Diseases of ducks: names and symptoms, home treatment

An important aspect of poultry breeding is proper nutrition and favorable living conditions. Deviations from hygiene standards, poor diet and lack of movement lead to the spread of diseases of ducks of domestic, foreign breeds and mulards. There are infectious, non-infectious and parasitic diseases. Some bacterial infections are transmitted to humans, and mass bird deaths will bankrupt the breeder.

Infectious diseases and their treatment

Most of the diseases of ducks caused by infection develop quickly and end in the death of birds.

Aspergillosis

Newborn ducklings are dying from a fungal respiratory disease. Adult ducks tolerate the disease easily.

Symptoms:

• duckling won't eat or drink;
• inflamed mucous membrane of the eye;
• hoarse breath.

Adult bird breathes heavily and pulls its head forward. The fungus is not treated, but its spread can be avoided by adding the antifungal drug Nystatin to the feed and copper sulfate to the water.

Pasteurellosis (cholera)

When the disease inflames the mucous membranes of the organs. The tissues of the intestines die first, then the liver and heart.

Sources of infection:

• carriers - recovered ducks, pigs and cows;
• carriers - rodents;
• water;
• tick bite.

Symptoms of disease:

• hot heat;
• frustrated coordination of movements;
• foaming from nose and eyes;
• thirst.

Cholera cannot be treated at home. The disease develops rapidly within two hours. Pasteurellosis is rare, but infected individuals must be destroyed to prevent its spread.

Tuberculosis

A dangerous human infection may not cause symptoms for up to two months. The maximum incubation period is 12 months.

Signs:

• decrease or cessation of egg production;
• formation on the skin and feet of nodules, seals;
• limping.

The disease affects the intestines and liver. As a result, ducks suffer from diarrhea and jaundice and refuse to eat. Tuberculosis is not curable. Infected carcasses and eggs are destroyed.

Bacillary white diarrhea (pullorosis)

The disease develops as a result of Salmonella infection.

Symptoms:

• white, foam-like droppings;
• apathy;
• rapid breathing.

Hatched ducklings die within three days. Pullorosis is an incurable disease.

Contagious runny nose

Seasonal disease occurs in autumn. Ducklings often get sick with a runny nose. The behavior and well-being of ducks does not change. They actively move and eat, but they sneeze. A pale solution of manganese is instilled into the nose of birds.

Viral hepatitis in ducklings

Infection of the liver causes symptoms characteristic of indoto:

• drowsy;
• lowered head and wings;
• shortness of breath.

In newborn ducklings, the disease quickly ends with convulsions and death, treatment does not work.

Typhoid

Incurable disease is manifested by the following symptoms:

• loss of appetite;
• weight loss;
• disturbed coordination of movements;
• litter becomes liquid, yellow-green.

Typhoid affects adult ducks. Birds are slaughtered at the first sign.

Coccidiosis

The disease is caused by coccidia bacteria that infect the intestines of mulard ducks.

Symptoms:

• poor appetite;
• green feces;
• immobility;
• ruffled feathers.

The duck sits ruffled and shivering from the cold even in the warmth of the room.

Antibiotics are used for treatment:

• Amprolium;
• Zoalen;
• Baycox.

20 percent of sick birds die in the first week. In the remaining ducks, the disease becomes chronic.

Viral enteritis (duck plague)

An acute disease with high mortality in adult ducks and ducklings develops 10 days after contact with the carrier, drinking contaminated water or eating. Carriers of infectious agents - rats, ticks, mosquitoes.

Symptoms:

• sluggishness;
• lack of appetite;
• diarrhea;
• drooping wings;
• head down;
• lacrimation;
• mucous discharge from the nose.

The peculiarity of duck plague is that after an acute period, the condition improves and the symptoms disappear. But then the bird begins to have convulsions, and it dies. Enteritis is an incurable disease.

Colibacillosis

Signs of infection:

• thirst;
• refusing food;
• blue beak;
• liquid litter.

The causative agent - Escherichia coli - causes changes in internal organs that are detected after autopsy:

• pericarditis;
• liver greening;
• inflammation and enlargement of tissues around the eye sockets;
• upper respiratory tract infection.

Bacteria from the environment enters the eggs through the shell. Ducklings between the ages of three and fourteen days become infected through litter, dirt, and die in thirty percent of cases. For the treatment of adult birds, complex antibacterial drugs with levofloxacin and enrofloxacin are used.

Salmonellosis (paratyphoid)

The causative agent of the disease - salmonella - enters the body of birds with food, is transmitted from sick relatives and enters the eggs.

There are two forms of the disease:

• acute - characteristic of ducklings, they hatch already infected from the eggs of a sick duck, turn over and quickly die from convulsions;
• chronic - characteristic of an adult bird.

Symptoms of paratyphoid:

• temperature increase;
• weakness;
• staggering gait;
• conjunctivitis;
• diarrhea.

A sick bird looks untidy due to feathers stuck together on the muzzle and around the cloaca. It is difficult for a duck to move, so most of the time it sits with its wings down. With progressive salmonellosis, the bird refuses to eat and throws its head back. At the last stage of the disease, convulsions begin, ducks and ducklings fall on their backs.

Antibiotic treatment is effective at the first symptoms. Together with the feed, ducks are given "Tetracycline" or "Biomycin". Dead birds are burned to avoid further infection of the livestock. Salmonellosis is dangerous to humans, transmitted by contact with an infected duck or eating raw duck eggs.

Non-communicable diseases and rules for dealing with them

Pathological conditions occur as a result of improper feeding, keeping in adverse conditions and accompanied by aggression of birds.

Avitaminosis

Ducks suffer from three types of beriberi:

DRickets

Missing vitamin	Symptoms
A	Growth retardation in ducklings. Redness of the mucous membrane of the eyes. Paleness of legs and beak. Reduced egg production in adult ducks
B	Cramps

Early treatment:

• adding to the diet of foods rich in missing vitamins;
• feeding mineral supplements - fish oil, ground shells, bone meal;
• walking birds outdoors.

Neglected conditions are intensively treated with vitamin preparations.

Goiter diseases

Pathologies include catarrh - swelling caused by stagnation of poorly chopped, coarse grass. As a result, the birds cannot eat and wheeze.

Signs of disease:

• duck opens mouth;
• Foul-smelling nasal discharge.

If ducks breathe with their beaks open, you need to feel their goiter. With catarrh, it remains soft. The cork is cleaned by introducing into the esophagus a 0.5 percent solution of hydrochloric acid or vegetable oil. The duck is also given a massage - they stroke the throat from top to bottom.

Perverted appetite

Ducks eat rocks, sawdust and any inedible objects in sight. Eating disorders are caused by monotonous plant nutrition. Bone meal and dairy products should be added to the diet of birds.

Esophagus blockage

Symptoms:

• refusing food and water;
• depression;
• seal in the throat.

If the esophagus is blocked by a foreign object, the goiter will be hard. The condition is dangerous for the bird by exhaustion. The swallowed object is removed only by surgery.

Vitelline peritonitis

An incurable disease has no clear symptoms. Lack of appetite is observed in both infectious and non-infectious diseases. The adhesion of feathers around the cloaca is also characteristic of cloacitis, which accompanies beriberi.With intestinal inflammation, ducks stop laying eggs, become exhausted and die within a week.

Peritonitis develops with malnutrition. To avoid wastage, ducks should be given a balanced plant-based diet and solids to digest coarse fibres.

Inflammation of the cloaca (cloacitis)

Symptoms of disease:

• redness of the mucosa;
• purulent discharge;
• film formation.

Cloacite develops due to a lack of vitamins A and D.

Treatment:

• clear the cloaca of pus;
• treat with hydrogen peroxide or iodine;
• apply antibiotics externally - penicillin, streptomycin ointment.

Carrots, crushed shells, more herbs should be added to the diet of birds, and also released to swim in the pond.

Prolapse of the oviduct

Reasons:

• large egg yield;
• inflammation;
• diarrhea;
• constipation.

The oviduct must be set, having previously been disinfected with a solution of potassium alum or manganese and lubricated with petroleum jelly. Oviduct prolapse may recur or accompany salpinigitis, an oviposition deviation in which ducks lay deformed eggs without shell or yolk. If the young are sick, the birds will have to be slaughtered, as egg production does not return to normal with age.

Inflammation of the genital organs

The condition occurs in drakes if the ducks mate outside of water.

How to treat:

• wash the cloaca;
• treat with anti-inflammatory agents.

To prevent inflammation, it is necessary to provide birds with access to the reservoir during the mating period.

Inflammation of the oviduct

Pathology occurs in productive ducks for unknown reasons, probably after the release of large eggs.

Signs:

• eggs covered in slime;
• cheesy discharge;
• inflammation, protrusion of the oviduct into the cloaca.

Birds lose weight and ducklings appear weaker. Since the cause of the disease has not been identified, there is no cure for ducks.

Cannibalism

The reason for the aggressive behavior of ducks is vitamin deficiency, lack of walking, unsanitary conditions, lack of air and light in the duck house. Birds attack weaker relatives and ducklings.

To correct the situation, the aggressive individual is transferred to a separate room. Vitamin supplements, carrots, alfalfa are introduced into the diet, and they also provide access to water for swimming. If the condition of the bird does not improve, it is sent for slaughter.

No plumage

Birds lose feathers and become aggressive due to lack of protein, vitamins, unsanitary conditions in a stuffy room and lack of dry bedding. They fight the condition with the help of vitamin supplements, walking, correcting content errors. Bald ducks are planted separately. Particularly aggressive birds will be liquidated.

Ammonia blindness

Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes develops in ducklings in the second month of life due to a lack of vitamin A and keeping in an unventilated room.The eyes are red and swollen. Birds move little, eat poorly and gradually go blind. Their condition will be relieved by carrots, fish oil in the diet and walks in the fresh air.

Conjunctivitis

Ducklings after hatching and adult birds develop foam in the eyes during cold seasons. Ducks are active, but whitish formations deprive them of their vision.

Treatment of disease:

• rinse eyes with strong green tea or furacilin solution;
• put tetracycline ointment under the eyelid or drip any anti-inflammatory eye drops.

During the treatment of sick ducklings, it is better to deposit, as conjunctivitis can be a manifestation of hepatitis.

Parasitic diseases and methods of getting rid of them

Helminth infestation is difficult to recognize because of the subtle symptoms. Immunocompromised ducks and ducklings are susceptible to parasitic infections. Often the presence of worms in the body is accompanied by other diseases. Sometimes the root cause of ailments is found out after the slaughter of the bird. Sarcocystosis is transmitted to humans from birds, in which parasites penetrate the muscles.

Echinostomatidosis

Infection is accompanied by diarrhea, depression and weight loss. The cause of the disease is trematodes in the intestines. Infected birds are isolated from he althy individuals for three days and treated with Fenasal, Betinol.

Worms

Symptoms of infection:

• drastic weight loss;
• reduced egg production;
• worms in the litter.

Treatment:

• use of anthelmintic drugs;
• add onions, garlic, chopped pine needles to the feed.

The duckling is cleaned of litter and treated with a 5% solution of Xilofanal-5. Ducklings infected with helminths should not be eaten. The bodies of sick individuals should be burned.

External parasites

From wild or domestic animals, ducks pick up skin parasites:

• lice;
• poohedov;
• fleas.

Insects feed on blood, cause itching and feather loss.

How to cure ducks:

• treat feathers with Butox-50, preparations with sulfur, mercury;
• put sand baths for bathing.

The duckling is disinfected with karbofos. To prevent diseases, every month you need to carry out general cleaning in the room.

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