The Duck Thread

[jtn42248]

What kind of environment are the ducks living in? That duck is seriously ill and needs medical care and attention. For her to get that infected indicates some serious health issues probably related to environment. Are the other ducks in this bad a condition?

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Pink, please do what @Amykins and @jtn42248 are advising you to do. That photo actually made me cry. The bill is just the worst of what you're seeing. The duck doesn't look healthy otherwise. Even its eye and plumage don't look the way they should in a healthy duck. We will be more than happy to try to locate an avian vet for you if you don't have one.

 

[pinksapphire]

Thank you for your help, just two out of my 8 ducks have this on there beaks, I have been away for ten days and just returned to find there beaks like this, they are free ranging ducks on a large area with access to clean water all day.
yes this ones feathers are not healthy but all other 6 ducks look perfectly healthy, what could this be caused by?
I will do as you say and look into a vet that will treat my ducks.

 

[jtn42248]

Thank you for your help, just two out of my 8 ducks have this on there beaks, I have been away for ten days and just returned to find there beaks like this, they are free ranging ducks on a large area with access to clean water all day.
yes this ones feathers are not healthy but all other 6 ducks look perfectly healthy, what could this be caused by?
I will do as you say and look into a vet that will treat my ducks.

Please do followup with what the vet says. I have never seen an infection that bad and am really curious as to what could have caused it. If they free range most or all of the time it could be so many things and for it to progress to this point in only 10 days make me worry even more for your other birds.

 

[caesargirl]

Thank you for your help, just two out of my 8 ducks have this on there beaks, I have been away for ten days and just returned to find there beaks like this,  they are free ranging ducks on a large area with access to clean water all day.
yes this ones feathers are not healthy but all other 6 ducks look perfectly healthy, what could this be caused by? 
I will do as you say and look into a vet that will treat my ducks.

Until those ducks get to a vet, which must happen....
Put apple cider vinegar in their water and keep them isolated from the rest of your flock. But they need a vet. Good luck.

 

[pinksapphire]

Thank you will do

 

[caesargirl]

This is Martini! Thanks to some great people here she has survived a very rough start.
Store bought egg, hatched 3 days early, VERY sticky, ruptured yolk.... Thank you Lamps!!

 

[caesargirl]

Thank you will do

Two tbsps per gallon. In my opinion I would also give them a bath in the tub with some Epsom salt. Supervised. It's a laxative too, so no drinking. Perhaps also nutridrench too.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Please do followup with what the vet says. I have never seen an infection that bad and am really curious as to what could have caused it. If they free range most or all of the time it could be so many things and for it to progress to this point in only 10 days make me worry even more for your other birds.

I'm wondering if this could be some type of fungal infection rather than bacterial. If it is, the treatment would be completely different. I know the duck won't be harmed by what @caesargirl suggested, but I also don't know if the duck will be able to tolerate it. That looks painful, and vinegar burns even if it's diluted. However, there's certainly no harm in giving it a try. Maybe some Neosporin without pain reliever? That's not going to work if it's fungal, but I'm grasping at straws.

@Amiga have you seen anything like this?

 

[Amiga]

If it is bacterial it may foam up if you drop a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide on it. Have a small bottle of water available to rinse it off immediately if it does start foaming. I agree, a good duck vet's help would be really good.

Oregano tea (one teaspoon oregano in 8 ounces of hot water, then cooled) dribbled on the bill may help. Vetericyn may help but not as much if it is -corrected- fungal. For all we know it is viral. Pau D'arco is an anti fungal tea.

Epsom salt maybe anti fungal - and yes, it is a laxative so you might consider a compress (soaked rag with which to dab the Epsom salt solution on the bill).

Coconut oil might also be something to try - it is said to be anti fungal.

These are just some ideas - this is something I have not seen before.

If they are not already getting some poultry vitamins in their water, I'd give that to them at night for a couple of nights.