Ducks Eating Flies?

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

I am admittedly a bit confused. I’ve read articles in a variety of places saying to control the fly population as they can actually be harmful to ducks if eaten (and chickens and geese) as they may cause botulism (both the flies and maggots) but here I’m understanding that people are welcoming ducks eating the flies? We just lost two cherished Muscovies to botulism and have been desperately trying to figure out how they got it so we can avoid this devastating loss if we choose to ‘duck parent’ again. We had had a lot of flies and one of our girls did find them tasty. We also live in a hot/humid climate that had had an unusual amount of rain which we’ve learned can be a factor however our girls had gone through these seasonal conditions before with no issue. While nothing will bring our girls back I’m trying to gather as much info as possible and am now wondering should we let our next potential feathered family members eat flies or take means to control them?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Flies or maggots feeding on manure is generally safe. Flies or maggots feeding in carrion, or anything dead may cause botulism if consumed. It depends how old the carcass, and what bacteria is present.

Botulism can also be caused by eating moldy or spoiled food. With ducks and how messy they can be that may be more likely.

 

[Isaac 0]

Generally, Clostridium Botulinum, the bacterium the can cause Botulism, is going to be seen in ponds, with an adequate amount of vegetation, during warmer months. It can also be seen in spoiled feed or animal carcasses. I don't think I would worry too much about flies just flying around their pen.

If you inoculate a tube filled with thioglycollate broth, botulism will only grow on the bottom of the tube, because is it is an anaerobe, and will die in the presence of oxygen. Since Botulism dies in the presence of air. Installing aerators into your pond, to increase oxygen flow into your pond may help greatly to decrease the risk of Botulism affecting your birds. As would, removing sources of contamination like moldy feed, carcasses, dead fish, etc.

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Generally, Clostridium Botulinum, the bacterium the can cause Botulism, is going to be seen in ponds, with an adequate amount of vegetation, during warmer months. It can also be seen in spoiled feed or animal carcasses. I don't think I would worry too much about flies just flying around their pen.

If you inoculate a tube filled with thioglycollate broth, botulism will only grow on the bottom of the tube, because is it is an anaerobe, and will die in the presence of oxygen. Since Botulism dies in the presence of air. Installing aerators into your pond, to increase oxygen flow into your pond may help greatly to decrease the risk of Botulism affecting your birds. As would, removing sources of contamination like moldy feed, carcasses, dead fish, etc.

If flies emerge from infected larvae are the flies then infected and able to spread the toxin if eaten?

 

[Isaac 0]

If flies emerge from infected larvae are the flies then infected and able to spread the toxin if eaten?

Flies can carry, and spread botulism.

https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary....m that adult,the epidemiology of this disease.