What causes diarrhea in farmed ducks?
Duck meat is firm in texture, not fatty to eat, and has a certain nutritional value; it is suitable for braising or making soup. Nowadays there are relatively few small-scale duck farmers, and most are large-scale operations. During duck farming, if the causes of diarrhea occur, what are they? How can ducks be prevented from getting sick?
1. What causes diarrhea in farmed ducks?
1. Feed factors
When ducks are fed spoiled or moldy feed, they will develop digestive problems after eating it, such as indigestion, leading to diarrhea; in addition, when the protein content in the feed is relatively high, it increases the burden on the ducks' liver and kidneys, causing metabolic disorders and diarrhea; ducks can also develop diarrhea when they lack nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus and vitamins. When feeding, be sure to ensure the feed is fresh, limit the protein supply, and especially in summer, also pay attention to a balanced combination of various nutrients; the feed nutrition should not be single.
2. Disease factors
Diarrhea in ducks is generally very likely caused by disease. Common diseases that cause diarrhea in ducks include colibacillosis and serositis, among others. Their main disease characteristics are diarrhea, poor appetite or refusal to eat, listlessness, and low activity; if treated, severe cases can lead to duck death. These diseases can be prevented and treated with professional medications, but it is best to focus on prevention; vaccinating ducklings at one to two weeks of age can prevent most diseases.
3. Medication overdose
Excessive use of medication can also cause diarrhea. If diarrhea is caused by medication overdose, the dosage must be adjusted accordingly; for diarrhea caused by drug poisoning, be sure to protect the ducks' liver and kidneys, and promote kidney function and diuresis; for diarrhea caused by long-term medication, the gastrointestinal system must be regulated by adding an appropriate amount of Bacillus and probiotics to the feed or drinking water, and at the same time antibiotics should also be used in conjunction to prevent the diarrhea from worsening further. When using medication, always start low and then increase, never use medication too aggressively, formulate a reasonable medication schedule, and choose veterinary drugs produced by trustworthy manufacturers.
4. Environmental factors
In summer, with high temperatures and intense heat, ducks increase their food and water intake, which reduces the number of gastrointestinal flora, so diarrhea occurs. Failure to take timely cooling and heatstroke prevention measures can also lead to diarrhea. In addition, excessive stocking density, poor ventilation in the duck house, and excessive ammonia odor can all cause diarrhea in ducks. Therefore, in the high-temperature summer season, cooling measures should be taken well, stocking density should be reduced, duck excrement should be cleaned up in a timely manner, and regular disinfection should be carried out to reduce a series of stress reactions.
2. How can diseases be prevented in duck farming?
Laying ducks and meat ducks are both raised by floor rearing on the ground, which inevitably brings them into contact with feces and contaminated litter, especially in summer and autumn, when parasites can easily infect the duck flock without being noticed.
For floor-reared duck flocks, deworming work and prevention of staphylococcosis should be strengthened. When the duck flock has a normal feed intake and a mortality and culling rate that is not high, but the laying rate gradually declines, egg weight becomes lighter, and feces are mostly white and brown, such as watery or lime-like, treatment with antibiotics is not obvious, sporadic deaths are found, and necropsy reveals that sick ducks are emaciated, with protruding and individually curved breastbones, and a large number of tapeworms gathered in the intestinal tract.
Preventive measures: ducklings should receive coccidiosis prevention at 10 days of age, prevention of external and internal parasites at around 30 days of age, and afterwards deworming against intestinal parasites once each at 60 days and 120 days of age, and after laying begins, deworming once every month or every 2 months, especially in summer and autumn; in choosing medications, try to choose drugs with low toxicity and mild side effects on laying, such as amprolium, albendazole, fenbendazole, avermectin or ivermectin, etc. If tapeworm infection occurs, the preferred drugs are praziquantel and areca; for medication use, it is best to use the mixed-feed method, continuously for 3-5 days, then after an interval of 7 days use the medication again for 3 days, so as to kill both adult worms and eggs and remove them from the body.
Feces during the medication period should be cleaned up promptly to avoid direct contact between the farmed flock and feces. The collected feces should be subjected to fermentation treatment, thoroughly killing the parasites and harmful pathogenic bacteria in the feces through high-temperature treatment.