A sick or weak duckling

[kare21162]

My friend just got 2 Muscovy ducklings and one of them seems to just always want to sleep and it doesn't seem to be eating or drinking anything. I know it's only 2 days old today, but I know with my chicks I hatched they still got up and scratched around, ate, and drank. Is there anything you can give the little duckling to maybe get him some nutrients and if he is sick what does she need to give him to maybe give him a chance? It wasn't hatched out of an incubator...but the mother duck did sit on 16 eggs..I don't know if that has anything to do with it. She says that it doesn't really move around anywhere and her chicks walk all over it and it doesn't seem to care. Any advice on what to do? Maybe separate it from the other duckling and the chicks?

 

[kare21162]

I forgot to ask what should you feed ducklings? All purpose poultry feed? Or something different?

 

[Cetawin]

What is she feeding them? That is the first question. Also, is she giving them vitamins and electrolytes in their water? Do they have a deep dish of water that they get their head into?


They need to be eating non-medicated duck/goose starter or if not available, mix equal parts of non-medicated chick starter and turkey/wild game bird starter.

They need electrolytes in their water. They must be able to dunk their head to clean their beaks.

They need temps of 85-90 degrees through day 4 then 80 - 85 degrees through day 7 then down 5 degees per week thereafter

 

[kare21162]

Quote:
She's feeding them All Purpose Poultry! They have a water dish and then a bigger dish to get in...but I think it's too tall for them right now.

 

[kare21162]

Sorry, and just plain water...no electrolytes...what does she need to put in the water? This is her first time with ducks...so she's completely in the dark!

 

[Cetawin]

all purpose poultry is the wrong stuff for sure.

She needs to get them unmedicated duck/goose starter. if that is not available, then get unmedicated chick starter and mix it equally with unmedicate turkey/gamebird starter.

at the feed store she can find powdered vitamins and electrolytes. Mix it half the strength for chicks because ducks go through twice the amount of water. Keep them on that for a week

Give them at least one daily serving of green cut into 1/4" pieces such as fresh lettuce, spinach, thawed frozen peas, grass clippings from the lawn

 

[Cetawin]

and make sure they have a deep dish of water to get their heads in...they have to be able to clean their beaks...just not big enough for them to climb into and get soaked.

Tell your friend to get a good book on ducks...I recommend getting one of the books written by Dave Holderread...

You can get books directly from him at his website...

http://www.holderreadfarm.com/literature_page/literature.htm

 

[kare21162]

Quote:
She does have grass clippings in there with them...alot of people say chick starter is ok....I know with my chicks they did fine with the APP, but I'm also new at ducks. I'll let her know about the vitamins and electrolytes at the feed store. So should she separate the chicks from the ducks?

 

[Cetawin]

the problem with chick starter is most of the time it is medicated which can kill the ducklings. secondly, it does not have enough niacin in it which waterfowl need. The turkey starter has the right niacin but too much protein. so by mixing them you get a good balanced food for them.

Certain deficiencies in food can cause disorders in ducks such as angel wing. So nutritrition is of ubber importance.

Give them some lettuce or spinach also...even with the grass it will insure they are getting a balanced diet.

 

[Cetawin]

You can raise them together but personally, I would separate them because their early nutritional needs are different. Chicks need the high protein ducklings grow so much faster they do not need as high a protein and they are opposites in niacin requirements also.

If you are going to use only chick starter and raise them together, make sure the chick starter is unmedicated and make sure they are getting greens daily....you can add some brewer's yeast for the ducklings too but I am not sure how much.