Why did this happen?

[DucksOhio]

This happened to one of my ducks. And I'm still not totally sure what happened. But the suddenness of it makes me think it was something she injested. It had been raining a lot at the time and there were a few mushrooms in the yard. I thought maybe she had ate one or got into a poisonous plant. It is pretty devastating. I'm so sorry!

Oh my gosh. We just had a big rain yesterday after a dry spell. The ducks love to forage in and after the rain, and being fall here, I wonder if she may have eaten some fungus that was some harmful spore. That may be a good explanation. All I feel tonight I such sadness and guilt...I can't help but feel I did something wrong.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thank yo these are good questions. We have small box turtles, no snappers. The other ducks swim fine, even after the ducks death.

I supply 10 gallons of fresh water in the duck house every night before they go in, and clean, scrub their food and water bowls daily.

my brain is failing for possibilities. Have you ever given them any worm medication? I don't suppose you considered sending her off for necropsy?

Let me tag some others.
@casportpony @Miss Lydia @Ravynscroft @Pyxis @Debs Flock

 

[DucksOhio]

Did you by chance do an autopsy to just see what you might find?

Thank you for asking. No I didn't think of that. We immediately dug a 5' deep burial spot for my girl to keep her from predators.

Do you think that may have helped?

 

[CayugaJana]

Oh my gosh. We just had a big rain yesterday after a dry spell. The ducks love to forage in and after the rain, and being fall here, I wonder if she may have eaten some fungus that was some harmful spore. That may be a good explanation. All I feel tonight I such sadness and guilt...I can't help but feel I did something wrong.

Don't beat yourself up too bad. You do your best but like kids you can't watch them 24/7. And if it was something like a mushroom, there's nothing you can do about that. They will pop up and you can't really prevent them.

 

[DucksOhio]

my brain is failing for possibilities. Have you ever given them any worm medication? I don't suppose you considered sending her off for necropsy?

Let me tag some others.
@casportpony @Miss Lydia @Ravynscroft @Pyxis @Debs Flock

Thank you!
Should the ducks have worm medicine? Oh my gosh, if so,how do I get this?

 

[Pyxis]

Was she already laying, do you know? I think WV asked this earlier but I didn't see it answered.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Thank you!
Should the ducks have worm medicine? Oh my gosh, if so,how do I get this?

So sorry for your loss!
Go to your vet appt tomorrow... take fecal samples from as many of your remaining ducks as you can, put them in a baggie and ask him to do a fecal float for you...

Many intestinal worms are carried by earthworms, slugs and snails... a good rain brings more of those out, so a worm overload is quite possible...

18% protein feed is plenty for ducks, btw...

 

[DucksOhio]

So sorry for your loss!
Go to your vet appt tomorrow... take fecal samples from as many of your remaining ducks as you can, put them in a baggie and ask him to do a fecal float for you...

Many intestinal worms are carried by earthworms, slugs and snails... a good rain brings more of those out, so a worm overload is quite possible...

18% protein feed is plenty for ducks, btw...

That is a great suggestion, thank you. The ducks certainly poop plenty overnight in the house. This is information I could really use.

 

[DucksOhio]

Was she already laying, do you know? I think WV asked this earlier but I didn't see it answered.

Yes, they started laying about 5 weeks ago. I collect about 4 eggs every morning from 6 laying ducks. (2 are over 1 years old)
Thank you for your input!

 

[DuckMochi]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I just lost my 8 month old Cayuga two days ago due to her eating a scorpion. She pretty much became paralyzed. She threw the thing up before she passed so we knew what killed her. Maybe she ate something? Do you have any venomous insects in your area that can do severe damage?