snails

[tracyfuertevent]

hi i have a big problem harriet my muskovy has started eating snail shells,yesterday i got 32 from her ,today another 20 ,
i started to feel them just below her neck so i used my fingers to push them back up and got her to spit them out ,i dont want to cause her any harm by doung this but when yo hear rattling shells in her lower throat it is very worrying any help or ideas will be more than welome x

 

[Speceider]

Not sure why you're worried, snails are a common duck food. They won't hurt her.

Clint

 

[laughingdog]

What kind of snail shells, large or small, land/garden or sea snail shells, and from live snails or from empty shells from beach or accent? my scovys love garden snails and haven't had trouble so far since got july 1st, aand they made ducklings, though eggshells were like stone. lol. Thatsaid people feed oster dhell for grit and calcium, so maybe craving that if eating empty shells. hope someone else that knows more comes along, and good luck.

 

[laughingdog]

Wait till they start catching and eating small rodents even digging out voles and stealing from cats, that's kinda gross.. as mine beat them on ground or stomp to moosh or tear apart with claws. they love snakes (they'll surround a copperhead and antagonize till it gets exausted then whip around then tear apart), wasps and fire ants too, seeming to no ill effects (were my chickens ate wasps and they swelled and got sick needing vet help every time).

 

[tracyfuertevent]

they are empty snail shells about 1-2cm,i am worried as she doesnt crush them or digest them they just seem to sit in her lower throat
so shall i just leave alone ie will they break down in her stomach naturally

 

[Speceider]

they are empty snail shells about 1-2cm,i am worried as she doesnt crush them or digest them they just seem to sit in her lower throat
so shall i just leave alone ie will they break down in her stomach naturally

They'll pass to the gizzard and be broken down and serve are a calcium source....nothing to worry about.

Clint

 

[laughingdog]

Were is she getting these empty snail shells from? Sounds normal to be eating them but never noticed them just rattling around empty. Is she getting enough water to stick whole head in and move it around? does she have access to grit, crushed oster shell, ect, sand, clay, pea gravel or other small gravel/stones, sand stone, lime stone, and/or shailect? Mine have access to all but sand stone and lime stone i think now. they also plot and squish around crops to aid in this against stumps logs ect that they love to perch on. if worried about impaction you could try cage bird grit that I've used on all but ducks (i just stopped buying as was already in feeds, also no birds of mine would eat oster shell, except ducks that never offered to yet), called 'gravel n grit' that used to get from wal-mart, and never had trouble except two rescue birds just got pigging out and puking back up most as never had grit or too much food before. so some shouldn't hurt a scovy (these rescues were doves).