Sick duck—coccidiosis or something else?

[Michelin]

Hello! Our 8 month old Cayuga hen was fine on Monday, and then yesterday morning she suddenly collapsed. She can stand briefly, but can’t walk (collapses forward, then lays with her legs sprawled out behind her). She’s wheezing a little, drinking normally, bright green slimy poop. She can swim so we brought her inside and have been alternating between letting her swim in a storage tote and resting in a crate. She’s eating a little occasionally, but not normally (not interested in treats). She usually free ranges our 3/4 acre backyard with our other 3 ducks (2 other females and one male). She is the same today, and after scouring the Internet and byc especially, I thought I’d go to TSC and buy some corid, some vitamins, and some electrolytes... but with the wheezing would maybe it’s respiratory instead and needs antibiotics? Or maybe that’s just labored breathing because she’s sick! The vet isn’t an option, unfortunately. Oh, and she just started laying a couple of weeks ago, but not every day.

Any advice on next steps?

 

[KaleIAm]

I'm very sorry to hear about your duck. I hope that @Isaac 0 will be able to help you.

In the meantime you might want to start gathering tube feeding supplies if you don't have them. I would weigh her on a gram scale asap, write that down and monitor her weight carefully to determine if you need to tube feed her. I know there is an article about tube feeding, but I can't find it. Hopefully someone else can post that. I used 60ml syringes, tube feeding formula I got from my vet (other members here usually use kaytee baby bird formula) and a red catheter. I also used a headlamp like hikers use to help me see down my ducks throat. I might be forgetting something.

I hope she is feeling better soon.

 

[Michelin]

Oh no, now another one is having trouble walking! She walks like a drunken sailor for a couple steps, then falls forward. Aaahhh. Haven’t seen her poop yet because she’s been free ranging all day until now.

 

[ChickensForEggs2500]

Do you think it's something they could have all gotten into and eaten? Sorry, I'm not much help here, but I hope your birds get better soon.

 

[Michelin]

I don’t know! They’ve been free ranging our yard since they were babies and we have kids so we don’t leave stuff lying around, I can’t think of anything new they would have gotten in to!

 

[Michelin]

I just had a thought—my husband was cleaning up the garage and dumped some old chick starter out on the ground. I didn’t think they had touched it (they stopped eating it a few months ago, just turned their beaks up at it so I switched to pellets) but maybe they did and maybe it was moldy!

 

[KaleIAm]

I just had a thought—my husband was cleaning up the garage and dumped some old chick starter out on the ground. I didn’t think they had touched it (they stopped eating it a few months ago, just turned their beaks up at it so I switched to pellets) but maybe they did and maybe it was moldy!

http://www.duckdvm.com/condition/botulism

 

[Michelin]

http://www.duckdvm.com/condition/botulism

Hmmm, that does sound like it could be it. I don’t have any activated charcoal, would charcoal from our fire pit be okay to use until I get some?

 

[Michelin]

Never mind—I just read up on the difference. Activated charcoal has a much larger surface area so it will absorb more.

 

[Isaac 0]

I suggest you start the birds on activated charcoal, then follow up with a round of Baytril. In addition with that, you must maintain hydration, and nutritional levels via tube feeding if they are not willing to eat, or drink. Multiple birds being affected is suggestive the problem is related to an environmental-related problem such as bacterial ingestion, or toxin ingestion which can occur subsequent to eating decaying carcasses, decaying vegetation, moldy feed, and/or maggots.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/tube-feeding-ducks-updated-5-7-2020.1211994/

https://allbirdproducts.com/products/baytril-10

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-Activated-Charcoal-520mg-Capsules-60-Count/192114718