FlappyChuck
In the Brooder
- May 4, 2019
- 6
- 10
- 21
Hi, this is my first post but I've been reading here forever. I've always found the answer to any question I've had so never posted before!
We wanted to add a couple crested and cayuga ducks to our flock this spring, plus two embden geese. When we got the order 3 weeks ago, the cayugas were missing from the box! So they (Metzer) sent the 2 cayugas the next week. The male was very small and weak and runty so we ended up dividing our brooder box because the geese were already huge and stepping on him. But they're just divided by chicken wire.
We've taken them out in the evenings and let them explore the grass and yard but last night it was raining so we didn't go out. We have to clean the brooder daily because the geese are a MESS so we let them roam the garage but they don't go far and there was nothing on the floor. But being separated, the cayuga side of the pen is usually pretty clean. (we still clean it)
The male runt has been doing well and growing but last night was walking and then lying down and seemed tired so I suggested we put them in the sink to let him swim around and strengthen his legs (we did this with a rouen ducking last year and it helped tremendously....I'm sure I read that suggestion here!!). They both swam around for a bit and we dried them off and put them back on their side of the brooder. About 15 minutes later, my husband heard a commotion and thought it was the geese. He looked and the (healthy!) female cayuga was having a seizure. Of course I jump on here and read dozens of stories and it seems like a somewhat common occurrence. But as the night progressed, she had multiple seizures and is now lying flat on her back in the pen. I gave her some electrolytes and then also some water with ACV in a dropper and she drinks it. But she doesn't look well. It's now been about 14 hours but she's hanging in there. I went back to give her more water a few minutes ago, and the little male runt began having a seizure as well. And suddenly he doesn't look great, his breathing seems labored and he's shaking. I immediately removed my crested and geese from the other side of the brooder and they're in a dog crate temporarily.
As I said, they're in the same brooder we've raised all our ducklings in. With pine shavings. There's a heat lamp still on the cayuga side. We were already giving them nutridrench in the water and brewers yeast in the food for the runt. The only thing they might have eaten off the floor is some bird seed, which our big ducks eat all the time and left a mess. Now I don't think it was something they ate since the second one is sick.
I'm just at a loss of what it could be and what to do! Obviously, this is something that comes on fast because they were both perfectly FINE yesterday.
I'm also worried about my other ducklings and geese if this is some sort of disease. I have a pretty good duck first aid kit, but no antibiotics.
Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions! I'm sick about this. Unfortunately, there are no avian vets nearby and the closest one is closed until Monday.
We wanted to add a couple crested and cayuga ducks to our flock this spring, plus two embden geese. When we got the order 3 weeks ago, the cayugas were missing from the box! So they (Metzer) sent the 2 cayugas the next week. The male was very small and weak and runty so we ended up dividing our brooder box because the geese were already huge and stepping on him. But they're just divided by chicken wire.
We've taken them out in the evenings and let them explore the grass and yard but last night it was raining so we didn't go out. We have to clean the brooder daily because the geese are a MESS so we let them roam the garage but they don't go far and there was nothing on the floor. But being separated, the cayuga side of the pen is usually pretty clean. (we still clean it)
The male runt has been doing well and growing but last night was walking and then lying down and seemed tired so I suggested we put them in the sink to let him swim around and strengthen his legs (we did this with a rouen ducking last year and it helped tremendously....I'm sure I read that suggestion here!!). They both swam around for a bit and we dried them off and put them back on their side of the brooder. About 15 minutes later, my husband heard a commotion and thought it was the geese. He looked and the (healthy!) female cayuga was having a seizure. Of course I jump on here and read dozens of stories and it seems like a somewhat common occurrence. But as the night progressed, she had multiple seizures and is now lying flat on her back in the pen. I gave her some electrolytes and then also some water with ACV in a dropper and she drinks it. But she doesn't look well. It's now been about 14 hours but she's hanging in there. I went back to give her more water a few minutes ago, and the little male runt began having a seizure as well. And suddenly he doesn't look great, his breathing seems labored and he's shaking. I immediately removed my crested and geese from the other side of the brooder and they're in a dog crate temporarily.
As I said, they're in the same brooder we've raised all our ducklings in. With pine shavings. There's a heat lamp still on the cayuga side. We were already giving them nutridrench in the water and brewers yeast in the food for the runt. The only thing they might have eaten off the floor is some bird seed, which our big ducks eat all the time and left a mess. Now I don't think it was something they ate since the second one is sick.
I'm just at a loss of what it could be and what to do! Obviously, this is something that comes on fast because they were both perfectly FINE yesterday.
I'm also worried about my other ducklings and geese if this is some sort of disease. I have a pretty good duck first aid kit, but no antibiotics.
Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions! I'm sick about this. Unfortunately, there are no avian vets nearby and the closest one is closed until Monday.
