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Sick duck - advice please

(14 posts)

  1. Partridge
    Member

    I would be hugely grateful for some anecdotal help with my duck. We have 2 ducks (kahki Campbell and Swedish) and one drake that I hatched on Christmas eve.

    They are kept in an enclosure with chickens (with a separate house that they are shut in at night time) and let out to forage most days. They have fresh water every day although it is filthy within minutes and are fed on corn, layers mash and sometimes rice or pasta with veg.

    One of the ducks seemed unwell a few days ago - isolated from the other ducks (seemingly voluntarily), slightly laboured breathing (heaving sides), slow (not staggering) and ponderous. Just very off-colour. We took her to the vet who was slightly bewildered (not a duck expert) but took a stool sample which had a tiny bit of blood and seemed concerned about her breathing.

    The vet gave her an antibiotic injection and a vitamin b injection and told us she was hugely under-weight. Since we brought her home she has improved a lot despite a fairly negative prognosis and is now quacking and joining in with the flock. She is drinking a lot but still not eating a huge amount and her droppings are very runny with no White in them (but it seems no blood either).

    I am just not sure what our next move should be. Do we just observe her? I am worried that she might just starve to death. She really is very perky now and a different duck in terms of her behaviour, but I don't wakened to suffer and am not quite sure what to watch out for. Should we change her diet? I am about to go foraging for some slugs for her!

    Any advice or similar experiences gratefully received! Thanks very much.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  2. Partridge
    Member

    Sorry, she was also wormed.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  3. hello Partridge how old are the ducks and which is it thats unwell, only asking as wondering if you are getting egggs from them both,does she look underweight to you, as you say the vet dosnt know much about ducks, I have 3 khaki girls and the size difference is amazing between them but wouldn't say the smallest was under weight at all
    and what breed is the drake, born at christmas he maybe wanting to mate with the girls which could be causing your poorly girl some stress
    by the way they should find their own slugs and alot of us noticed last summer that they didnt eat much of their pellet food when they were finding and eating lots of bugs,
    Mo

    mo x
    Posted 2 years ago #
  4. Partridge
    Member

    Thank you very much for your advice. They were all hatched at the same time from a mixed batch of eggs (unrelated). I did get her some woodlice and slugs and she gobbled them up with a relish I rarely see where the pellets are concerned. The reason I think she is underweight is that her keel is very prominent when I pick her up and isn't in the others. The drake is a khaki.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  5. Partridge
    Member

    Ps they are not laying yet.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  6. ahh ok I read it as just the drake was hatched at christmas so no they wont be laying yet, not sure whats wrong with her then as your vet has given antibiotics and vitamins they should cure most things you could try a tonic in the water
    one thing you did say layer mash they should really still be on grower pellets until they begin laying

    mo x
    Posted 2 years ago #
  7. Partridge
    Member

    Oh great. I'll go get some.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  8. lets hope she preferes them and they should have the right ingredients to help put abit of weight on

    mo x
    Posted 2 years ago #
  9. campbell ridge
    Administrator

    Hi, I wonder if perhaps she has worms - lung worm in particular, which is transmitted from some slugs and worms.
    - which in turn can cause runny droppings. The worming the vet gave her may take a few days to work, but in the meantime feed her up with pasta, green veg and growers pellets.
    A simple home remedy for worming is cider vinegar and garlic in their drinking water.

    As her underside is prominent she may be coming into lay. I had this recently with one of my young ducks.

    Sarah L
    Posted 2 years ago #
  10. Partridge
    Member

    Oh brilliant. What great advice everyone. Droppings Are firm today which is great and we have let her come and forage on a new bit of lawn which she is loving.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  11. well thats an improvment already, do they have swimming water as well as drinking water or is that what you meant by fresh water everyday

    mo x
    Posted 2 years ago #
  12. Partridge
    Member

    Yes but quite a shallow pool that is refilled every day. Would swimming water make a difference? I fin it so hard keeping their water clean for longer than 5 minutes.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  13. campbell ridge
    Administrator

    it would help your poorly khaki immensly as they love to swim. A childrens shell sandpit/paddling pool is sufficient allowing for a minimum of 6 inches water. Then she can bathe properly and thoroughly. As you only have 3 ducks you could refill this every two days. Doesn't matter if it's murky. :)
    They may need a step in and a step out (brick or stone etc) until they are used to it.
    We are all on facebook if you want to join us.
    look up farming friends group.

    Sarah L
    Posted 2 years ago #
  14. Lorna
    Member

    Hi Partridge
    How is the duck today?
    I have used epsom salts in water when the ducks seemed off colour, it is an old treatment I think for botulism and sucjh like. Maybe int he future if some of them were off colour again you could try it.

    Best Wishes
    Lorna

    Posted 2 years ago #

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