Call duckling - deformed bill

[BantyChooks]

Interesting. Reminds me of a caiman.

 

[WVduckchick]

Interesting. Reminds me of a caiman.

Haha now that you mention it ...

Maybe you just gave my little one a name?

 

[neo71665]

Thanks for the info! We’ve seen lots of crazy injuries here on BYC and other places like FB etc, and how they can amazingly heal, but I have never seen an adult like this, so I’m glad to hear that it’s possible.

Yeah I know the boy died of old age. I was about 3 or 4 when I seen him. A buddy of my dad had him but I remember he was on a farm pond. Pretty sure back then the boy wasn't given any special treatment but he was their main drake and they used him for breeding meat birds.

 

[BantyChooks]

Haha now that you mention it ...

Maybe you just gave my little one a name?

That fits surprisingly well.

 

[BantyChooks]

Oooh, no, caiman also applies to some extent but I was thinking of gavials. My bad for the mixup.

 

[WVduckchick]

 

[WVduckchick]

Today I weighed little Caiman and his hatchmate. He weighs 23 grams, his buddy weighs 31 grams. I’m glad to have a hatchmate to compare weights with.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm sorry, but his head still just looks weird around his eyes

 

[Peas4Ducks]

He’s super cute. Hope he grows up to be strong and healthy

 

[Stipenvlerk]

@Wyorp Rock I had one call duckling this year which had this at one side of his/her bill and died before hatching (see right white duckling). Someone I know who has many many calls had one this year too. The little one did not survive. So I keep my fingers crossed for yours.

Although my adult ducks do not show symptoms it is suspicious for folic acid deficiency within the breeder duck. Because I also had 3 pullets die just after internal pipping

Poultry DMV says:
"Folic-deficient breeder hens tend to produce chicken embryos that die immediately after pipping the air cell while in the later stages of incubation."

and:

"A deformed beak and bending of the tibiotarsus are signs of the embryonic deficiency, which occurs as a result of folic acid deficient breeding chickens."

See more at: http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/folic-acid-deficiency


I will definitely supplement my ducks more folic acid from now on and especially next breeding season to try to prevent this from happening.

[Edit:I wonder if you could think of other reasons for this to happen...]