Advice please

[Olliethomas]

Hello everyone, I hope someone can help me.

I own a fishing lake in England.

Today whilst walking round the lake I noticed a tiny duckling completely alone struggling to swim on the lake. I watched it struggle for around 20 minutes, hoping its parents would return. I searched the rest of the estate for the parents but couldn't find them.

Certain the poor duckling would die over night if left alone, I scooped him up and have taken him home. The poor thing has one bent leg (explains the trouble he was having swimming) .... He doesn't seem to be able to even sit up and certainly cannot walk. Would the parents have abandoned this poor disfigured chick?

I now have him in a box with a shallow dish of sugar water and some finely diced greens. The duckling will not eat or drink yet. The ducking makes an excited cheaping sound and then goes silent and seems to want to rest. I have a small hot water bottle under some towels to keep him warm.

Any advice is urgently needed.

Thanks in advance


Ollie

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!

Can you post a picture of it?

-Kathy

 

[Olliethomas]

 

[Olliethomas]

Thanks for the reply Kathy!

 

[casportpony]

Is the left leg the funny looking one? Does it feel broken? Do you have a food scale? If so, get a baseline weight on it. A duckling that size will probably do best if you can keep it in a room or cage that's 85 degrees f (~29 c). Any chance you can take it to a vet or wildlife rescue?

-Kathy

 

[Olliethomas]

It's right leg is the flurry curled one! I will keep him warm tonight and take to the vet tomorrow it he makes it through the night!

 

[casportpony]

It's right leg is the flurry curled one! I will keep him warm tonight and take to the vet tomorrow it he makes it through the night!

Once you get him warm, you could very carefully give one small drop of warm water as often as he will tolerate it, but he must be warm before you do this.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

When I do the drop method I gently open their beak and place a drop on their tongue, then let them swallow.

-Kathy