Almost all hatcheries offer grow gel at an additional cost. Most people do get it and it is up the the coustomer to get it. Technically ducks don't need anything during shipping but if there are any delays like what happened here it can make a big difference. I had to pay for it with Metzer and I know Ideal offers it as well. Picking a hatchery that is not super far away is also a good idea so they aren't in transit as long or buy locally.Thanks, Miss Lydia!
EFowl was the first to get my attention because it's the first search return I saw. I thought it was really sketchy for an extra dollar, the customer can buy food to be put in their shipping boxes which increases survival rate by 80%. If it's that effective in preventing needless death, why not make it mandatory for every shipment of live animals and charge accordingly? It just rubbed me the wrong way. My heart aches for your loss. I would be devastated too. If any silver lining is to be had, it's sharing past painful stories can help others avoid creating new ones.
*Hugs*