not do well at shows and tend to have problems the rest of their lives. I am not saying this is the case with this guy....who did you get him from?

I doubt that he has a niacin problem...when calls get sick they loose their balance and flip over...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I never knew that about calls why does the flipping over happen?

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

My pekin drake has always had a weak immune system and gets these issues pretty frequently. IT absolutely looks like an upper respiratory/sinus infection. His little cheeks look swollen. Poor guy!

Baytril is really the best for these infections, but in the meantime, even some Aureomycin from the feed store would help him some (If you can monitor the dose he gets), until you can get him into the vets for Baytril.

Another poster recommended Apple Cider vinegar, and i second that. It will not solve your problem, but it always seemed to help my drake. Also try to wipe his eyes and nose pretty often, and let him dip and clean his own head as much as possible. My guy never got as bad as yours, and never had problems walking. I wish you the best of luck, he's sure a beautiful animal!!