Sudden Gosling/Duckling Death

[greenfamilyfarms]

I came home today, and went about doing my daily animal chores. I filled up the water fount in the gosling and duckling brooder and then left to feed the others. They were perfectly fine - making baby goose and duck sounds and drinking water and eating. I went back into the barn and both of the goslings and one duckling are laying on their backs, flopping around like fish! They died within minutes. I looked in their mouths and no food that could cause them to choke.

What in the world could have caused this? This was so strange. Absolutely no signs of sickness or disease. They were 10 days old. The remaining two ducklings are just fine.

Any ideas?

 

[asher]

I have no idea, but Barnyard just posted what sounded like very similar symptoms here
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=157095

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

They didnt run out of water, correct? Otherwise, when you filled up the waterer they could have drank so much they drowned themselves.

They are on non-medicated feed, right?

 

[redhen]

Quote:
they'll drink so much to drown themselves??? i never knew that!

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
They are on non-medicated gamebird starter and they had almost ran out of water. The water that I filled it back up with was out of the garden hose, kind of luke-warm because the sun had warmed it up.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
they'll drink so much to drown themselves??? i never knew that!

Yes. If they run out of water for a while, and you fill it back up, they can actually drink themselves to death.

That is why when you by goslings/ducklings shipped to you, you are supposed to give them water for about 10 min, then take it away for 10 min, give it back for 10 min, until you do that a couple of times.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

But why today? They are 10 days old. Weird.

 

[Barnyard]

Oh wow!! That is unreal that we had the same thing happen to us at about the same time. I am still at a total loss. Thanks for giving me this link.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
they'll drink so much to drown themselves??? i never knew that!

Yes. If they run out of water for a while, and you fill it back up, they can actually drink themselves to death.

That is why when you by goslings/ducklings shipped to you, you are supposed to give them water for about 10 min, then take it away for 10 min, give it back for 10 min, until you do that a couple of times.

i never knew that! thanks for telling me!

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
Maybe yours will live.