The Duck Thread

[melton68]

Hello. I don't know that I am posting in the proper spot. My second Peking duck died in the coop and I don't know why. She hadn't laid in a while. I lost another one the same way last year. Any ideas? This one stopped laying along with my chickens when I brought a new baby duck home. Thank you!!

 

[Drea07]

I have an ill duck I need a hand with. She started acting off two days ago, in the morning she was fine, when my husband went to feed the ducks in the evening, he said she was just lying on the ramp to the coop making funny sounds (almost the sounds of a person shivering) and would not move when everyone else went in the coop. (They walked on her and she just sat there.) When my husband went to pick her up, she started running from him, but he said she seemed a bit wobbly. He brought her in and put her in the tub with water, cleaned her up and checked her over for injuries. He could find nothing wrong and she was cleaning herself in the water. So he put her back out with the flock.
Later on I came home, and she was again just laying in the coop run, she did get up and follow the flock when I went in. I again looked her over and she seems okay. Her eyes are clear and alert, nothing coming out of her nose, beak wasn't dull, legs and feet had no cuts, breathing fine, feathers still looked good.
The next morning, I went out to feed the ducks before work and this time you could see she is physically weak and using her wings to keep her balance when trying to walk. I noticed she keeps wagging her tail A LOT. So I brought her in the house, put her in a kennel with fresh food and water.
When I got home from work I checked on her and she had not touched her food or water all day. She is still alert but using her wings even more to get around, her poo was green and white solid with some water to it. Her breathing when she is excited sounds labored, but when calm she is breathing fine again.
Her eyes dialate normal, still clear and alert, and still nothing coming from her nose. Checked her vent and it looked good too.

Using the Homestead Duck and Goose feed, same stuff for months, and none of the others are having issues.


Thoughts please?

 

[Julie Birb]

Hello. I don't know that I am posting in the proper spot. My second Peking duck died in the coop and I don't know why. She hadn't laid in a while. I lost another one the same way last year. Any ideas? This one stopped laying along with my chickens when I brought a new baby duck home. Thank you!!

oh, I am so sorry. Sad that happened. Try to get ahold of Amiga and/or Miss Lydia.

 

[Julie Birb]

I have an ill duck I need a hand with. She started acting off two days ago, in the morning she was fine, when my husband went to feed the ducks in the evening, he said she was just lying on the ramp to the coop making funny sounds (almost the sounds of a person shivering) and would not move when everyone else went in the coop. (They walked on her and she just sat there.) When my husband went to pick her up, she started running from him, but he said she seemed a bit wobbly. He brought her in and put her in the tub with water, cleaned her up and checked her over for injuries. He could find nothing wrong and she was cleaning herself in the water. So he put her back out with the flock. 
Later on I came home, and she was again just laying in the coop run, she did get up and follow the flock when I went in. I again looked her over and she seems okay. Her eyes are clear and alert, nothing coming out of her nose, beak wasn't dull, legs and feet had no cuts, breathing fine, feathers still looked good. 
The next morning, I went out to feed the ducks before work and this time you could see she is physically weak and using her wings to keep her balance when trying to walk. I noticed she keeps wagging her tail A LOT. So I brought her in the house, put her in a kennel with fresh food and water.
When I got home from work I checked on her and she had not touched her food or water all day. She is still alert but using her wings even more to get around, her poo was green and white solid with some water to it. Her breathing when she is excited sounds labored, but when calm she is breathing fine again. 
Her eyes dialate normal, still clear and alert, and still nothing coming from her nose. Checked her vent and it looked good too. 

Using the Homestead Duck and Goose feed, same stuff for months, and none of the others are having issues. 


Thoughts please?

Oh poor sweetheart. Try Amiga or Miss Lydia. They are awesome members who are so helpful.

 

[Debs Flock]

I have an ill duck I need a hand with. She started acting off two days ago, in the morning she was fine, when my husband went to feed the ducks in the evening, he said she was just lying on the ramp to the coop making funny sounds (almost the sounds of a person shivering) and would not move when everyone else went in the coop. (They walked on her and she just sat there.) When my husband went to pick her up, she started running from him, but he said she seemed a bit wobbly. He brought her in and put her in the tub with water, cleaned her up and checked her over for injuries. He could find nothing wrong and she was cleaning herself in the water. So he put her back out with the flock.
Later on I came home, and she was again just laying in the coop run, she did get up and follow the flock when I went in. I again looked her over and she seems okay. Her eyes are clear and alert, nothing coming out of her nose, beak wasn't dull, legs and feet had no cuts, breathing fine, feathers still looked good.
The next morning, I went out to feed the ducks before work and this time you could see she is physically weak and using her wings to keep her balance when trying to walk. I noticed she keeps wagging her tail A LOT. So I brought her in the house, put her in a kennel with fresh food and water.
When I got home from work I checked on her and she had not touched her food or water all day. She is still alert but using her wings even more to get around, her poo was green and white solid with some water to it. Her breathing when she is excited sounds labored, but when calm she is breathing fine again.
Her eyes dialate normal, still clear and alert, and still nothing coming from her nose. Checked her vent and it looked good too.

Using the Homestead Duck and Goose feed, same stuff for months, and none of the others are having issues.


Thoughts please?

This is puzzling. I'll tag some experts for help here and on the melton68 post.

@Amiga
@casportpony
@jtn42248
@caesargirl
@needlessjunk

 

[caesargirl]

First thing I give any animal/ person when weak/poorly is electrolytes. Also nutridrench is a way to go.
Is she eating/drinking? Parasites sound like a possibility. Have you checked your other ducks poo?? Ducks are excellent at hiding illness. Anything toxic... Plants, chemicals....? Most of the country is HOT, can she cool off, is she panting? You said labored breathing, is it wet sounding?
Sorry I'm so stattaco when I type!

 

[Amiga]

My first thoughts - Egg yolk peritonitis, in which case she could really use a good duck vet to confirm, but in any case antibiotics would be the way to go - Baytril is often used for this.

Hardware disease - having swallowed metal - again, a vet is really helpful for this - but some food grade activated charcoal in the water might absorb a few of the toxins till she can get help . . .

Egg binding - an egg stuck in the oviduct, needs to come out so they don't build up inside her and possibly break, causing egg yolk peritonitis. 200 mg calcium dose initially, I would do again after several hours - as much time as possible in a tub of lukewarm water - be sure to monitor her for a while to make sure she can safely float.

 

[jtn42248]

I too am completely baffled. Like mentioned before offer her enhanced nutrition like electrolytes etc. But, if she is not eating or drinking there is probably something seriously wrong. I would isolate her from the other ducks as a precaution. Keep my eye on her and hope for the best. She may not make it and she may just get up and act as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

Ducks can be very ill and you would never know it. However, if she is weak and wing walking I would suspect either parasites or some toxin (bug or plant) that she ingested.

 

[Amiga]

Consider you may want to help her get nutrients through tube feeding. @casportpony has posted information about that - please let us know if you need help finding it, if you want to go that way.

 

[Drea07]

First thing I give any animal/ person when weak/poorly is electrolytes. Also nutridrench is a way to go.
Is she eating/drinking? Parasites sound like a possibility. Have you checked your other ducks poo?? Ducks are excellent at hiding illness. Anything toxic... Plants, chemicals....? Most of the country is HOT, can she cool off, is she panting? You said labored breathing, is it wet sounding?
Sorry I'm so stattaco when I type!

She is isn't panting, eating or drinking. She's in the basement with AC now, so she is cool. If you looked at her, you would think she is just laying down, until she moves, then it is obvious something is wrong. Her labored breathing sounds dry and only happens when she is excited.

Checked on everyone else and all is good. No one else has been sick and poo looks normal.