Ducks are hardier than chickens, and many people keep them for years without serious trouble. But waterfowl have their own diseases, and some of them kill nearly a whole brood in a couple of days. The good news: most can be prevented if you know what to expect at what age.
Duck viral hepatitis
The most dangerous disease of the first weeks of life. Ducklings under 3–4 weeks are hit most, especially in week one.
- it moves very fast: the duckling is dull and lags behind the group;
- falls onto its side, throws its head back, paddles its legs in spasms;
- dies within an hour or two of the first signs;
- mortality in a young brood can be very high.
There is no treatment. Protection comes from vaccinating the breeder flock (ducklings get antibodies through the egg) or vaccinating the ducklings themselves in their first days per the vet’s program. If the virus has been on the farm, unvaccinated broods that follow are at risk.
Riemerella (infectious serositis)
A bacterial disease of ducklings at 1–8 weeks. Discharge from eyes and nostrils, a trembling head, the bird falls onto its back and staggers. It often flares after stress: transport, cold, damp. It’s treated with antibiotics prescribed by a vet, and vaccines exist. The main prevention is dryness and no sharp temperature swings.
Duck plague (duck viral enteritis)
Affects adult ducks and geese. Sudden deaths, bloody diarrhea, birds shy away from light and can’t stand, laying in females drops sharply. The virus is often brought by wild ducks, so don’t let domestic birds share water with wild ones. A live vaccine exists; in affected areas the whole flock is vaccinated.
Botulism
In summer a toxin builds up in warm stagnant water and rotting organic matter. Birds lose the ability to hold up their necks — they lie limp on the ground or the water. The only fix is removing the source: clean the pond, don’t give spoiled feed. On water for ducks — see water for ducks.
What else to know
| Problem | Sign | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Aspergillosis | Ducklings gasp with open beaks | Remove moldy litter and feed |
| Niacin deficiency | Weak, bowed legs in ducklings | Duckling feed, not chick feed (more) |
| Derzsy’s disease (goose parvovirus) | Goslings under 4 weeks: diarrhea, down loss, deaths | Vaccinate breeder geese or the goslings |
| Avian influenza | Ducks may carry it without signs | Keep away from wild birds (more) |
Prevention by age
- Before hatch: vaccinated breeders and a clean incubator.
- First 4 weeks: warmth, dry litter, duckling feed, vaccination per program, no contact with adult ducks or outside birds.
- Adults: no access to ponds with wild ducks, vaccination in affected areas, clean water.
General farm protection rules are in small farm biosecurity.
A brood under watch
With ducklings hours count, so you need to see each day’s mortality, not the weekly total. In EggPulse a flock’s mortality is logged during the daily check, and duckling and breeder vaccinations are kept in the log with dates and batch numbers.
