why are my ducks dying???

[brett hatton]

I had 2 appleyard ducks,2 Aylesbury ducks & a drake-i have had an appleyard go off her legs for some reason & die, & now i have an aylesbury duck go off her legs-im hoping shes not going to die!
They are all roughly the same age,a couple of years old,but why have they gone off their legs ??? any ideas anyone? What could it be? Hip problem?

 

[Amiga]

Can you give more details? If you can get to a vet, do so.

They may have been poisoned - gotten into something toxic, it could be mold, or bacteria.

You can give them a teaspoon of food grade activated charcoal in a cup of water - see if they will drink some of that.

Take a look at this

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/700526/flushes-for-aiding-in-toxin-removal#post_9508213

 

[myfinefeatheredfriends]

It could be a vitamin deficiency. Try giving them powdered vitamins from the feed store in their water for a week and see. Also some meat breed ducks die of heart attacks as they get older. A couple years could be considered "old" for a meat duck, both of which Alyesbury and Appeared fall under.

 

[casportpony]

I had 2 appleyard ducks,2 Aylesbury ducks & a drake-i have had an appleyard go off her legs for some reason & die, & now i have an aylesbury duck go off her legs-im hoping shes not going to die!
They are all roughly the same age,a couple of years old,but why have they gone off their legs ??? any ideas anyone? What could it be? Hip problem?

Welcome to BYC and sorry for your loss.

If you live in the US many States offer free or low cost necropsy services.

Some labs listed by State:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

How to send fro necropsy:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

-Kathy

 

[kuntrygirl]

What are you feeding them? Do you have any stray/feral cats around?

 

[brett hatton]

No we don't have any stray or feral cats around. we do have crows & Gulls that come for food though.
The 2nd duck that has fell ill seems to have recovered,but then so did the other one before she died...........!
Im pretty sure it is their hips as they are quite fat-my fault probably as we run a restaurant, so they have all the leftovers!!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

No we don't have any stray or feral cats around. we do have crows & Gulls that come for food though.
The 2nd duck that has fell ill seems to have recovered,but then so did the other one before she died...........!
Im pretty sure it is their hips as they are quite fat-my fault probably as we run a restaurant, so they have all the leftovers!!!

What do you consider fat? Do you know about how much they weigh?

It's probably not their weight. What are you feeding them?

 

[casportpony]

Two things I can think of that could make a duck not want to walk are bumble foot, which they could die from if not treated and gout. Gout could very well kill them. Do a search for visceral gout in poultry.

-Kathy