Health

Just like you have a family doctor that you see when you are unwell, your ducks need their own doctor too - a veterinarian (vet) is an animal doctor.

It’s a good idea for your family to find out which veterinarian they plan on using before you get your ducks. Not all veterinary clinics specialise in birds, so it is important you find a vet that is experienced at treating them.

If possible, visit the clinic beforehand and look around. Ask yourself: Is the waiting area clean? Are the staff helpful? Find out the opening hours and if they handle emergencies after hours as well.

Once you get a new duck, your family should have it checked by your chosen veterinary clinic straight away before introducing them to the flock.

Make an appointment as soon as you can for a check-up. Your vet will have lots of useful advice that may help your duck settle in.

It is helpful to write a list of the questions you want to ask so everything can be covered.

When you need to transport your duck to the veterinarian, it’s important to make sure this is done as comfortably and as stress-free as possible!

A clean crate or ventilated box with clean, comfortable bedding. Ensure that the crate is upright in a safe, secure place when transporting. The crate should also be big enough for your duck to stand up and turn around in. 

When provided with appropriate food, clean, fresh water, and an environment that is cleaned regularly, your ducks should have overall good health. However, there are still things that can happen to cause illness or injury to your flock. Daily calm and gentle health checks and knowing the signs and symptoms of illness and injury are key to ensuring your ducks live a long, happy, and healthy life!

Ask your parent or caregiver to help you check your ducks for signs of illness or injury every day. The best time to observe this is when you put food out for your ducks, as you can watch how they move and feed.

The things you should be checking are:

• Eyes, ears, nostrils, beak, and mouth
• Feathers and skin
• Bottom
• Body (back, chest, neck, stomach)
• Wings
• Legs and feet

Make sure this is done by someone else if you are away. Consult your vet immediately if you suspect your chicken is in pain, ill or injured.

Ducks feel pain in the same way as other animals, including people, but they are not very good at showing outward signs of pain. Ducks can’t talk to tell you what’s wrong, so you have to be aware of the signs to avoid any suffering your ducks could experience.

A change in the way your duck normally behaves can be an early sign they are ill or in pain. If your duck is not eating or is more quiet than usual, they are highly likely to be ill, or in pain. You should talk to your ducks’ veterinarian immediately.

Some of the health problems that we see in ducks are:

• Nutritional disorders or deformities (from being fed an incorrect diet) or obesity (from being overfed)
• Foot problems (e.g. sores, bumblefoot, arthritis, lameness)
• Joint and growth issues
• Feather issues (e.g. mites)
• Problems with egg laying

Regular health check-ups with a vet are the best way of detecting any problems with your ducks early. Remember, if any of your ducks show any signs of injury or ill health, you must take them to their veterinarian immediately.

If it is late at night or on the weekend and your veterinary clinic is closed, there are great after-hours clinics available for emergencies. Make sure your family know where your closest after-hours veterinary clinic is.

As responsible duck guardians, knowing the signs of a healthy duck is important. Signs of a healthy duck include:

• Clean, bright, wide open eyes
• Clean bill, mouth, and nostrils
• Clean and clear ears
• Healthy, consistent weight
• Clean and moist bottom (not wet)
• Normal droppings
• Clean and clear wings that are positioned and move correctly
• Soft/normal feeling crop
• Normal upright posture – including standing, walking, sitting, and holding head upright

It’s very important to know your ducks’ normal behaviours, as a change in behaviour can often be a sign of illness or injury. Some of these changes can include:

• Hiding more than usual
• Sitting more than usual
• Seem to be slowing down when they try to swim or walk
• Discharge from their eyes and/or nostrils
• Sores on their feet and/or swollen/red feet
• Isolating themselves and/or getting bullied
• Heavy breathing and/or persistent open mouth
• Lack of appetite
• Hard crop
• Drinking more than usual
• Limping/change in the way they walk and stand
• Pulling their own feathers/picking at their skin
• Strong, unpleasant, and unusual odour
• Lethargy (extreme tiredness)
• Can’t open their eyes
• Can’t blink their eyes
• Change in the natural position of their wings
• A change in the colour or consistency of their poo
• Weight loss
• Coughing, sneezing
• Not laying eggs as normal
• Can’t hold their head up properly

If a duck’s tail is dropping or bobbing, be sure to take them to the vet immediately as this is a serious sign of a health emergency. 

Ducks can sometimes be clumsy. When walking, they can trip or fall which can lead to injury. This means you need to make sure their environment has no hazards that that you are checking on them at least daily.

To help prevent these types of injuries, make sure your flocks’ environment is mostly flat and that they have a ramp into their shelter, not steps as they find them hard to navigate. 

If you duck has hurt themselves by tripping or falling, they need to see a veterinarian immediately to prevent any suffering.

Although having lots of time and spaces to swim helps prevent ducks from getting intestinal worms and mites, as a responsible duck guardian, it’s still important for your ducks’ health to give them a wormer suitable for poultry.

It is recommended that ducks should receive these about every 6 months, however, it’s always best to consult your ducks’ veterinarian to see what works best for your flock!

Not only is clean swimming water important for the prevention of worms and mites, but it plays a key role in your ducks’ eye health.

When ducks are swimming, they will often submerge their whole head in the clean water. This natural behavior helps ducks keep their eyes clean. Providing these opportunities is essential – if ducks are unable to carry out this behaviour, they can develop eye disease that can lead to blindness.

Ducks have soft, sensitive feet. This is why responsible guardians must ensure their ducks’ environment has clean, soft floors. If ducks spend too much time are hard surfaces, they can develop painful and serious sores on their feet.

You can refer to our Envrionment section to see what materials are best for the ground of your ducks’ home.  

Much like it is important for you to have proper nutrition so that you have good health and energy – it is also important for ducks!

The right foods in the right amounts helps prevent deficiencies and other health problems that can develop if ducks are not having their nutritional needs met. Angel wing (when ducks’ flight wings twist upward), stunted growth, joint issues, as well as weak bones and shells are examples of the issues ducks can face if they’re not fed the appropriate diet during all life stages.

Be sure to talk to your veterinarian to ensure you’re providing your flock with the appropriate diet and if they need any supplements.

Even if you know where you’ve adopted your ducks from and they are healthy, a quarantine period is a critical step for preventing the spread of disease. New environments and stress can spur illnesses so this time is critical to ensure any new ducks you adopt are healthy before meeting the flock.

If you’ve adopted a flock that were previously housed together, they can be quarantined together.

If you’ve adopted one or two ducks, it’s important to ensure they are quarantined before introductions to the flock. Always make sure you are providing them with all five domains so that they are happy and healthy during this time.

People often think a trip to the vet as something only needed when one of their ducks become unwell. However, it is also important to remember that annual health checks are important for your ducks’ wellbeing.

These annual checks are a great way to detect any small problems before they become more serious. During this 15 - 20-minute appointment, your veterinarian will carefully examine each duck’s entire body – from the top of their head, to their wings and tail!

Your veterinarian will also discuss any concerns you have regarding your ducks’ health, diet and behaviour.

If any of your ducks ever shows any signs of injury or ill health, an adult must take them to their veterinarian immediately.

Ducks can become highly stressed by being physically handled. To find out the best ways to pick up and transport a duck, see our Mental Wellbeing section.

If it is late at night or on the weekend and your vet is closed, there are great after hour clinics available for emergencies.

Remember to always find an adult before you approach any duck that appears sick or injured – even your own duck as they may respond differently because they are in pain.

Proper handling is important for your ducks' health as it can help reduce the risk of accident and injury.

The best way to pick up a duck is by gently holding their wings closed and supporting their body with both hands. Next, tuck them under your arm, keeping their wings shut, and being sure to support their bellies.

It’s a great idea to reward your duck with some healthy yummy food when placing them safely back down to show them that handling should not be viewed as an unpleasant or feared experience for them.

Ducks can actually be trained to walk into their crates instead of picking them up – this a great way to reduce the stress of handling. Just remember, all training needs to be positive, reward-based training.