Indian runner duck died suddenly

[Runnerduck3737]

I have 2 ducks, a female Indian runner duck and a male mallard duck. They're about 7 months old and I had them since they were ducklings. I bought them from rural king (a farm and fleet store). Last night I left my house and they both seemed fine, absolutely nothing abnormal and then I came back around 16 hours later and I found my Indian runner duck dead on her side, eyes open, and the bottom of her bill was a blue color. The mallard seemed fine. There was no blood, her feathers were perfect. I know that mallards can be sexually aggressive so I've been watching since his male feathers came in to see if he would be too rough with her but I haven't seen him touch her and she never seemed afraid of him, they did everything together. I feed them mostly commercial duck food and some mealworms with grit that I mix in and then occasionally some vegetables (the last thing I gave them was corn) she recently started laying really good eggs every other day so I don't think she was egg bound or anything, and they have access to water that deep enough to put their whole heads in. Unfortunately it would've costed me $600 total to get a necropsy and cremated and that wasn't an option for me so I'm just getting her cremated but a little peace of mind of knowing what could've happened to her would be helpful.
Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

No one can tell you what killed her but I can say that being egg-bound
can take them fast. I lost one of my Indian Runners to being eggbound. She was acting fine one day dead the next morning. I lost a Muscovy years ago the same way only difference was I noticed she was off by herself so I brought her in did soaks and kept her in but she still passed away, Do you know when she laid her last egg?

So sorry for your loss it's so heartbreaking.
Beautiful ducks by the way

 

[Isadora]

I'm so sorry.
She was very beautiful.
I second what miss Lydia said about the egg problem.
Unfortunately it's all speculation since no necroposy can be performed.

 

[Runnerduck3737]

No one can tell you what killed her but I can say that being egg-bound
can take them fast. I lost one of my Indian Runners to being eggbound. She was acting fine one day dead the next morning. I lost a Muscovy years ago the same way only difference was I noticed she was off by herself so I brought her in did soaks and kept her in but she still passed away, Do you know when she laid her last egg?

So sorry for your loss it's so heartbreaking.
Beautiful ducks by the way

She laid her last egg 2 days ago but her egg laying was pretty inconsistent since she just started laying a month ago so if she was still alive I wouldn't expect another one until tomorrow or maybe the next day

 

[Goosey Girl]

I agree with Miss Lydia. My dear black runner girl died about a month after she started laying eggs last year. She had seemed a little slower for a couple of days and her last day she wouldn't eat or drink and just stood in one place like a statue. We carefully put her in the duck house that evening, the next day she wasn't alive. It is so sad for you to fo through. I think some females don't have a properly functioning internal system and fail to produce a normal egg consistently. Mine had access to oyster shell, great diet, but I guess that's just the way it goes. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Abbyroadrescuetx]

That could be what happened to my beautiful Peking. She had never laid an egg but I guess that is possible. I was devastated to find her looking like she was sitting down by the gate, eyes open but dead. I too had my girl cremated and I even managed to get a footprint. Thank you for posting about this and I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Duckin Crazy]

I have 2 ducks, a female Indian runner duck and a male mallard duck. They're about 7 months old and I had them since they were ducklings. I bought them from rural king (a farm and fleet store). Last night I left my house and they both seemed fine, absolutely nothing abnormal and then I came back around 16 hours later and I found my Indian runner duck dead on her side, eyes open, and the bottom of her bill was a blue color. The mallard seemed fine. There was no blood, her feathers were perfect. I know that mallards can be sexually aggressive so I've been watching since his male feathers came in to see if he would be too rough with her but I haven't seen him touch her and she never seemed afraid of him, they did everything together. I feed them mostly commercial duck food and some mealworms with grit that I mix in and then occasionally some vegetables (the last thing I gave them was corn) she recently started laying really good eggs every other day so I don't think she was egg bound or anything, and they have access to water that deep enough to put their whole heads in. Unfortunately it would've costed me $600 total to get a necropsy and cremated and that wasn't an option for me so I'm just getting her cremated but a little peace of mind of knowing what could've happened to her would be helpful.
Thanks

So sorry for your loss.I have no words of wisdom,I'm only about 2 years into this crazy passion.I never dreamed I would fall so deep in love with fowl.Its heartbreaking when you loose one.(I have learned through this I am not cut out to be a meat bird farmer).
Just wanted to offer my condolences.

 

[Goosey Girl]

I was up all last night hatching and assisting 6 eggs. I'm exhausted. The last one at 1am was challenging...pipped wrong end, and slow to absorb.

Last weekend had this happen and the poor baby died. This week I helped a wee bit early because the baby seemed to be struggling in the shell. When it popped out, I did what I usually do, snip the poop trail tying the baby to its shell, but this time there was blood. Freaked out, grabbed some cornstarch to stop the bleeding (wasn't a lot of blood, but enough to scare me at that time of the night). Waited a half hour, put some 1% iodine solution on the extended stomach and returned it to the incubator to join it's mate that had hatched at 11:30 pm.

I know this post is about adult ducks dying, but my evening reminded me of why it's so darn difficult when a bird, poultry for all extensive purposes, dies. You take the time to care for it, help it into the world, keep it safe from predators, enjoy their antics then something tragic happens. I know it is the circle of life. But, it is a hugely personal loss that NO ONE else considers important except you...and of course others on this forum.

Rewarding, enriching, emotional, devastating...sometimes all in the same week!

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