Sick duck?

[jools2014]

Hi,

one of my ducks is acting a bit strange. When she's walking her neck seems to be fatter and closer to her body more than usual and she seems bigger. She is also making quite a bit of noise-quacking for no reason like she would if she was being chased (she's normally a very quiet duck).

I have never had a sick duck before only sick chickens and I know that they are quiet when they are ill not loud like this duck but I can tell a difference in this girl. She is still laying ok. Does anyone have any idea what it could be to narrow it down, or is it just a sign of illness in general? or maybe it isn't a sign something is wrong? We recently put 3 young ducks in with them could this be some sort of reaction to that? They seem to get on ok and mostly ignore each other though. Thanks for any insight.

 

[gal5150]

Have you felt her crop? One of my girls had a crop that had delayed emptying for a day or so and she looked just as you're describing....neck appeared larger bc she was not extending it out and her body appeared larger due to the full crop and her posture. Habd fed her grit and she was right as rain next day. I think she'd been lazy in her foraging and just didn't have the grit needed to process her greens.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Does she look kinda like this???

Sounds like she is either thinking about going broody or going through a mock broodiness...

 

[Ren2014]

Does she look kinda like this???





Sounds like she is either thinking about going broody or going through a mock broodiness...

X2

 

[jools2014]

Have you felt her crop? One of my girls had a crop that had delayed emptying for a day or so and she looked just as you're describing....neck appeared larger bc she was not extending it out and her body appeared larger due to the full crop and her posture. Habd fed her grit and she was right as rain next day. I think she'd been lazy in her foraging and just didn't have the grit needed to process her greens.

Yes! It might be this. I will feel her crop.

She does look a bit like the photos but I think it's unlikely she'd be going broody-had her 3 years and she's not the type of duck that goes broody much (Campbell), neither her nor my other Campbell have ever showed any sign of going broody.

 

[gal5150]

How's she doing?

 

[jools2014]

How's she doing?

Thank you for asking-she is ok at the moment. She is not quacking so much/so loud as before and her neck is most of the time back to normal. I picked her up and tried to feel her crop but she was struggling too much to feel properly-but I thought I felt something like a hard ball, but i have never felt the crop before so I don't know what it should feel like. I am keeping an eye on her.

 

[Rreese]

Does she look kinda like this???
This is what mine is doing and she's now sitting in her nest. She's about 1 year, isn't it too young???

Sounds like she is either thinking about going broody or going through a mock broodiness...

 

[Ravynscroft]

A year, too young??? Don't tell Wicket that!

She started laying at 6 months, and setting at 7 months old... she hatched 10, but one didn't make it (not her fault) and raised 9 healthy, happy babies wonderfully...

 

[jools2014]

^^ Absolutely gorgeous! Would love a broody duck but none of mine are the broody type-even the new ones I got I don't think will ever go broody-well they might but I kind of have enough right now (too many!) My broody chicken took my last 3 in as day olds and raised them-it went perfectly-she was a brilliant mother. Shame I have not experienced the joy of a broody duck though

what do you do with all those ducks?! Just 3 were a nightmare to clean out and with the food and water arghhh! Worth it though

P.s-my duck seems to be ok right now, my hens unfortunately get laying problems so I have lost a few hens but no ducks yet fingers crossed.