New To Ducks

Hi there!

We just purchased three ducklings, a Khaki Campbell, a Blue Swedish, and a Welsh Harlequin, all female, all around a week old. When we first got them home from an hour drive, we gave them water (I held off on the food for about an hour). The ducklings drank like dying men from the desert and afterwards, staggered around and fell, like they were drunk. Any idea what happen? I was a little panicked when they could keep their feet, so my daughter and I held them for about 10 minutes. They seemed better after that time, though a little unsteady and after they ate, seemed just fine. They are thriving and happy in their brooder and we look forward to introducing them to the outdoors in a few weeks.

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

hello! if your ducks are only a day old (if you bought them from a feed store, they're almost definitely under a week old) or a couple days old, they could just be learning how to walk! here's some other possible reasons for why they stumbled about:
1. temperature of the water couldve been too hot or too cold. cold water makes young ducklings feel funny once its in their tummy! if the water was room temperature, then:
2. just adjusting to how to walk/stand on the new bedding/new area. if it wasn't new bedding and they could stand on their way home, or:
3. the movement of the car vs. the still movement in the brooder coulda thrown them off! if not that, then:
4. they might've needed some more niacin. although, this is more of something that bothers older ducklings, but niacin deficiency can lead to leg problems. sprinkle some brewer's yeast over their food and their legs will grow stronger!
5. maybe, in all honestly, it couldve just been ducklings being ducklings. they stumble a lot when theyre young!

hope this was, at least, somewhat helpful!!

Ducks do love water, to drink and to splash around and make big messes. I don't know much about ducks but that they often need water to swallow food and other dry snacks.

I think it was smart to withhold food at first. I would imagine they could get bloated up like dogs do.

Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice already so I'll just say hello!

All the best
CT