Drake duck like limps then dies

[Knightsgate]

I have two drakes and yesterday on of them started limping badly but there was no injury that I could see and so I thought I would let it go for a day or so and see if it gets worse or better etc before treating him. This morning I come out to let them out and he is dead. Laying there with feathers torn off his neck area and some of his skin torn. It looks like nothing was biting him and there is no way a predator got into the duck house. It’s steel. The only other thing in there with him was his brother and a bunch of flies. Why would he go from limping one evening to dying the next morning?!?! Please help!!!!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Very sorry for your loss, sounds like maybe his brother was mating him. It happens with drakes, it happened here one drake bred the other until he was injured internally and he died. These were dumped drakes in the river below our home.

 

[KaleIAm]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

I agree with Miss Lydia on the likely cause. If you want to know for sure you can send his body off for a necropsy, or take him to your avian vet for one. Otherwise we are just guessing. I have had necropsies performed on my ducks, and sometimes the procedure even surprised the vets that were treating them before they passed away.