My mandarin duck is dead, I'm so sad

[luludaxia]

I have 4 mandarin ducks, 2 males and 2 females. I bought them in May last year, when they are still young. I am keeping them in a pen in the barn with metal mesh overhead so that they don't fly away. I give them duck grower pellet and a container of water. They look happy and active even in the coldest of winter.
Today at two o'clock I was adding water to their container, they all look fine to me. Then at 5 o'clock, I found one female dead just beside the water container, lying on her back, neck stretching backward, she must have been dead for sometime because her body is already hard. She's a little wet at one side.
I feel so sad, I don't know what caused her death, no wound, no discharge, no blood, her eyes are still open. no obvious sign of disease. If is some sort of disease, would the remaining ones get it too? Mandarin ducks are highly admired birds in my native country, they are a symbol of love. And they are beautiful birds, I become attached to them shortly after I had them, I just feel so sad. recently I have not introduced any new birds to our barn, I have not been to other people's house. And the barn is closed, not other birds can get in. They live in a closed pen and no others get inside, I just don't know why.

 

[Ashleymarie529]

I'm so sorry for you! I hope you feel better soon and your other Mandarin ducks live happy healthy lives.

Here are some smarties that might have more than just condolences to say about it:

@Miss Lydia
@casportpony
@Amiga
@RavynFallen
@GoldenFlight
@Bills vs Beaks

 

[Spyderk117]

Quote:
I am so sorry! I was reading through Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks and the cause of a sudden death could be. Heart attack choking blood clots broken egg in oviduct seizure And the list goes on, it could be a disease.

 

[purslanegarden]

I wonder if the female duck did one of those things that some birds do, where they fly up with so much force that they hurt their head or break their neck?

Otherwise, I've also heard of female ducks getting drowned when the male tries to mount them in water, though with that, you might find the body in the water instead of next to it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wonder if the female duck did one of those things that some birds do, where they fly up with so much force that they hurt their head or break their neck?

Otherwise, I've also heard of female ducks getting drowned when the male tries to mount them in water, though with that, you might find the body in the water instead of next to it.

possibility.

you say your barn is closed does that mean they never see the light of day no sunshine? Could even be a nutritional deficiency what do you feed them @luludaxia

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[GoldenFlight]

I'm so sorry you lost her....

It does sound like some kind of seizure.... I've seen before when a bird threw their head behind them right before they died.... Did you check her throat and mouth to see if anything was stuck in there? Again I'm so sorry...

 

[luludaxia]

Thanks for all of you! I'm appreciated for your sympathy and kindness.
I still not get over yet from her death. I checked her throat and nostril, I don't think anything stuck there. She's not laying yet. Their water container is small, it's actually a lunch box. Their original one, which is much larger, is frozen, so I took it out and put this new one there for a makeshift. I don't think it's large enough for her to drown. her pen is about 1 meter high, I'm not sure if it is high enough for her to break her neck, if she tried flying. I looked up on the internet, it is said that lying on back is not a natural posture of death from disease, it's more like a sudden death. I kept thinking if I had looked earlier into their pen I might have still seen her alive, although I know that there is little chance I could have saved her even if I saw her in trouble.But I have so much things to do, I can't always be with them much as I love them. The other three seemed fine so far, they drink eat, walking around, playing with each other. I hope they will stay that way. Our plan is when it gets warm we will build a pen with net around our pond so that they can play there without flying away. I never expected this.

 

[Amiga]

Sad for your loss. Hugs.

The only way to be sure is a necropsy soon after death. My guess is this may have been any number of things. Sometimes ducks are born with internal problems that do not show until they mature. This could include heart, brain or oviduct.

Since she was fine a few hours earlier, I doubt it was infection or toxins. As long as they have enough water with their food, choking is unlikely. I have heard of male Pekins breaking the necks of females during mating. I do not know much about mandarins. I pray your flock has no more tragedies.