Domestic Waterfowl Club.

Illnesses Others

Curled Toes

If you are hatching your ducklings, you may see some come out of the egg with toes curled up like a fist. If they don’t straighten out after a day, you should correct them with a homemade splint. Cut a piece of cardboard to match the size of the duckling’s foot. Uncurl the foot and flatten it against the cardboard. Stick it to the cardboard with band-aids. Keep the splint on for about eight hours and check the status. Put on a new splint if needed. For broken twisted legs use cotton buds as splints remeber bird bones are hollow so anything for a splint must be light and non abrasive as their skin tears easily

Duck Virus Hepatitis

Ducklings between one day and about a month old are susceptible to this contagious and fatal disease. As they get older, the ducklings develop a resistance to it. The disease sets in quite rapidly and spreads very quickly. It typically produces a mortality rate close to 100 percent in a group of ducklings. Symptoms of hepatitis include spasms and contractions in legs and arching. Affected ducklings may die within an hour of symptoms being seen. The only way to deal with this disease is to prevent its occurrence. Keep young ducklings separated from older ducklings and ducks. If you are breeding ducks, the mother should be vaccinated against hepatitis.. . . more common in commercial flocks

Wet Feather

Another condition that can affect your ducks and ducklings if you do not provide them with dry enough quarters is wet feather. You will recognize wet feather by a dirty appearance and waterlogged down. The cause of this is living in wet and muddy conditions without reprieve. When the ducks spend so much time being wet and muddy, they cannot get clean or dry. You can prevent wet feather by keeping your ducks’ living area clean and dry. When the weather is excessively wet for an extended period of time, keep them inside and dry. If they do develop wet feather, it usually corrects itself in the next season with new feather growth. Use pallets as duck decking for feed/ water bowls in winter, have areas they can sit on off the ground all help

Avian Cholera

Avian or fowl cholera is caused by a certain bacterium that infects ducks called Pasteurella multocida. The infection occurs most often in locations that are unsanitary or where ducks have standing water in their pens. Symptoms of the cholera include diarrhea, mucous discharge, a loss of appetite, and labored breathing. There are treatments, but keeping conditions clean, sanitary, and dry can usually prevent an outbreak.. . .  normally a hotter country than the Uk but possible

Botulism

The bacterium Clostridium botulinum produces toxins that are dangerous to ducks. Colonies of this bacterium grow in stagnant ponds and in other areas where organic matter is decaying, such as near animal carcasses. The toxins produced can cause ducks to lose control of the muscles in their legs, neck, and wings. You will see the duck’s neck go limp, which is why this is also called limberneck. The affected duck will also be unable to swallow. Avoid poisoning by keeping ducks away from stagnant water, especially in hot weather when the bacteria grow the most. The duck may die rapidly, but you can attempt an old treatment. Give the duck water with one tablespoon of Epsom salts to one cup of water. Administer it with a syringe (not with a needle) because it cannot swallow easily., ,  make sure to  trickle down so it does not get fired into the lungs

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Newbury
Berkshire
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