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Diarrhea
If your duck or goose is experiencing diarrhea it can be indicative of a many number of things. A look at all of your pet’s overall health and symptoms will be necessary in order to determine the correct course of action. Once your vet determines the root cause of the symptoms, a proper treatment regimen can begin.
Diarrhea is often the body’s way of removing toxins from the system, so depending on its severity, your vet may or may not want to interfere with this function—especially in the short term. They may want to lessen the symptom more than alleviate it, depending on the cause.
Adding apple pectin to your pet’s diet is a safe and often effective way to help tighten up your duck or goose’s poop, and there are a few alternatives to accomplishing this.
1)
Syringe feed 1-2 tablespoons of organic apple baby food to your duck or goose each day until symptoms improve.2) Add organic apple cider vinegar to their water (15 mls per gallon)but it can ferment, so change their water frequently! It may also soothe irritated intestinal lining.
3) Kaolin Pectin Suspension (found at farm supply stores) can be administered 2-4 times a day, in doses of 1ml for each pound your bird weighs PROVIDED that your duck or goose is drinking normally.
4) Apple Pectin tablets (250 mgs) can be given to your goose once daily or every 12 hours in more serious cases. Ducks can be given 100 mgs once daily or every 12 hours in more serious cases.
As with all medications, consult with your vet before beginning any of these treatments. Side effects for each of these products include constipation, so only use them under the direct guidance of your veterinarian. Kaolin Pectin Suspension may cause stomach cramping. If you see a decline in your pet’s appetite, discontinue immediately and consult your vet.
Remember, diarrhea can lead to dehydration. Monitor your bird’s drinking habits carefully to ensure normal behavior. If your pet is spending too much time (or all of their time) at the water bucket, bring them to your vet immediately.
Assembling Duck Houses
We have unpacked our twelve new duck houses and are beginning to put them together. The removable floors of each house will be protected with a sheet of cut-to-size vinyl flooring. We will also make ramps and doors for each house.
Name plates will be mounted soon and photos are expected to appear in next month's newsletter. Thank you again to our donors!
March 2012 UPDATE: These "outdoor" dog houses turned out to have VERY poorly constructed roofs and sadly did not last long. The roofs are hollow inside AND the rear overhang doesn't clear enough of the house to prevent interior rotting around the hinges. Within 1 YEAR of owning these houses, the roofs were literally crumbling away. Calls to the company were unproductive who said they were outside of the warranty period.
We have since built our own beautiful replacement roofs of much-improved solid design and with a few inches of overhang to prevent interior rotting around the hinge hardware.
***WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THESE HOUSES!
Daffodil Memorial Garden
We have begun planting daffodils around the borders of our enclosures, and it's looking really beautiful here this spring!
Our goal is to completely encircle our pens with these beautiful deer-proof flowers that also prevent the encroachment of weeds.
Donating daffodil bulbs is a beautiful way to memorialize lost loved ones or to celebrate the lives of those still with us. Bulbs purchased through Brecks will automatically ship during our Connecticut planting seasons and they have a wonderful and hearty collection of 106 varieties of yellow, pink, white and orange daffodils, which all have a lifetime FREE replacement guarantee! Just type "Daffodil" into their "Search" feature to review their full list of selections.
Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary
17 Barker Road
Lebanon CT 06249