MALLARD THREAD...not rouens, Mallards!

[faststell]

Can anyone help me with a couple questions?
We rescued a mallard duckling from a cat and spent hours trying to find its mom, but couldn't. The local
Wildlife rehabber is full, so we are doing our best.

The duckling was a day or two old when we got it and fiesty. We couldn't find duck starter, so we bought unmedicated chick starter and frozen brine shrimp with spirulina mixed in. We also grabbed some super fine sand from the lake for grit (because nobody around here sells granite grit or other grit safe for ducks). We've been feeding her with the starter, grit and brine shrimp whenever she is hungry, plus taking her out to forage for bugs when it's warm out and she loves worms. She was thriving for a couple days-she would run around (or we would let her swim for a few minutes, supervised), catch bugs, filter feed her food, preen and then settle into sleep. Routinely. She's probably 5 days old now, maybe 6. Today, she just wants to sleep all the time. She is still eating and pooping regularly, but she doesn't have the energy she did the last few days and she's peeping, weakly, almost constantly. If we let her go, she stands there for a few seconds and then sits down and her head nods like she just can't stay awake. She also doesn't seem to be growing.

We feed her as much as she wants, whenever she wants it.
Just wondering if this is normal? Do ducklings sleep extra when they are growing or something?
Is it okay to feed her brine shrimp and chick starter?
I have been reading about duck care for days and there is so much contradicting info out there.
I just want to make sure we are not harming her rather than helping her.

I think you are doing everything perfectly, you can try and give her some peas as a treat, ducks love that. And yes it is normal for ducks to sleep more as they get older. Mine take 1 or 2 naps every day as well as sleeping at night. But my concern is that your duckling REALLY needs a buddy. I once raised a duck alone. Not good. Ducks are flock animals and love to socialize. Humans are ok but not the same. What I would recommend based on past experiences is go to the website "Purely poultry" and you can get as few as 2 mallard ducklings (or another species) with a gender of your choice shipped to you. yes shipping might sound cruel at first if you have never heard of it but they are very caring with them, they arrive in about 2 days or less and all of my previous ducks came alive and healthy. It's a really great deal and it will make your duck very happy. If your planning on ordering ducks please do it quickly before yours gets too big, or just get a bigger breed like a Peking or Rouen. Hope I could help, sorry for the long paragraph.

 

[Amiga]

The first post in this thread has a good summary for duckling care. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

 

[MallardNight3]

Smile!

 

[mischievouslady]

In pool mallard out side waiting his turn Rouen

 

[Birdmania]

How did she get up on that board?

She flew up and right after I took the picture she flew down and landed in her pond.

 

[Spyderk117]

She flew up and right after I took the picture she flew down and landed in her pond.​

Okay, then you have a Mallard. Mallards can fly Rouens can't.

 

[MallardNight3]

It's a lazy day for the Mallards! Merry. Pippin Pippin, Samwise and Merry.

So cute!

 

[Kroelies]

Zorro babies getting bigger! Some already have tiny feathers. Just a few more days and Zorro can take them out in the ditch (their pen smells bad and their pool gets dirty after just one day

)

 

[Julie Birb]

Zorro babies getting bigger! Some already have tiny feathers. Just a few more days and Zorro can take them out in the ditch (their pen smells bad and their pool gets dirty after just one day )

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE HOOPOOSE!?-$+4;"+$(00)

 

[Julie Birb]

Smile!

2 burds. Different burds, but both are very cute. Very.