3 week Old Duckling acting strange

[CorralitosSunflower]

So I have 4 three week old Welsh Harlequin ducklings that I hatched out. Just tonight I noticed one of them, my only boy is doing a strange panting-like thing. He does it when he lays down to rest. His head stays upright and he looks like a person who is about to sneeze but can't quite get it out, you know that feeling? His eyes close and his bill opens and closes while his head slightly jerks back and forth. I can distract him by moving, he will stop for a little while and then begin again. None of my other ducklings are doing it, so I don't think they are hot but who knows? Our house is currently 75 degrees. I completely changed out their bedding today, I use straw and add an extra layer everyday until it gets too piled up and stinky and than I change it all. The only things I can think of are he has a fever or ate something bad and is sick or something in the new straw (from same bale as before) is bothering him. I don't know!!?? Any ideas, help, advice? Thanks so much!
P.S. He is still eating and drinking and moving around just fine

 

[kitkatbahr]

What kind of drinking container are you using? Is it deep enough he can dunk his entire head and wash out his nares (nostrils)? If not, it could be "plugged up" and you just cannot see it. Please make sure he can dunk his whole head in the waterer. They HAVE to be able to wash out their nares every day.

Hopefully that will help. Keep us posted on how he is doing.

Kathy

 

[Cetawin]

I agree with kitkatbahr...make sure he can dunk his head. Also, doing a deep litter style with duckies is not always a good thing. They make such a mess (or should if they have deep water available for their head to get into) that the bedding should be changed daily or scooped daily.

Also that temperature may be a little cool for them at that age...you may try adjusting that for them.

 

[CorralitosSunflower]

They have a big dog dish that they can completely cover their eyes if they wish. I didn't start out with it for fear of them drowning but as they got bigger and more able bodied I put it in. I guess he could still have something in there that he just couldn't get out. Is there any good way to check, other than just looking??? I can't see anything.
I don't do a full on deep litter method with them. The first week and a half I used towels which were changed daily and than this past week and a half I switched to straw. I remove all of the wet straw and refresh with clean dry straw and than cover the rest of their area with another layer. I let it go for about three days and than do a complete overhaul. I actually read somewhere that it is not as good to completely change the bedding everyday, I wish I could find that article again. Anyways, it seems to be working very well for me so far.
You think they are cold? I had a light on them for two weeks and found that by the end of the two weeks even at night they never slept or hung out under it. I had adjusted the distance for the appropriete 5 degree drop at the end of the first week (I used a thermometer to insure it was at 85, they started out at 90). I assumed they didn't need it anymore so I removed it. We had about three days of really warm weather, our house got up to 82 on its own and we opened windows to cool it down to 78. Than only recently has it dropped to the lower 70s. I can always put it back up, I just didn't want to waste electricity since they didn't apear to be using it. I get up a lot at night with my daughter so they are always checked about three times a night and they were never under it. Our house temp has not dropped below 72 and although they like to sleep near each other they don't seem to be acting cold. I just put it back on to see if they will use it, I don't want them to be cold!
Thanks guys, it doesn't seem to be serious, just strange. I hope I can figure it out!

 

[ExpLo721]

I sure hope it's a plugged out nostril issue and not a mini-seizure.