Register or log in:

Farming Friends Forum » Ducks

dead hen and poorly duck?

(17 posts)

Tags:


  1. dollydylo
    Member

    Hi all

    This morning I went into the hen house to check for eggs, to discover the queen (our light sussex hen as named by the kids) was dead on the floor. She had just grown new feathers after moulting, but had never seemed herself since and as she was still eating/drinking we just assumed that she was getting her strength back. Of course finding her dead was a shock.

    I have just been out to give the ducks more food and have noticed that one of them stood back (which they are prone to do at times) when the others went to eat. There was one extra duck egg on the floor near her (we have only been getting two eggs from 4 ducks these past weeks), and her breathing seems slightly more laboured than the others. I filled up the pond next to her and she had a drink, but had no desire to then check for bugs in the mud with the others.
    She seems to also have a slight limp, but I can't see anything obvious and she won't let me near. I have looked out the window and she is sat down away from the others which again, they are prone to do at times.
    Does anyone have any idea what could be up or any advice as to what I could do? I'm not sure whether to think the hen and duck are connected, or if this is just coincidence.
    All four ducks have just finished moulting and their new feathers are grown.
    help!!!

    Karen x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. m40mo
    Administrator

    ahh Karen so sorry what a shock for you, the first thing has to be is there anyway they could have got to the poision, after that egg bound could be a thought,is there somewhere you could put the poorly duck on her own in the warm, warmth can help if egg bound, not easy for you now its dark but when I knew candy was egg bound i put her in a paddleing pool with warm water and it did the trick
    maybe some sugared water for energy to x
    hope she gets better for you soon x

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. sussiodo
    Member

    I agree with M40mo. separate her, and sugared water .
    Also check the leg , i have one at the min , with a damaged leg , We separated her today and put a splint on it ...so hopefully we see results .
    Hope she gets better xx

    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. dollydylo
    Member

    Hi there
    I think she may have hurt her foot on the pallet we used to segregate the area off when we had the rat poison down (so I don't think they could have eaten any). It is now flat on the floor and sort of in the way? I'll move that tomorrow.
    She was still sitting when I went to lock them up, but facing us rather than away as before, and a bit more interested in what was happening. She got up and went in with the others, and then of course I got access to the site and saw your responses!
    Fingers crossed she will be kept warm by her fellow ducks in the night, and in the morning I will have sugared water (any particular quantity per ltr?)ready for her. I can put her in the garage if required, so will put down clean hay in the 'sick bay' area we have sectioned in the morning and hope she will be ok with me handling her.
    thanks again x

    Karen x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. m40mo
    Administrator

    fingers crossed for you Karen, guess you will be nervous going in in the morning lets hope you find a nice big egg and a happy duck xx

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. campbell ridge
    Administrator

    Hi Karen, I'm really sorry to hear of your loss and present predicament but my gut reaction is that somehow they have picked up the rat poison. I know some people have used it successfully but I would never risk it around any of my animals. A rat could have thrown up somewhere and the hen and ducks could then have picked up a bit. No matter how minute the amount it is so highly toxic but even so can take up to 14 days to kill a rat.
    To help the ducks I would give them copious fresh water to bathe and drink to flush them through and pen them and the chickens well away from any possibly toxic areas. The limp may could be caused by anything but if her liver is inflamed from poisons this could also make her limp.
    I sincerely hope I am wrong.
    Sarah.

    Sarah L
    Posted 1 year ago #

  7. dollydylo
    Member

    Hi Sarah
    I don't think this is the case with the Queen, but is definitely a possibility with our duck....
    I gave them fresh bathing water this afternoon and drinking water, and will be very vigilant with this tomorrow too, with the addition of sugared water.
    I will be very anxious when letting them out in the morning and hope it is a huge egg and happy duck rather than what I found this morning in the hen house... Thanks again for all your advise and support
    x

    Karen x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  8. gillybean65
    Member

    I hope that your Duck is OK so sorry to hear of your hen it's a terrible shock to find them like that, very heartbreaking too. Good luck and I hope she keeps improving

    Best Wishes

    Gill

    Posted 1 year ago #

  9. m40mo
    Administrator

    really hope all is well this morning Karen, we were lucky this spring to find where rats were coming into our garden and were able to put the bait boxes well away from the ducks, not sure about rats been sick but have to say even though the poision was in solid block form we did find spills of it on the outside of the boxes, which we of course cleaned up, it does show though they can clearly carry the poision on their feet,
    really hopeing this isnt the cause of your problems but something people do need to be aware of, would I use it again, yes I would, but like I said before we only saw rats after dark while the ducks were saftly locked away, you saw them in the day and something had to be done x

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  10. dollydylo
    Member

    Hi All

    Thankfully (and touching lots of wood) my little duck seems ok this morning... headed straight for food and water with the others when I let them out, and was much chattier than yesterday. I will keep a close eye throughout the day just incase she has a relapse.

    Regarding the rat poison, the ducks wouldn't have had any access to it when it was out for the rats, although I hadn't thought of rat vomit etc. Hopefully laying the egg yesterday was the cause of my ducks discomfort rather than anything else more sinister.

    thanks again for your help and messages!

    Karen x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  11. m40mo
    Administrator

    ahh thats great news Karen x

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  12. dollydylo
    Member

    Good morning all!!

    Well, as some of you are aware my little duck seemed to slow down as the day progressed yesterday, and as I was unable to catch her I filled their pond with clean warm water and shepherded her in there. She drank a lot but didn't really sit in it. She went to bed with all the others again.
    This morning there are two formed eggs in the nest, plus a large lump of egg white and separate egg white and yolk, so I am hoping this is from my poorly duck. They all came out fine to drink, rummage and eat.
    Mo has given me the tip of throwing a blanket to catch her with minimum stress if required today, so I will try the warm pond trick again today and see how I get on. Fingers crossed again!
    xx

    Karen x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  13. m40mo
    Administrator

    hi karen i'm hoping thats a good sign that she has now passed what was troubling her, fingers crossed she doesnt go unwell again later today x

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  14. dollydylo
    Member

    Hi Mo
    She seems in good form still so far and is keeping with the others more too.. lets hope!
    xx

    Karen x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  15. Lorna
    Member

    Hello Karen,
    Sorry you lost the hen, hope the duck is well soon. One of my calls Faith was very dull a few years back as she has problems always with egg laying, she laid an unshelled egg eventually and that was the first thing that helped her when she got rid of it. Hope all the bad rats have gone.

    Best Wishes
    Lorna

    Posted 1 year ago #

  16. dollydylo
    Member

    Hi Lorna

    Thanks for your message... rats seem to be gone now (touch wood) and duck seems to be back to full health now (I'll just touch that wood again!). No further eggs from her but her breathing is fine again and her rear doesn't seem to be pulsating like she is trying to get an egg out. Phew!
    xx

    Karen x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  17. m40mo
    Administrator

    very good news indeed Karen xx

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.