4 ducklings hatched without eyes?!?

[happyduckygal]

Had 11 ducklings hatch 2 days ago now...... 4 of which have no eyes!?!? One is no longer with us... It also had a gimp leg and it was clear mama duck was not going to care for it and did not want me to save it and I did not want it to suffer. The other three seem to be doing well and are able to find and use food and water bowls. What should I do? If I were to keep them as special needs ducks i think my adult male ducks would bully them.

Side note*** mama duck is muscovy. I have 2 male muscovys and one male pekin and not sure if they they have "cross mated." My Pekin female and Pekin male usually stay in their own pack and don't socialize with the moscovys but I'm not sure if they've mated or not... If that's the case could that cause this deformity?

 

[Rysktal]

Whoa that is super interesting!

As far as what to do...thats going to be different for everyone. My first thought was to identify the parents and not use them for breeding anymore.

I wonder, were some of the eggs first eggs? They say not to hatch the first bunch, maybe that could be apart of it?

 

[happyduckygal]

Th

Whoa that is super interesting!

As far as what to do...thats going to be different for everyone. My first thought was to identify the parents and not use them for breeding anymore.

I wonder, were some of the eggs first eggs? They say not to hatch the first bunch, maybe that could be apart of it?

This isn't the first batch of eggs! This was her 4th time laying. The first 3 were not successful

 

[Tesumph]

This isn't the first batch of eggs! This was her 4th time laying. The first 3 were not successful

Why weren’t the first three successful? I agree with Rysktal, I would absolutely not use them for further breeding.

Assuming there are no further internal birth defects, they could live their lives just fine with no eyes in the right home. Whether you want to keep them depends on your flock goals and ability to accommodate a special needs animal.

 

[happyduckygal]

Why weren’t the first three successful? I agree with Rysktal, I would absolutely not use them for further breeding.

Assuming there are no further internal birth defects, they could live their lives just fine with no eyes in the right home. Whether you want to keep them depends on your flock goals and ability to accommodate a special needs animal.

Well now that we've had these issues I'm starting to think they weren't hatching for a reason! But the first time she laid was her first time and it was in the winter, we thought she did not spending enough time keeping the eggs warm and she didn't not finish out the 30 days. The second and third time was in the middle of the summer at a point where snakes were really bad for us and she was laying in "snaky" locations (under our porch and under a barn) and she did not finish laying on them the whole 30 days either.

 

[chickens really]

That's too bad. You can try to place them into special needs homes or Cull them? Definitely will need to be penned up. I have had dwarfism in my Call Ducklings although it's has no genetic reason..Very strange.
Best wishes..

 

[Jpat]

That's too bad. You can try to place them into special needs homes or Cull them? Definitely will need to be penned up. I have had dwarfism in my Call Ducklings although it's has no genetic reason..Very strange.
Best wishes..

I need to see a picture of that

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Bear hugs!

 

[FishMtFarm]

That's too bad. You can try to place them into special needs homes or Cull them? Definitely will need to be penned up. I have had dwarfism in my Call Ducklings although it's has no genetic reason..Very strange.
Best wishes..

What do you mean when you say it has no genetic reason?

 

[chickens really]

What do you mean when you say it has no genetic reason?

My Dwarfs are not caused from a genetic deformity. Same as in people. It just happens.