Sudden ducking death

Sounds like it may have been DVE


Duck viral enteritis (DVE) is a herpes virus infection and affects birds above two weeks of age. It is often associated with access to swimming water and high morbidity and mortality can occur. Transmission is mainly by infected (wild) birds. Recovered birds may carry the virus for years. Sudden deaths, a drop in egg production, photophobia, thirst, severe diarrhoea, dehydration and ataxia are clinical symptoms. Post-mortem lesions include severe enteritis, crusty plaques from the oesophagus to the bursa, and haemorrhage in body cavities and various organs. No treatment is available, but preventative vaccines are used in various countries
If it was suffering from ataxia like you were saying that is.
 
Sounds like it may have been DVE


Duck viral enteritis (DVE) is a herpes virus infection and affects birds above two weeks of age. It is often associated with access to swimming water and high morbidity and mortality can occur. Transmission is mainly by infected (wild) birds. Recovered birds may carry the virus for years. Sudden deaths, a drop in egg production, photophobia, thirst, severe diarrhoea, dehydration and ataxia are clinical symptoms. Post-mortem lesions include severe enteritis, crusty plaques from the oesophagus to the bursa, and haemorrhage in body cavities and various organs. No treatment is available, but preventative vaccines are used in various countries
We can't really diagnose a disease on the internet without proper training. They would need a necropsy done at this point. DVE would affect their other ducks as well. Furthermore, the OP didn't describe the majority of the symptoms that go along with DVE. :confused:
I do feel like all of the info has not been given at this point. We are only other duck owners not veterinarians. So, hopefully the OP can think about what has been said and think about their arrangement for their current poultry and future poultry.
 
@Amelia ducks - one more question, where were the ducks when you picked them up and brought them inside?
when I came home from school At 4:00 or was raining so I went inside at 8:40 I went outside to put my ducks that had escaped in the pen but the ducking was dead I looked at his friend and she was just barely holding on to life so I took her inside and gave her food and water(wich she was not interested in at all) then I went and bought the other duck inside
 
@Amelia ducks - one more question, where were the ducks when you picked them up and brought them inside?
They were outside in the pen and they were sitting down the boy was dead on the side but it looked like the girl had tried to go back in side but her legs gave out when I looked at them they weren’t skin and bone but the veins were very prominent I’ll send a pic
 
BE8EB347-54B1-42D0-9DB5-AECD4CCAE491.jpeg
 
So there is a heat lamp inside your coop? If it was from getting cold I would say it had more to do with it being an extreme temp change from inside to going outside. I wouldn't want a heat lamp inside my coop personally for the fear of fire. . and I would want the ducklings to be weaned off of needing a heat lamp before I let them have access to coming and going outside at will.
There are probably a thousand possibilities of what could have happened. Ducks muddle around so much in the ground they could have ingested anything . . and I would guess being housed with chickens would add to the possibilities of stuff they could have eaten.
So sorry for your loss and I wish there was a more clear answer for you as to what happened. :hugs
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom