Help! I think my duckling is in pain.

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RusticGal

RusticGal

In the Brooder
May 20, 2016
21
1
12
MO
Please help! I have a 2 week old duckling who is acting strange. Today i checked in on her and she had her beak open and was making soft but strange sounds. She was also breathing weird. I taking quick breaths.
I dont know what panting looks like. I thought she could have been too warm but i dont know. I have 2 other ducks and they seem to be okay.
I should also add that they are inside with a heat lamp still.
 
Ducks breathing with their bill open is how they pant... it very well could be she is a bit warm... try cooling her off a bit by putting her in a small pan of cool water, just enough to cover her feet and see if that helps... keep a hold of her or your hands near her in case it is more severe...
 
Im not sure how warm it is exactly. They do have space to get out of the light right now and are rarely directly under it. The box isnt that big though. They are growing very fast!
 
I'd try cooling the feet then, just to see... they have a lot of veins close to the surface in their webs, so that should cool her down and stop the panting if that's what is causing it... if she doesn't stop, then it could be an issue to worry about...

But if they are very rarely under the heat, might be time to turn it down a touch or move it slightly farther away... ducklings don't need quite as much heat as chicks do so they can be stepped down a little quicker...

Might want to look into a bigger brooder too, cuz yes, they grow really quick, lol... and it will only get quicker... better to go too big than not big enough... :)
 
Thank you. I am new to this. These are my first ducklings and im worried. Lol.
I read that ducks only need the heat lamp from 2 to 6 weeks. Do they show any signs when they are cold?
They spend most of their day being active. We go to the pool, walk around the yard. Then come in for the evening. They havent acted strange outside at all. Just in their box tonight.
 
These are my three.



700
 
Awww... they're adorable!!

Looks like a Khaki Campbell, Pekin and a Rouen...

If they're cold, they will huddle excessively... or when standing their back will hunch up, tail will tuck down, and their fuzz will look like it's standing on end... they will also shiver if they get really cold...

I think you're doing just fine... and as long as the one that was panting doesn't seem to be in distress, listless or seem weak I think she'll be fine...

First ducklings, so I gotta ask... are you feeding them chick starter, waterfowl starter, or Purina Flock Raiser? If chick starter, are you supplementing with brewers yeast in their food or Vitamin B complex tablets crushed and dissolved in their water?
 
RusticGal said:
I am feeding chick starter but i didnt know i needed to add anything!
Click to expand...


It's ok, don't panic... that is why I asked... :)

Ducks have a niacin deficiency which can cause leg weakness/issues later on if not supplemented with proper amounts for their first 10 weeks... personally, I feed all mine Purina Flock Raiser as it contains the higher amounts of niacin they need while regular chick starter does not... or you can get brewers yeast (not baking yeast) and mix a tblspn per cup of chick starter that you give them... brewers yeast can be found at a nutritional store, vitamin shop, or Amazon carries it online (for that one I recommend AniMed brand, more for your money)...

They'll be fine til you can switch feed or get brewers yeast, but please don't wait... some ducks may never show leg problems, but with them it is better to prevent it rather than having to treat it... :)
 

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