I am new to Ducks. I have read they are easyer to care for than chickens, and I have ben lucky with chickens for years. Now I have a saxony drake with a cough. He eats good and acts normal. He gets clean water. I know nothing about livestock medicine. Help a duck with a cough.

-- Lawson Moore (marmerduke@aol.com), November 05, 1999

Answers

The main thing is he eats and acts normal -- he'll probably be fine. If you're not moistening the dry feed, that could be causing it. mind you, i don't usually moisten the feed when I feed ours (3 blue swedes, 2 rouens, 2 cayugas,) but they're such snarfers they don't seem to care. It could be, that's just the way he is. When he gets listless and stops eating, then you have a problem. Do they have a pond or tub to really splash around in, or just drinking water?

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), May 08, 2000.

Ducks need water deep enough to dunk their whole heads in. They need to be able to wash out their eyes and beaks. I've never heard a duck cough?!?

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), May 08, 2000.