Animal tribulation: more dead ducks

[Cottie]

I'm at my wits end. As soon as I put out one fire, another crops up.

All the ducks were happy and quacky this afternoon around 4PM. My daughters went out to refill the waterer at 9PM and one of them wouldn't move. Brought it inside, thinking perhaps it had gotten chilly. It started up the way all the goners have since last Fall.

1. Lethargy. The duck will not move on its own. When picked up, it will slowly and jerkily flap its wings.
2. "Stargazing". Head flops all the way against the back. Eventually lolls to the side and hangs limply.
3. Open mouth breathing.
4. Refusing water.

The next step is death within 4 to 8 hours.

This has happened to 6 (now 7) of the 8 I had in the batch, and 8 of the 14 from the last batch. So 14 (going on 15 birds), out of 22. It is only affecting Muscovies, none of the other birds, and each batch was from a different source.

 

[Dood]

Have you done any necropsies? Sounds like liver virus.

here is a link to it and other duck diseases
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry ... titis.html

http://www.duckhealth.com/duckhlth.html

 

[AmysMacdog]

So sorry RJ. Only affecting the muscovies I'm wondering if its a niacin deficiency or something similar to that. Maybe you can try some brewers yeast?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

yes,, it is mostly likely is.. brewers yeast at the health food store will have it... what are you feeding them..
it also sounds like Mareks ..

 

[Cottie]

I need to do a necropsy on this one. DVH sounds possible, except there isn't a rapid spread through the flock.

I can't find any mention of Marek's in ducks, and it's not affected my chickens at all (or the other ducks).

Niacin deficiency doesn't kill that quickly. =(

Botulism? But why would it hopscotch?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I don't know anything about ducks, but I wanted to say I'm sorry for your losses, RJ.

Having them go one by one must be terrible. I hope you can figure out what the issue is. :clover:

 

[JohnMc]

Do you free range the ducks? Are they consuming anything in the range that is poisonous?

Hows your feed? Any mold? Mold will take a duck down that would not phase a chicken.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

DVE in ducks is the same as Mareks.. Niacin does kill quickly.. I think you need to do more research.. It will not hurt to give them yeast.. and you didn't mention what you feed them.