Duckling died for no reason - Sudden duckling death?

[FluffyDucky123]

I had 2 ducks that were mixed breeds - they were both about 4 weeks old. I kept them both in my backyard in a medium-sized box (with no holes in them). I put padding underneath them. Suddenly, one night, when I went to go feed them, I saw a dead one . I had no idea what the cause of its death was, but before its death, it was alive, happy, and chirping. It didn't have any issues/scratches on its body at the time of death, and I didn't witness it die. Rats could not have gotten into the box due to the high side covers, and the ducklings ate nothing except for their starter feed *mama* and some water. Could anybody tell me the reason of its death? It seemed to die for no reason - thankfully the other one is fine though. By the way, it was not a cold day, but it did rain today, so is it possible that one of them caught a cold? Also, they met our puppy, but we didn't keep them close to the dog. Pls help!

 

[azygous]

You haven't provided nearly enough information for anyone to be able to tell you what may have killed your duckling. I'm not a duck expert, but I'll start things off with a few questions.

Did you provide a water dish deep enough for the ducklings to submerge their entire heads? Or is it a shallow water dish where it's only beak deep?

How large is the box in actual measurements? Length by width by how deep?

What have you been giving them to eat, including all treats?

Had you been letting them go swimming at any point?

 

[WhiteCollarWeezy]

Don't get discouraged...tell us more. We will help if we can.

 

[WhiteCollarWeezy]

How is your other ducky doing? Healthy?

 

[FluffyDucky123]

You haven't provided nearly enough information for anyone to be able to tell you what may have killed your duckling. I'm not a duck expert, but I'll start things off with a few questions.

Did you provide a water dish deep enough for the ducklings to submerge their entire heads? Or is it a shallow water dish where it's only beak deep?

How large is the box in actual measurements? Length by width by how deep?

What have you been giving them to eat, including all treats?

Had you been letting them go swimming at any point?

Yes, the water bowl was deep enough for the ducklings to submerge their entire beak - and head.
The length of the box is about 24 inches and 12 inches wide. It is around 17 inches deep, and my ducklings are around 2 - 3 weeks old, so they aren't that big yet (about the size of your hand)
For their food, I have given them Purina - starter feeds. However, the feeds are pretty big, so I like to break them into smaller pieces so they won't choke. So far, I haven't given them any treats yet
No, they have not been swimming, but one day it was raining and I accidentally left them outside They weren't too wet but some parts of their fur were damp/wet. I immediately took them in afterward and changed their padding.

 

[FluffyDucky123]

Don't get discouraged...tell us more. We will help if we can.

Thank you!

 

[FluffyDucky123]

How is your other ducky doing? Healthy?

Yes, I think the other one is doing fine, but it seems a bit lonely and it always chirps like its lost

 

[WhiteCollarWeezy]

Yes, I think the other one is doing fine, but it seems a bit lonely and it always chirps like its lost

Whistle 2 it...or sing..or chirp...you can also get it a Lil stuffed animal..not stuffed with those lil ball things...you can also place a mirror with it so it thinks it has company....could you post picture of this padding? Unsure what your referring 2???

 

[azygous]

The one duckling may have gotten hypothermia from being wet is my guess as to cause of death. There is nothing else that appears as a possibility. Can you find another one its age for companionship?

 

[FluffyDucky123]

Whistle 2 it...or sing..or chirp...you can also get it a Lil stuffed animal..not stuffed with those lil ball things...you can also place a mirror with it so it thinks it has company....could you post picture of this padding? Unsure what your referring 2???

I have dog pads that I prep under the duckling to make cleaning the bin easier! I will try to post a picture when i have the time!