[Llama]

Hi everyone, I came across this forum when searching for help about my duckie Dora. She's an aylesbury, 16 weeks old...and she's really ill. We bought her and two khaki-campbells (as pets) - I'd never had ducks before, but my parents did years ago so they have experience.

Now...the problem. She's really lethargic, won't eat and she seems to be getting worse every day. Her weight is dropping off of her and it's very depressing to watch her like this. The two others are fine, still lunatics waddling round, swimming and eating!

I think it may be something she's eaten. They're allowed to roam in our garden during the day, although there really shouldn't have been anything dangerous in there - we checked everywhere before we got them to make sure there was nothing harmful they could pick up.

I fear the worst to be honest, but I really don't want to lose her so thought I may as well give this forum a go. Any help/advice you can give would be appreciated, thanks!

[jacyjones]

I have not experienced this but reading other posts I think you need to bring her in and keep her warm. You then need to try and get some electrolytes into her to rehydrate her and maybe try to tempt her with some food. Hopefully some more experienced people will be able to help more. Good luck.

[Townie]

Just a thought... do you have slug pellets anywhere in or around your garden that she might have eaten?

[Llama]

She passed away a couple of hours after I posted this, unfortunately. Very sad, but thanks for the help. We never had slug pellets down or anything like that, so it really is a mystery to us why she died. The other two are still going strong...we want to get a couple more at some point but not yet, we're all kinda gutted about our baby.

[Townie]

Awww sorry to hear your wee duck didn't pull through.

It's always sad when we lose one of our pets.. glad the other 2 are doing ok

[jacyjones]

She passed away a couple of hours after I posted this, unfortunately. Very sad, but thanks for the help. We never had slug pellets down or anything like that, so it really is a mystery to us why she died. The other two are still going strong...we want to get a couple more at some point but not yet, we're all kinda gutted about our baby.

I am so sorry to here she died. Just a thought - do you have any wood chip around as ducks should not have access to it? It is harmful and blocks their digestive system. I did not know this and keep my horse on woodchip bedding so there is a lot about. I lost a duck I put down to this - she just dropped dead with no apparent symptoms.

[doganjo]

Gosh, my whole garden is a minefield for my ducks then - no way I can get rid of it there's masses of the stuff.  But they don't tend to go up that bank anyway and stay on the grass or in the stream.  I can't even fence it off as it's on a slope.  Just keeping fingers crossed.
Annie

[Llama]

The garden is mostly grass and a concrete path with some bushes/trees. All pretty green, no pebbles/woodchip or anything like that. We don't really have any flowerbeds or anything so we're not so fussed about slugs (and the ducks love them of course haha) or making it look really pretty (we have 8 chickens too, though the ducks and chickens don't mix with each other). I wish I knew what it was, because if it was our fault in any way I want to prevent the same thing happening to the other two!

Again, thanks for the well wishes. Any further ideas about what it could've been are very welcome, I'll do anything to prevent my other two from getting like that. I've grown very attached to them, they're amazing pets!

[Rosemary]

Sometimes it just happens - like every species, some are born with defects that we can't see but which make it impossible for them to survive long term. We had an apparently perfectly healthy cockerel just drop dead. You do your best, so don't beat yourself up.

[jacyjones]

Gosh, my whole garden is a minefield for my ducks then - no way I can get rid of it there's masses of the stuff.  But they don't tend to go up that bank anyway and stay on the grass or in the stream.  I can't even fence it off as it's on a slope.  Just keeping fingers crossed.
Annie

I know - I was horrified when I read about woodchip on another forum. I have had 3 ducks die with no apparent reason and at first we blamed a virus. It then made me think - the cayugas died about a month after I changed the horse bedding to woodchip - we spread the soiled bedding around our christmas tree palantation and they are in there constantly. I bought 2 white khakis before I realised my land is lethal(!) and 1 of those has died so my lovely remaining duck is a little time bomb waiting to go off. I will not be able to get anymore when she dies and I will be very sad - I love my ducks.

[doganjo]

My ducks don't seem to go up the bank where the chips are, and I have left the grass really long at the edges so maybe they will stay off it.  They seem to spend most of their time in the stream or on the grass anyway (just under a half acre I think).  I hope it stays that way because I have loads of people waiting for duck eggs and wanted to get some more.  My white campbell has escaped unfortunately - she didn't get on with my lead khaki and she paddled off upstream.  There's a lot of undergrowth along the burn and it's protected by the railway line so she will probably be fine. 
Annie

[jacyjones]

It sounds like your ducks live in paradise and will always stay by the water so you should be ok. Hope so.

[hexhammeasure]

we use shavings rather than woodchip. This is better for two reasons  1) no crop compaction and 2) more slugs available

on a seperate note why do my ducks run away from cabbage white caterpillars???
 

[doganjo]

Daffy Duck returned this morning but unfortunately I didn't realise she had come back and she was retrieved by my bitch who won't pick up anything! She brought her right to hand alive and kicking.  I've put her in the shed in the back garden but she may die of shock overnight.  She's warm and cosy and has food and water but I think her leg was a bit twisted.  That may be why Belle managed to catch her.  Didn't want to interfere too much so will check her tomorrow. 
Poor Daffy, she's had it tough lately, bullied by dogs, then destined for the oven, then bullied by my three ducks and ran away from home, came back, twisted a foot, and was retrieved by a Brittany.  I hope I can save her.  we'll see what tomorrow brings
Annie

[Avoiding-stress]

I have been keeping ducks for a while and I use hay for my ducks for the following reasons

1. I found wood shavings take to long to compost
2. I find the dust in the wood chip or shavings can cause breathing problems
3. The ducks ate the shavings giving me no end of problems including death