Blind duck, I think!!!

[Hannah1994]

Hi so I have a duckling that is three weeks old. He hatched in a funny position with his head bent right back and to the side. I don't think he has formed properly in the egg as his neck is now permanently kinked to the left. He eats and drinks fine by himself and can swim. My question is that now I think he is either totally blind or only has limited vision. Is there a way to test his vision? Do you think it would be better for him to be put down?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please don't put him down. Ducklings/ducks can adapt very well to handicaps just be extra careful to keep the lil one safe usually one of the other ducklings will bond with one that's handicapped so hopefully that will happen here. Just always keep feed water and other things in the same place so it can always find them and make sure it cannot get into water and not be able to find it's way out.

 

[arrowti]

Handicapped ducks can live a good life so long as they get the proper care. Some ways you can test for blindness is to move the feeder (very quietly) to a different location and see if the duck goes to the same spot to eat before trying to find the new location.

Do you have other ducks or ducklings? A visually impaired duck will need a very safe area to live, including a covered run, because they won't be able to see anything flying overhead. Any pictures of the neck?

 

[Hannah1994]

Thanks for the replies, so his story is that I work on a farm and we hatch out around 90 chicks and around 10 ducks a year. The problem I had this time was power cuts I had about 15 is the space of two weeks. When it came for the ducks to hatch only he hatched the rest had either died in the shell or had stopped developing. I now have more in the incubator but they aren't due for another four weeks. He was getting picked on by all the other chicks at the farm so he now lives with me in a pen in my room with a lamp and teddies, I think he is going to be with me for the rest of his life, can they live a long life?

He seems blind as I just moved his bowl and he kept looking for it in the old place the problem is I don't currently have any ducks as I am in the process of moving house, will he be alright with just me for now until I get more ducks in a month or two?

I will try and take a picture when he wakes up

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! Can you post some pictures of his eyes?

 

[Hannah1994]

I can't at the moment as he's asleep and it is past midnight here, but I can tell you one of his eyes is smaller than the other. I have attached some pics but they are not very good, will get better ones in the morning

 

[casportpony]

I had a duck hatch like that once and she lived to be quite happy. You could try giving it some vitamin b complex, vitamin e, and selenium, that might help if it's from a vitamin deficiency.

 

[thumper650]

He's cute! I hope you can keep him.

 

[Hannah1994]

I had a duck hatch like that once and she lived to be quite happy. You could try giving it some vitamin b complex, vitamin e, and selenium, that might help if it's from a vitamin deficiency.

That's what I thought at first and he's been on nutri drench for the last three weeks with no change

 

[casportpony]

That's what I thought at first and he's been on nutri drench for the last three weeks with no change

I think you would have to give something more concentrated if it was going to work.