Do Ducks Have Parasites?
If you own a flock of ducks and pet them on a regular basis, have you ever wondered whether they’re safe for you or not? Animals that are infected with parasites aren’t safe for humans. But do ducks have parasites?
Yes, ducks also have parasites. Feather mites, duck lice, tapeworms, roundworms, gapeworms, and gizzard worms are some of the most common parasites found on ducks. If not treated, some of these parasites can even cause death.
Want to know more about duck parasites? Go through this guide. Along with different types of parasites, in this article, we’ve also covered how to prevent these parasites.
Do All Ducks Have Parasites?
No! Not all ducks have parasites. The presence of parasites in ducks depends on a couple of factors, such as the food they eat, the environment they live in, and their overall health condition.
For example, ducks fed an imbalanced diet are more likely to have parasites than those on a balanced diet. Similarly, ducks living in unhygienic conditions are more susceptible to parasite infestation than those living in clean and less crowded conditions.
What Kind of Parasites Do Ducks Have?
Parasites are classified into two categories, internal parasites and external parasites. There are different kinds of parasites under these two categories. Let’s take a look:
Internal Parasites
These parasites live inside the body are called internal parasites. Here are some of them that ducks can have.
Roundworms or Nematodes
It’s a very common parasite that usually infects the duck intestine. Old or young, roundworms can affect ducks of all ages. This parasite can be very serious if not treated, as it blocks the intestine.
Roundworm parasite infection increases mucus production, which leads to slimy or watery duck droppings. Some other symptoms are weight loss, slow growth, and anemia.
Gapeworm
This type of parasite lives in the duck’s windpipe; they sometimes mature in the duck’s intestine as well. Gapeworms can lay eggs very fast inside the duck, and if the population increases massively, that can cause death.
Young ducks less than 8 weeks old are more likely to get infected with this parasite. Two common symptoms of gapeworm infection are weight loss and duck making weird sounds.
Gizzard Worm
There is a muscular sac in the duck’s stomach that is called Gizzard. And these worms affect the muscular sac in the stomach, which is why they’re called Gizzard worms.
Ducks that eat contaminated food are more likely to get infected with this parasite. And Gizzard worms infect ducks of all ages. When these worms mature, lay eggs, and reproduce, that causes damage to the Gizzard. And if left untreated, that leads to death in most cases.
Tape Worm
These worms infect the duck’s intestine by attaching themselves to the gastrointestinal tract wall. Tapeworm also infects ducks of all ages, and they mature by eating the duck’s blood and nutrients.
The most common symptoms of tapeworm infection are reduced egg production, diarrhea, and weight loss.
Flukes
Ducks can be infected by flukes if they eat or drink contaminated food or water. If ducks eat prey that was fluke infected, that can also cause fluke infection. This flatworm affects the gallbladder, intestine, and liver.
Flukes lay eggs and reproduce inside the ducks. Some common symptoms of fluke infection are jaundice, weight loss, and anemia.
Coccidia
It is another intestine parasite that can be spread via contaminated food, water, and soil. The common symptoms of Coccidia are weight loss, anemia, and diarrhea.
Hairworms
This parasite usually develops in water plants, and when consumed by ducks, they get infected. Like most other parasites, hairworms also infect the duck’s intestine. And once they reach the intestine, they lay eggs and reproduce. Symptoms of hairworm infection are anemia, weight loss, and diarrhea.
Cryptosporidium
It’s a protozoan parasite that can infect most animals including humans. Cryptosporidium directly affects the duck’s intestine. And the worst part is, this parasite is resistant to many common disinfectants. The symptoms of Cryptosporidium are weight loss, diarrhea, and dehydration.
Toxoplasma Gondii
This is another protozoan parasite that can infect almost all warm-blooded animals. Ducks can get infected with Toxoplasma gondii if they ingest this parasite through water or food. Like most other parasites, it also affects the intestine. And the symptoms are lethargy, weakness, and respiratory issues.
External Parasites
Parasites that live outside the body, such as on the skin or feathers, are called external parasites. Take a look at the two most common external ones.
Feather Mites
This is a very common external parasite; as the name suggests, they live in the duck’s feather. Duck skin oil, dust, and debris are their foods.
Usually, feather mites aren’t dangerous for ducks, but if the number gets significant, then that might cause some problems such as skin irritation, feather loss, etc. Ducks get this parasite through direct contact with infected ducks.
Duck Lice
These are small wingless insects that live in the duck skin. Ducks get infected with duck lice if the water where they swim or the soil where they roam is contaminated. These lice attach themselves to the duck skin and keep on laying eggs and reproducing.
How Do Ducks Get Parasites?
Having knowledge about how ducks get parasites is very important, as that’ll help take preventive measures. Here’s how ducks get parasites:
Environment: If the environment where ducks are living is dirty, then they can get parasites very easily. Parasites grow very well in dirty places.
Ingestion: Ducks can get infected with parasites if they eat foods or drink contaminated water. They can get infected even if they ingest prey that is infected with parasites.
Contact: Parasites can transmit via direct contact. If a healthy duck comes in direct contact with an infected duck, it can get infected.
Can Humans Get Parasites from Ducks?
Yes, humans can get parasites from ducks. There are two most common types of parasites that can be transmitted to humans from ducks, which are cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma gondii.
Cryptosporidium
Humans can get infected with the Cryptosporidium parasite by directly contacting infected ducks. The symptoms of this parasite infection in humans are stomach cramps, diarrhea, weight loss, dehydration, loss of appetite, fever, etc.
Toxoplasma Gondii
This is another parasite that humans can get from ducks. Toxoplasma gondii isn’t usually that serious, but those with a weak immune system tend to suffer more. The symptoms are fever, fatigue, body ache, headache, sore throat, etc.
How Do You Prevent Parasites in Ducks?
Parasites are a great threat to ducks, which is why it’s mandatory to take preventive measures as soon as possible. Here are a few things that you should do to keep ducks safe from parasites.
Deworm the Ducks
If you don’t want ducks to get infected by parasites, make sure you deworm ducks on a regular basis. There are different types of deworming medicines available in the market; here are some popular ones:
Verm-X: It’s an organic deworming medicine that is made of natural ingredients such as garlic, peppermint, cinnamon, cleavers, fennel, etc. Give 1.5 ml of Verm-X to each duck. You can either add it to drinking water or soak the feed with this medicine.
Flubenvet: Though it isn’t labeled for use in ducks, it’s widely used and has good effects. Mix an entire 60-gram Flubenvet tube with 20 kg duck feed. And it’s recommended not to eat the treated duck meat within 7 days of giving the medicine.
However, it’s safe to consume the eggs of the treated ducks.
Ivermectin: This medicine is best for preventing ducks from external parasites. Ivermectin works great on gapeworms, eye worms, roundworms, cecal worms, and threadworms. It is directly applied to the duck skin.
Balanced Diet
Give ducks a balanced diet; it should be low in fat and high in fiber which will enable the digestive system to work properly and protect the duck from parasite infection. Also, add herbs like garlic, oregano, etc., to the diet, that’ll improve overall health.
Pasture Rotation
It means moving the ducks into different pastures on a regular basis. Though it’s not possible for someone who has limited pasture, however, if you can, it’d be wise to keep rotating the pasture. Doing so will lower the parasite buildup.
Keeping the Coop Clean
As mentioned before, a dirty environment increases the chances of parasite infection. Therefore, make sure you do a thorough cleaning of the coop regularly.
Clean Water
You should replace drinking water on a daily basis to prevent parasite buildup. Don’t forget to give fresh and clean water to ducks; otherwise, there will be many other health complications.
Don’t Overcrowd
Parasites can transmit through direct contact; therefore, you shouldn’t put many ducks together in a small area. Provide enough room so that ducks can roam and live comfortably.
How Do You Treat Ducks for External Parasites?
Once you’ve identified that the ducks are infected with external parasites, do the following as soon as possible:
Topical Treatment: There are deworming medicines that can be applied directly on the duck skin, such as ivermectin. These medicines can easily kill external parasites.
Oral Treatment: To treat external parasites, you might also need to give medicines orally. Verm-X and Flubenvet are one of the most popular oral medicines for internal and external parasites.
Disinfecting Coop: It doesn’t matter how much medicine you give to the ducks; if the coop is infected, then sooner or later, the ducks will be infected too. Therefore, it’s crucial that you disinfect and clean the duck coop on a regular basis.
Final Words
Will be wrapping up this article on do ducks have parasites with a few last words. Parasites can kill each and every duck in the coop if you don’t pay attention. Therefore, if you don’t want that, make sure to do everything it takes to keep ducks safe.
Disinfecting the coop, giving medicines, and feeding a balanced diet should save ducks from getting parasites. However, if you liked this blog and want more like it, don’t forget to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest.
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