Ducklings treatment for various diseases

Duck diseases make any farmer or bird farmer nervous. If you decide to have birds, namely ducks, in your household, you should find out what diseases of ducklings are considered to be the most common, what treatment can be taken to help sick ducklings in time.

Diseases of the ducks

What causes duck diseases

In addition, the bird owner must treat the pets with love, provide them with constant care, and create normal conditions for keeping the bird , as well as pay due attention to preventive measures characteristic love them.Find out what causes ducklings’ diseases most often:

• Errors in the conditions of detention (improper temperature, drafts, insufficient ventilation, rare and poor-quality cleaning, etc.).
• Poor nutrition (unbalanced feed, spoiled food, stale water).
• Inadequate medical care (lack of prevention, vaccinations and regular check-ups).

We have listed the main reasons followed by the development of certain diseases. It’s time to start describing the characteristic ailments that ducks suffer, regardless of whether they are kept at home or in the natural environment. The first to describe a group of ailments that combine non-infectious diseases of ducks, that is, those that are not transmitted from the duck to other birds and vice versa.

Non-communicable diseases

Vitamin deficiency (vitamin deficiency)

Vitamin deficiency, or vitamin deficiency, is quite common in domestic birds, including ducks. How to recognize the disease? The following signs may indicate the fact that the duck needs additional fortified nutrition:

• Chicks are not gaining weight.
• Young growth is slower.
• The rate of survival of the chicks is low.
• The appetite of young animals and adult livestock is low.
• Ducks began to carry eggs less.

To solve these problems is quite simple, you just need to make some adjustments to the nutrition of ducks by introducing the missing vitamins in the feed. One of the options is to switch to ready-made feed, they take into account the need for poultry in certain vitamins or minerals. It is worth paying attention to such ingredients as:

• fish oil;
• grassy ground flour;
• fresh green grass;
• duckweed, etc.

Rickets (rickets)

Unfortunately, ducks suffer from rickets. The disease occurs due to the fact that the duck does not receive vitamin D. This is due to two reasons:

• lack of walks in the fresh air;
• poor nutrition.

Symptoms and treatment of ducklings and adults:

• slower mass growth;
• frequent injuries of the paws due to the bones becoming brittle and the paws no longer so strong;
• the shell of the eggs loses its density, often breaks;
• the beak becomes noticeably less hard;
• the legs are bent (this is noticeable in many photos and videos of birds) .

to avoid developed ie rickets, you need to carefully monitor the nutrition of the duck. It is recommended to add fish oil, bread yeast to the menu and purchase feeds with a high content of vitamins. At the same time, it is necessary to kick out the mute swan for walks in fine weather, it is advisable not to miss a single sunny day.In many cases, stool disorder occurs due to the fact that the bird menu lacks vitamins, more precisely, vitamin B. In parallel with diarrhea, the following symptoms can be observed:

• cramps, involuntary twitches;
• paralysis (most often one or the second leg, less often – two);
• noticeable slowdown in weight gain;
• disheveled feathers (ducks do this when feathers freeze or dry).

To prevent the development of diarrhea due to a lack of vitamin B, it is worth adding bran, fresh grass and high-quality grain to your food.

Cannibalism

Cannibalism is a condition in which ducks can peck their skin or the skin of another bird before the formation of wounds. Why is this happening? Cannibalism among ducks arises due to violation of the conditions of detention: too bright light in the house, saving room space, as a result of which ducks and ducklings became crowded. Mistakes can be made in nutrition: low protein content in food.

Cannibalism can be predicted by the following signs:

• the duck behaves unusually, showing anxiety
• more often usually cleans feathers;
• some individuals show broken feathers and blood flowing through them.

If one of the ducks has such symptoms, you need to analyze the diet of birds and enter it contains an increased amount of protein, as well as revise the conditions of detention: perhaps it is time to increase the territory of the house.

Pathology of the esophagus

Pathological changes in the esophagus in ducks are manifested by its blockage, especially often the disease is diagnosed in young animals. In most cases, the cause is the predominance of dry food over wet food, as well as a small amount of drinking water. In this case, the following symptoms are observed:

• when swimming or moving in birds, shortness of breath is observed;
• the beak is in an ajar state;
• the gait changes, the steps are uncertain, the bird staggers, limps and falls to its feet.

If you do not start to provide assistance in a timely manner, there is a risk of losing the entire population. It is worth saying that you can help the duck at home, it is quite simple to do this: you should open her throat widely and pour 15-30 ml of sunflower oil there. After this, it is important to wait 2-5 minutes and squeeze the food plug through the mouth.

Stomatitis in ducks

This disease is more common in geese and young ducks, but based on from statistics, it is rare and does not become widespread. A feature of the disease can be called seasonality, since the peak usually occurs in spring or autumn. Symptoms of duck disease are as follows:

• redness of the oral cavity;
• the tongue may slightly increase in size, become inflamed;
• the bird does not eat well, as it cannot chew and swallow food.

It is important to start treatment in a timely manner so that stomatitis does not develop into a chronic stage.The owner should review the diet, make up for a possible deficiency of vitamins. To relieve inflammation, you need to wash the duck’s throat with any antiseptic, you can buy it at the pharmacy.

Non-infectious enteritis

This disease also affects young ducks more often. The cause of non-infectious viral enteritis can be poor nutrition, stagnant water. Enteritis is often confused with food poisoning or paratyphoid, as their symptoms overlap:

• diarrhea (may be green or yellow stools);
• general weakness;
• weight loss;
• poor egg production.

To normalize the condition of the duck, you need to pour a weak solution of potassium permanganate in the throat for several days in parallel with water, so viral enteritis can be overcome in short term.

What diseases are found in the genital area

Peritonitis in ducks

In the reproductive system of ducks the most common peritonitis. Affects the disease of females, in drakes is much less common. What can cause the development of the disease:

• cruelty in communication with the bird;
• excess protein in the diet.

The duck experiences sharp peritonitis cutting pains in the abdomen.The bird behaves uneasily, twitches, spasms are rare. It is worth saying that peritonitis is not always treated, therefore more attention should be paid to prevention – to maintain cleanliness in the house, to treat ducks with love.

Diseases of the oviduct

In ducks a disease such as prolapse of the oviduct from the anus, it is diagnosed only in females. The cause of the development of the disease is the appearance of too large eggs, which damages the structure of the oviduct. The onset of the disease is indicated by diarrhea or, conversely, constipation, after which the oviduct gradually falls out. The owner can help the bird on their own at home, you just need to put the oviduct into its normal position.

In order to ease the pain, you can put a small piece of ice into the opening of the oviduct. This will reduce puffiness, remove bleeding, if any. If after that the duck will be difficult to rush, the hole is lubricated with any ointment, for example, petroleum jelly.

Infectious diseases of the ducks

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis in adult ducks is common enough. However, in this bird, the disease proceeds in a more severe form, affecting not only the digestive organs, but also the urinary system, which often leads to the fact that the kidneys or liver fail in ducks, as in hepatitis. The disease most often flares up in those farms where birds are kept in unsuitable conditions, in dirty and cramped houses.It is worth saying that coccidiosis is rapidly spreading among households, because the transmission routes are drinking water, ponds, and common food. In addition, a person can transfer oocysts, for example, on the sole of shoes, by using cleaning products in rooms with animals and birds.

Symptoms of the disease:

• The bird becomes lethargic, weak , prefers not to move at all, sits up and does not get up.
• The appetite worsens, soon disappears completely, while thirst, on the contrary, grows.
• Feathered ones reproach (frothy stool with impurity blood).
• The skin and mucous membranes turn pale, the eyes too.
• The goiter of the duck stretches and does not sit down.
• The plumage is stable in in a tattered state.
• Ducks, especially ducklings, quickly lose weight.
• In the terminal stage of coccidiosis, the feathered bird falls, complete paralysis occurs 4-7 days after infection and ends in inevitable death, the feathered die painful death.

What should be the treatment of coccidiosis? First, the diseased bird needs to be resettled in a separate house to prevent the further spread of oocysts. From the moment the first signs appear, begin therapy with norsulfazole, adding it to drink. In parallel with this, they give a second antibiotic, osarsol.

It is important to correctly calculate the dose of the drug in accordance with the instructions.

Quite good results were shown by another drug with an antimicrobial effect – furazolidone. Its difference is that it is bred not in drink but in feed.

However, as with any disease, the best treatment is still prevention. To prevent the development of coccidiosis in your household, you need to follow these recommendations:

• Keep young animals separate from adults.
• Clean the premises with animals and birds in time.
• Periodically carry out a complete disinfection of poultry houses.
• Use separate cleaning products for each room.
• Balancedly feed adult ducks, they should receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.
• For prophylaxis at the age of 14 days, give ducklings one dose of norsulfazole, repeat the course every 2-3 months.
• Do not forget to give dairy food for the food of chickens: kefir, yogurt, yogurt, whey, etc.

Colibacillosis in ducks

Ducklings quite often suffer from colibacillosis, or white muscle disease. Externally, the disease will manifest itself with symptoms of toxicosis, namely, weakness, lethargy, increased apathy, diarrhea and vomiting, accompanied by fever and constant thirst.

What causes the development of colibacillosis:

• Too high rates of humidity in the room.
• Poor ventilation or its complete absence.
• Errors in duck nutrition.

Despite the fact that the disease initially seems harmless, in 70% of cases it causes the bird to die. Unfortunately, there is no adequate treatment for colibacteriosis, therefore, in order to prevent the spread of the disease in the livestock, sick individuals will have to be killed and their carcasses burned.

Aspergillosis

The causative agent of duck aspergillosis is a fungus. When it enters the body of a bird, the state of health of the winged wing sharply worsens, weight decreases, breathing problems appear, and an irreplaceable feeling of thirst appears. In rare cases, the disease develops into a chronic form, and the duck at this time becomes the spread of a dangerous fungus.

This ailment is difficult to treat, since there may be no symptoms at the very beginning. It is much easier to carry out preventive measures: you just need to monitor the humidity indicators in the room where the ducks live, then the chances of getting aspergillosis will decrease.

Salmonella in ducklings

Salmonellosis is an infectious disease that affects almost all birds, including ducks.Symptoms of the disease are as follows:

• general malaise;
• constant desire to drink;
• swelling of the mucous membranes and eyes, possible inflammation (a similar symptom with hepatitis of the liver);
• the bird prefers not to get up if it falls;
• loose stools, with impurities of blood and foam;
• wings are constantly lowered;
• of the eye is white discharge, the feathered sneezes often.

Despite the treatment, the duck or spleen can remain carriers of the infection, so in 99% of cases the bird is slaughtered and the carcass is disposed so as not to spread further pathogens e.

Pasteurellosis in ducks

Causes this disease pasteurella, which enters the body of the bird due to contact with a sick or dead bird, rodents, as well as errors in the content. Unfortunately, young people are most often affected by such an ailment, because its unstable immunity does not have the strength to fight the pathogen.

Symptoms:

• Ducks constantly try to hide their heads in the wings.
• Feathers become sloppy, stick out.
• The appetite disappears or worsens.
• The nature of breathing changes – it becomes more frequent.
• Foaming nasal discharge is observed, less often – from the eyes.
• Diarrhea.
• Temperature increase.

How to treat birds? Duck cholera, pasteurellosis or bird flu is bad, but still treatable.For more effective treatment, ducklings need to be prescribed several antibiotics of different groups at once, although the easiest way is to take preventive measures in the form of mandatory vaccinations at the age of one month and then every 3.

Parasites in the duck’s body

Duck echinostomatidosis

The disease is caused by the ingestion of duck parasites – trematodes (less commonly – echinostomatodes). Most often, the duck becomes infected with these parasites, eating in the natural environment, namely, in ponds, rivers or ponds, because the parasites carry their inhabitants. We learn about the symptoms:

• lethargic behavior;
• frequent diarrhea in ducklings;
• loss of appetite.

Treatment It is selected depending on the age and weight of the bird. Most often, veterinarians prescribe drops of phenosalol, which are added to food or drink. If there is at least one case of parasite infection in the household, thorough disinfection of the premises with birds must be carried out to destroy the parasites once and for all.

Skin parasites

Ducks often suffer from skin parasites parasites that cause a lot of trouble to their owners. These parasites are called poohoots, since they parasitize under the feathers, eating fluff. These pests are the answer to the question of why ducklings are balding. Their number increases so quickly that in a few days the duck is not able to eat, walk or swim normally.

The duck can be helped on its own, for this you need to purchase antiparasitic sprays or ointments that are applied as close to the skin as possible. If this is not enough, you can add the tablets inside.

Worms in ducks

Ducks often suffer from worms. This is due to contact with bird droppings if it is not cleaned in a timely manner. Symptoms of the defeat of worms are:

• lower immunity, which entails frequent diseases of ducks
• poor weight gain by small ducklings.

Despite the fact that worms are not considered to be a serious illness, getting rid of it is not so simple. Once again, it must be said that prevention is the best treatment. It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness in the houses, conduct periodic disinfection. The same applies to the nearby territory and water bodies.

Conclusion

You have learned what diseases are characteristic of ducks and ducklings, are aware of what symptoms may indicate the beginning diseases and what treatment can be. However, it is important not to forget that prevention is the most important part of caring for the livestock, do not neglect it so that you do not suffer financial losses later. It is necessary to pay attention to the brood, and if the pet has a sluggish gait, he sat up and does not get up – you must immediately understand that this is a symptom of one of the circle of diseases with similar manifestations. To determine which one, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.It is better not to take any action before his conclusion and the appointment of treatment, because it can only do harm.