all my new ducklings perished

[campinbuff]

I had my Muscovies hatch on Xmas Eve. I had them in my basement with a specially built brooder box for them and the mother. It is very cold here right now in Ontario, so we had to bring them in from the barn. They were doing great, very active, alert and making a lot of energetic peeping, following the mother about etc. Then at 5 days old I went to check on them and all but two out of 13 were dead. And these two were so close as well. It seemed as though they were starving???? My Mom and I got them to eat a bit of runny chick starter (the feed company sold me un medicated) and to drink. After working on them for over a hour, they revived quite nicely, energetic peeping etc. We kept them upstairs under the heat lamp and fed them watery mash and water every hour. By nightfall, one of the ducklings started waning again and perished through the night. The last remaining duckling survived until yesterday afternoon.
I am a first time duck owner, and this was my first brooding experience...any ideas what went down????

 

[Carcajou]

So sorry for your losses

Were they getting enough water? What were you feeding them before the chick starter? What temperatures were they being kept at until you brought them upstairs? Did they show any signs of shivering, running noses, etc?

 

[campinbuff]

thanks for responding. I had lots of water in the pen, I am not sure how much they were drinking. I was told by the feed store to just put them right onto the chick starter. ?????

 

[Miss Lydia]

thanks for responding. I had lots of water in the pen, I am not sure how much they were drinking. I was told by the feed store to just put them right onto the chick starter. ?????

By day 3 of hatch they should have started eating on their own, with mom showing them food and water. how is mom? most of us use chick starter or an all flock since we can't get duck feed. but monitoring how much they are eating and making sure they are and drinking is very important in the first days after hatch. So very sorry for your loss, winter sure isn't a very good time for hatching ducklings, hopefully she'll try again when it's warmer.

 

[Carcajou]

http://www.godvine.com/This-Powerful-Video-Will-Remind-You-Why-We-Celebrate-Chr...

Thanks for posting this link, ML. Blessings to you.

 

[Miss Lydia]

http://www.godvine.com/This-Powerful-Video-Will-Remind-You-Why-We-Celebrate-Chr...

Thanks for posting this link, ML. Blessings to you.

Your very welcome Carcajou, I just thought it was too good not too. And so true.

 

[Going Quackers]

That is a real shame, i am so sorry for the loses. Um, chick starter unmediated should be okay, that said did you add niacin? only broiler starter usually has enough for ducks, regular starter normally doesn't.

How long were they in the barn before you brought them in? I had a clutch hatch out this past March, it was still cold(Canadian winters linger on) the babies were doing fine poor mama wasn't, so i supplemented heat but they stayed out in the duck barn... that clutch did survive, so my point being it being a winter clutch not necessarily meaning it's destined for loss.

For water, this was only drinking, right? no bathing? just trying to figure out if possible chilling was a problem. Sadly, though loses do happen not always with any fault of anyone, that is the downside to breeding.