# My poor duck!



## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Hey guys

tonight I was doing dishes when my husband came in and told me that one of my ducks was limping and laying in the grass breathing funny. I rushed out to find her drinking from the swimming pool (their swimming pool, non clorinated etc). I watched her for a few minutes and yes, she was limping. She has limped before, she seems to have problems with that leg now and then. There is no swelling, no distortion, no extra heat (it's still 90 degrees out at 9 p.m), no sign of injury whatsoever except the limping. I had my husband help me catch her, we moved slowly and gradually cornered her so not to scare her and make her run (she is really flighty, she hates to be caught). I closely examined every part of her leg and foot and webbing but didn't find anything wrong at all. I let her down and watched her and she limped away and laid down in the grass sort of tipped a little bit to one side, not laying on her side, just, tipped a little and she proceeded to breathe like she was about to lay an egg, closed mouth but almost heaving, tail up. I caught her again and looked at her vent which appears completely normal. Her abdomen feels normal, not too tight but not squishy. Last I knew (earlier this afternoon) she was eating and obviously she is drinking and her poo is normal. Am I freaking out over this? It was awful hot and humid today and with the limping, maybe the breathing thing is just tired and hot? She absolutely hates water, she will not go in the pool, if I put her in the pool, she can't get out fast enough (I know...duck that hates swimming...huh? lol)

They are all tucked into bed right now, I'm hoping she'll be okay in the morning but until then, I'm worried about her. I'm going to work on cooling their house down tomorrow, maybe a makeshift swamp cooler type thing. The forecast is is mid 90's for the next few days.

I think I'm mostly venting fears here, but what do you think?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I think you would be able to look at one of your birds and know if they are acting distressed. 

Can you do an internal and see if she has a stuck egg? That might also pinch a nerve and cause limping. 

I have 95 degrees and humidity all summer and my chickens do okay with it with minimal panting. They all live in mostly all day shade and no barrier to an evening breeze. I do either freshen their water or put ice in it. If my 5 big girls are panting, a puddle on the ground cools them off. Your duck really needs to like water and putting her feet in some water would cool her off. What a silly duck!


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## DuckRunner (Aug 24, 2017)

Aww, poor duck! This has baffled me so I don't want to give you wrong advice. I'll be watching this thread.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

A duck afraid to swim?Now I've really heard everything. LOL I had a limping goose.After checking it out,I decided to let it go and just watch.For a week or so it didn't travel much but eventually rejoined the group.Just watch it and if there seems to be great distress,I'd worry but if it's getting around,eating,drinking,etc,let it be.My geese hate being handled,too.I can look but not touch LOL.I can't even tell which goose was limping now.Good luck!!!


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Okay, here's the update, her limp is worse and still no signs of injury, I am going to assume pinched nerve, the other 2 ducks have been attempting to mate her quite frequently lately which, of course, smashes her to the ground.

The breathing thing seems to be gone, I'll watch her this afternoon and decide then if it's the heat. I'll stick her in the pool if she has more issues then, like it or not, if the heat is going to make her breathe funny then she is going to have to cool off. 

I have not tried an internal on her but I might have to. She is not prolapsed and is pooping normally so I'd like to save her the stress if I can. Her vent is very closed and tiny, it would be difficult to get in there for an internal without hurting her.

Thx for the input guys! I was kinda freaking out about the breathing thing. The limp, I can deal with lol the breathing thing scares me.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

If she can pass an egg, she can certainly have an internal with a greased finger.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

seminolewind said:


> If she can pass an egg, she can certainly have an internal with a greased finger.


Oh, I understand that but I haven't gotten an egg out of any of the ducks in 3 days and I suspect that this same duck is the one that was giving me shell less eggs last month so she may be having some reproductive issues and could possibly be bound, I'm going out to check on her again as soon as I finish my lunch
Also, there is a big difference for her between pushing an egg OUT vs. having a foreign object pushed IN in regard to whether or not she relaxes the muscles in that area or tightens them to keep something out. Maybe not but I know when I have a yearly exam, my instinct is to tighten the muscles to keep doc out but when I delivered my kids, I was all about pushing them out.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Okay, Elsa is laying in the grass doing the breathing thing again this evening so I broke down and did an internal. What I felt did not feel like an egg, it felt like a very tense muscle that I could put my finger over top of and below of. I tested to see if it was squishy like a shell less egg but no, it was too firm for that but it also didn't feel like a shell, I'm so confused by this. The shape was wrong also. It was very elongated and thicker on the vent end and got skinnier as I went in further. I could not feel the other end of it because my finger is not long enough. My best guess is that it is not an egg.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

could it be some kind of internal prolapse? I'm just throwing ideas out there. That's the best I can do . Is she pooping normal? Poor baby!


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

seminolewind said:


> could it be some kind of internal prolapse? I'm just throwing ideas out there. That's the best I can do . Is she pooping normal? Poor baby!


Thank you 

I honestly don't know, I'm just at a loss now. I've spent the last few hours researching the anatomy, symptoms etc and there is no other explanation that I can find other than it being an egg. I just can't figure this out. I have decided to treat her for egg binding. I'll crush some tums for extra calcium (she has oyster shell available at all times already but....), I'll mix the crushed tums into some coconut oil which should lubricate everything, not just the vent but all around the egg and oviduct, cloaca as well and put her into a warm bath for 15 minutes. Ducks and chickens usually take to coconut oil pretty well once they figure out it's edible then they gobble it up.

If that doesn't work then I don't know what to do next besides a vet which won't be open until Tuesday and all of our vets in town don't do farm birds and my truck is out of commission indefinitely. If she is still in trouble come Tuesday I'll get some more electrolytes, the stuff I have is 3 yrs old. Would pedialyte work? The feed stores and everything will be closed tomorrow and I have some pedialyte frozen into ice cubes, I could thaw those until the stores open on Tuesday. maybe?

As far as pooping, I haven't seen her poop today but I haven't spent as much time in her presence today because I'm getting ready for company tomorrow.

She was behaving normally, as far as attitude etc goes, she still tried to chase me with her head down, limping after me until I stopped and let her grab my pant leg then she turned and limped away once she felt she had "run me off" lol. She has been a little more quiet than usual but still mouthy (she talks CONSTANTLY) and...get this!
SHE LET ME PUT HER IN THE SWIMMING POOL! she actually took a real bath, she floated on the surface a bit then did some diving and "torpedo'ed", she also wouldn't let her sister into the pool, I guess she felt it was her pool today. So, behaviour wise, aside from the limping and the breathing thing, she appears normal.

I'm going to go to bed, I can't do anymore today, I'll start the egg binding treatment as soon as I can tomorrow. I'll update you when I have news.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Hey, getting in the water is a big deal for her!
I'm going to contact a friend (member) who may help.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

seminolewind said:


> Hey, getting in the water is a big deal for her!
> I'm going to contact a friend (member) who may help.


Oh it really is a big deal! I was so proud of her and smiled the whole time she was in there. Maybe she discovered it's not so scary after all.

Thank you  I could use all of the input I can get on this one.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Well as far as I know , ducks and geese need water for dipping several times a day and it seems to be something to keep them mentally and physically fit. Geese need to wet their eyes. Maybe the water will improve her health.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

Can you upload a video of her walking to YouTube or Vimeo then copy/paste the link here?

Questions...

How old?
What breed?
What does she get fed?


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

casportpony said:


> Can you upload a video of her walking to YouTube or Vimeo then copy/paste the link here?
> 
> Questions...
> 
> ...


I wouldn't even know where to begin doing the video thing. she limps lol she walks and even tries to run but that doesn't work out well because of the limp.

she is 2 yrs and 3 months old (hatched/born 3/14/16)
Khaki Campbell
dumor pellet layer feed and occasionally I take a handful of frozen (thawed) peas out for them to share, she has oyster shell available at all times and 3 ducks share 3 extra large dog bowls of water in their run which are washed and fresh water added multiple times a day but they are out in the yard free range with their swimming pool full of water all day. The pool gets changed every day to keep mosquitoes from doing their thing in there. 
She doesn't swim (usually), she has never liked being in the water.

My husband was out with them earlier today and said that she pooped twice while he was watching.

except for the video, is there anything else that I can do to give you more info? I'm really not sure how much more info there is lol but if you think of something, please let me know.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Today's update: No limping all day and only one very short period( maybe 1 or 2 minutes) of the breathing thing but also, no egg. Now, I did find a dried on the top, slightly damp on the bottom, shell less but empty egg in the coop but I don't know exactly when that was laid. I cleaned the coop last week and I check for eggs every day and didn't see it before but that doesn't mean that I didn't miss seeing it before. There didn't appear to be any white or yolk anywhere, I move the bedding around whenever there are no eggs to collect just in case someone is hiding them and didn't find any wet or sticky stuff. I did not do another internal on her today, since she wasn't limping and didn't do the breathing thing except that one tiny bit, I didn't feel it was necessary. There is no change in her belly, shape is the same and it feels the same, vent is still closed and tiny (not like an egg is close to the vent) 

I think they are really sensitive to the heat, all of my birds pant like crazy whenever the temps get above 80. I've had no eggs from any of the ducks in almost a week and only 2 eggs from the chickens in a week. I do keep the floor of their run damp to help keep them cool and they all have a fan going to keep the air moving, when it's as hot as it has been the last few days (over 100 for the last 3 days now even though the forecast was for 95 ). I keep ice in their water. 
I'm mostly thinking out loud here now, sorry for the babble. I'm still trying to figure this all out.

Okay, going to bed now.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Are there 2 drakes and 1 hen? If so the 2 drakes might be trying to breed the one hen, which is a not good ratio, you need more hens and only 1 drake, as 2 drakes will breed 1 hen to death.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Maryellen said:


> Are there 2 drakes and 1 hen? If so the 2 drakes might be trying to breed the one hen, which is a not good ratio, you need more hens and only 1 drake, as 2 drakes will breed 1 hen to death.


no, they are all hens, all laying (except when they aren't...lol like now because of the heat)


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Well, as of today, Elsa is 2 days with no symptoms, the limp is gone, the breathing thing is gone, she is 100% back to normal. Still no egg but I'm happy that there are no symptoms anymore.

I think forcing her into the pool helped a lot, things seemed to get better quickly after I made her sit in the water. 

Thank you everyone for helping me get through this, I was really worried about her.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Glad she's doing well. We all know what it's like when one of our birds is sick. Support is so welcome.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

seminolewind said:


> Glad she's doing well. We all know what it's like when one of our birds is sick. Support is so welcome.


Definitely, sometimes support is all someone needs to be able to think clearly enough to find the solution.


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## chickens really (Jun 24, 2018)

Did you ever fix the Duck?...


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

More or less, her symptoms went away but hasn't laid an egg that I"m aware of, about once a week I get a shell-less egg but I have no idea who is laying it. I usually find them on the bottom of the pool. The only duck laying eggs right now is my cayuga and she lays daily. Neither of my khaki's are laying (unless you count the shell less ones which I don't)


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## chickens really (Jun 24, 2018)

Provide oyster shell to the Hens and no access to the pool in the Run...


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

They have always had oyster shell available free choice and the pool is not in their run, it's in the yard


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## chickens really (Jun 24, 2018)

If a new young layer she needs for her system to mature and then the eggs will get proper shells.
Takes a bit to get settled into laying..


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

She is 2 1/2 yrs old. The shell less eggs have been going on for months. She started laying normal regular eggs at 22 weeks old and continued that until sometime this past winter when she started laying shell less on occasion before the whole limping, breathing event but I'm not worried about it anymore, other than not laying, both the khaki's are in perfect health and behave normally. I have had chickens and ducks for many years, I just never had this exact experience before. I had a small panic about it back in May when I started this thread but it's been 6 weeks and it has just become the norm. All of her symptoms are gone now aside from no eggs (1 shell less egg every 10 or 12 days and no regular eggs ever out of either of my khaki's) I also have a cayuga that lays normal eggs and regularly. I think these two khaki's are just messed up. I rescued them from an abusive home when they were 2 weeks old and they have never been completely right. As long as she continues to behave normally, eat, drink, play, swim etc, I'm not going to worry about it.


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