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Farming Friends Forum » Ducks

1. m40mo
   Administrator

   I don't wish to alarm anyone but there seems to be alot of unexplained sudden deaths and illnesses of ducks and chickens lately, I am very lucky in the shed my ducks sleep they have room for food and water over night and I get to see just how often they eat and drink through out the night and early morning,I except this isnt practical for us all

   my ducks like most are now in for 14 hours over night and as the nights get longer this will rise to 15 maybe 16 hours,
   I wondered if dehydration could be a factor of the birds becoming unwell if you consider how small they actually are, i've been on google and found the following link which covers various symptons in birds with the names of illnesses different symptoms can lead to, hope it helps us all to perhaps find out quickly what may be wrong with any ill birds we may have

   http://poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/diseases_poultry_diagnosis_symptoms.pdf

   mo x

   Posted 1 year ago #

2. campbell ridge
   Administrator

   This is a usefl link but it's a pity the diseases aren't clickable, so used in conjunction with this site, you can investigate symptoms further. http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/Diseases_Of_Poultry

   Dehydration would occur after a sustained period of days/weeks (neglected animals or underlying illness) and I have found my ducks to be fine through the long winter nights without food or water. They know their routine and fill up with food at dusk before retiring. However, due to my flock's lack of egg production, I will try this out for a week or so and see if it helps. Although this doesn't explain why one of them is laying ok, I STILL think mine is due to change of hierarchy and subsequent alteration to the pecking order.
   Watch this space..................

   Sarah L

   Posted 1 year ago #

3. m40mo
   Administrator

   one thing though that does concern me at the moment is allthough the ducks and chickens are used to long winter nights we have been having far higher night time temperatruters than we should which in turn will lead to them being warmer,
   I to have read chickens can go without water for days, not weeks though before showing the effect of dehydration, and the frozen water season is nearly with us to, but not all are the same and dyhydration I read can also be a cause of low egg numbers
   the link covered many symptons which is what we first see of course so a good starting point for anyone with a sick bird, yes its a shame you couldnt just click on the illnesses but easy to type in and follow up x
   I have already saved this link and should I spot anything unusual with my ducks it will defo be my first point of call x
   just found this site and even though i dont like the word laboritory it has some usefull advice for duck owners in it
   http://www.duckhealth.com/duck.html

   mo x

   Posted 1 year ago #

4. pinkpoultry
   Member

   As you know, my little guys are free to drink and eat as they please, all the chickens go to bed (still have to put away all the new ones though!) and the ducks quite often I can hear them eating and drinking in the pitch black, so I think ducks like to have access to water at all times-even though they do make an all mighty mess! But then im not sure, because if its not there then they couldnt drink it, it depends what set up people have if it is suitable for them to have access all the time?

   Posted 1 year ago #

5. crazychick
   Member

   i lost a duck last night for no reason at all! He was called Freddy a white runner about 7 months old so still so young, they all went to be as normal, food and water plenty on a big straw bed in a tin barm, the temp didnt drop last night so wanst the cold!

   He was just lying there :( i dont know if he slipped over and broke something or what! bit scared to put the others to bed tonight! i lost two quail this week too!

   If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck then it could be a cow doing a duck impersonation.
   
   (Miss) Stevie x X x

   Posted 1 year ago #

6. pinkpoultry
   Member

   Oh dear Crazy Chick, thats awful, 3 losses in 1 week! Have you inspected carefully to make sure there are no mites or anything, I would give everything a good clean-runs, houses, feeding equip, storage containers just to eliminate any disease. Hope someone else can help!

   Posted 1 year ago #

7. crazychick
   Member

   i spoke to the man who bread them and he said he lost a couple over night and to bed down the barn with more straw! ive had a good sweep out but i can really was everything dow else it desnt dry in time!

   im going to re design the barn in the summer to be less mite friendly! ive had a good look and cant see anything! its so heart breaking

   If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck then it could be a cow doing a duck impersonation.
   
   (Miss) Stevie x X x

   Posted 1 year ago #

8. m40mo
   Administrator

   so sorry a duck has died unexplained and your quail of course, im no expert but would be surprised if it were red mites at this time of year, and the temperature did drop suddenly last night but would be very surprised if it were that or you would have lost more,
   I do have to say though having seen your photos that the tin barn as you call it will be a very cold and drafty place for your animals should we have a winter like last year, I have the same tin shed that I keep garden tools in and sorry I wouldn't dream of keeping animals in it, the metal will become very cold and cause condensation on the inside leading to alot of damp, if there is some way you can insulate it your animals will be a lot better off, sorry if that sounds rude but felt It needed pointing out

   mo x

   Posted 1 year ago #

9. Mama
   Member

   Think you will have to put a lot more straw down now as they will be cold at night in a metal shed as Mo says condensation too will make it colder.I do hope you don't loose anymore ,poor birds .Are the Quail and other birds all in the same shed ?and how many do you now have . Mama

   Goose Girl

   Posted 1 year ago #

10. crazychick
    Member

    hello there,

    All advice greatly recieved and didnt think it was rude :) Yes they do live in the tin shed/barn but there is a wooden coop inside it and the roof has a wooden ceiling in it to prevent the condensation(we put it in before the animals arrived as i stored my pushchair in the barn and it went maky), i spent an afternoon sat it and thankfully its not drafty.
    I did bed down the shed/barn last night and thankfully have a full head count this morning. i now have 5 ducks, a hen a cockerel, 3 rabbits, 2 guinea pigs and a quail, the quail lives in a hutch tho as the cats might get it!

    If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck then it could be a cow doing a duck impersonation.
    
    (Miss) Stevie x X x

    Posted 1 year ago #

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