Sick duck

[Tlacombe]

Hi. I’m new to ducks and I’m sorry if this has already been asked. My 7 month old Kakai Campbell is sick. About a week or so ago I saw her limping. She had bumble foot so I took her and tried to remove it. It really wasn’t bad. We keep her in a bin with electrolytes and probiotics, oregano in her food etc. She kept drinking and stopped eating. So Monday I took her to the vet. She said bumble foot looked fine and she didn’t know what was wrong without doing hundreds of dollars of test. It egg bound either and no fever. So I brought her home and put her back with the flock because the vet said she may be stressed out and need to be back with the flock. All she does is stand in the corner looking sleepy. She will eat peas, romaine, and forage some. I can get her to eat small amounts of her purina feed. I dissolved some in her water like a broth and she drank some. She is using the bathroom fine. One day I did see it look stringy and white when she used the bathroom. She just acts weak and sleepy constantly. Today we bought nician tablets and put them in her water. I just don’t know what to do. Any ideas?

 

[bhaugh]

Sadly most vets do not know how to treat ducks. What is your daytime temperatures now? Are you in the states in the cold or some other place?

 

[Tlacombe]

I’m in the nc mountains. It’s been pretty cold the last few weeks. 20s and 30s

 

[bhaugh]

Is there any chance she is being bullied? How was she before you took her out to treat her for bumble foot? Depending on how long she was gone with her bumble foot problem she could be having to reestablish her position in the flock. How are the other birds treating her? As for food because I have such a huge problem with wild birds, I fed all my ducks by covering their feed with water to keep the wild birds from eating it all. But since it's 20° where you live that may not be the easiest thing to do and you really have to watch for mold.
How much oregano did you actually add to the feed? When I am giving oregano as an antibiotic I actually use the capsules open them and feed them that way I know exactly how much they are getting. If you sprinkle it on the food you really do not know if it's enough or how much is actually being ingested. I am a strong proponent of oregano oil as it saved a flock of chickens I had with internal fowl pox but I hand dose because there is no way to know otherwise if the treatment is working and the bird is getting enough.

 

[Tlacombe]

She is one of the first ducks we got. She doesn’t get bullied at all. We watch them all the time and I’m sure she isn’t being bullied. She seemed fine. Was just limping. I think I did more harm than good taking her away from the flock. I feel like it made her depressed and sad. She goes off by herself a lot now outside and when I check in her in her coop she is standing in the corner drifting off to sleep. I was giving her oregano oil in a packet and sprinkling it in her food. I will show you a picture of it. I think I will go buy the capsules. I am a firm believer in oregano too even when I am sick.

 

[bhaugh]

I will rarely take a bird from the flock even if it's sick unless it's highly contagious because ducks especially have a very hard time being separated. But we try to do our best so don't beat yourself up. When I had my runners, if I brought a duck inside the others would stand up along the gate quacking until I put the duck back. That's when I learned that removing one from the group was more stressful than actually treating the bird.
If you know there is no infection, fever, etc then all you can do is watch and see how she does. I'm kind of old school and I do not treat my birds unless they are extremely sick. I believe that a strong immune system comes from daily living within the flock. She could have something internal that you're just not going to be able to see.

 

[Tlacombe]

Ok. I will get her some oregano capsules and will leave her with the flock. I try so hard. I feel like if I am not doing anything then I am not helping her. It’s so hard to know what to do. All I have done is research and I can’t find anything to help. I really appreciate you talking with me and all your advice. No one else around me has ducks and I am running solo here and have a lot to learn. I will keep you updated on how she is doing.

 

[Tlacombe]

We just put her in some water to clean her nose out and pep her up a little and she went under and acted confused and couldn’t get back up. It’s like she is mentally off. She will just stare in a daze and then I will tap her and it’s like she wakes up and starts doing normal stuff again.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If she is sick and has to be out where it's cold I don't think it's going to help. Just my opinion but she should be inside where she can be kept warmer and where you can watch how much she is eating drinking and pooping. You can always bring one of the flock in to keep her company even rotate the flock so not just one is in with her? if she isn't eating you might want to consider tube feeding her.
info here https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-supportive-care-updated-01-17-2021.1048620/

Where in NC are you? just general vicinity. I'm in Western NC mountains.
and

 

[Tlacombe]

I appreciate all your help. She died this morning. I am going to send her off for a neurocropsy and see what happened. We are all devastated.