Update on the Egg Laying Mystery: Tested the Water

[FenDruadin]

Tivona, thank you so much for all your thoughtful help & research. I contacted the city yesterday and they said I needed to talk to the county, which made no sense, but I tried it anyway. The county pushed me around to various people until I finally got someone today who said I needed to talk to the city. Love bureaucracy.

Anyway, the short of it is that they won't even consider coming out to test unless I have results from a certified lab (no deal on home tests). I'm currently in process of home testing the kitchen water. If I get a positive result again, then I guess I'll have to get the city to test the water at the road, and a certified lab to test it in the home.

I don't see how it could have come from our property unless the previous owners really dowsed the area. We very deliberately never use pesticides or herbicides on the property. Will keep you updated.

 

[Amiga]

Another thought, iamcuriositycat, is to begin now adding some activated charcoal powder to the birds' water. It absorbs toxins, and might help get them started detoxing.

Still another thought was rainwater capture. I don't know all your particulars, but it may help, especially if you can catch some off a roof and route it into barrels that can then be tapped for bird drinking water, even bathing water.

Just ideas. Bravo for your determination to find out what gives!

I hope many read this topic!

 

[FenDruadin]

Just came across this thread again, almost a year later, and thought I'd provide an update:

So I tested the household water, and there was nothing untoward in the house water (thank GOODNESS).

Did a little more sleuthing and discovered that the plastic used in cheap outdoor hoses contains chemicals with a similar (or exact) profile to the pesticides in question.

I installed a charcoal filter on the outdoor hose.

Within about two months, the birds started laying again. The silkies have been productive and fertile since.

The ducks never fully recovered laying ability, nor do the eggs appear to be fertile (tested in both my incubator and someone else's, several attempts). This could be the male's problem, or it could be the eggs themselves. Haven't tried to establish cause. They do lay some, just not much.

The quail became extremely productive, though fertility also seems to have failed.

Both the quail and the ducks were exposed for longer than the silkies, so length of exposure may have affected fertility. Again, this is an educated guess and I've not tested it.

It does seem clear, however, that chemicals leaching out of the hose are the likely suspects. Good to know for anyone who uses cheap hoses to transport water for their birds. Next time I buy hoses, I'll go for some designed to handle potable water. They're expensive, but will be worth it in the long run. In the meantime, I just keep a charcoal filter on the end of the hose at all times.

Thanks for all the help, and I'll let you know if I learn anything else.

 

[Amiga]

Very good information, thanks! I think of your situation whenever I read a post about ducks not laying.