Can you startle a duck to the point of almost paralyzing them?

[HennyPenny2]

My 2 week old ducks are in a brooder in our shed. We went out to dinner tonight and I hadn't left there heat lamp on before we left because it was fairly warm enough but I wanted to turn it in when we got home.
So I open the deadbolt in the shed and I guess I made a a bit of noise and I suddenly hear this flapping type noise against the plastic brooder box. I plug in the light and see my Cayuga duckling on her side kicking her feet and looking like something was very wrong. I pick her up and she had her neck stretched out with head kinda back. I set her down and she was very unsteady in her legs and frankly looking like she was dying. I pick her up and hold her close and talk to her and stroke her and she seemed to start coming to and I put her down and she was still a little unsteady on her feet but was looking much better and I stayed talking to her and she started preening herself so I figured she was just startled half to death. The other duckling was perfectly normal.
Has that ever happened to anyone before? I'm going to be so worried about her now all night. I don't want to go out and startle her again if she is sleeping again. I hope that's all it was!

 

[Wobbles]

Following. I have the same thing happening with my baby magpie drake. Same thing, it seems if he gets spooked it happens but is otherwise 100% fine.

 

[HennyPenny2]

Following. I have the same thing happening with my baby magpie drake. Same thing, it seems if he gets spooked it happens but is otherwise 100% fine. 

Well that makes me feel better. It's weird that a magpie was the only other duckling I saw on another thread that had something similar happen. I read a few having to do with Cayugas. Must be a breed thing? It was scary watching her act like she was dying.

 

[Duck Drover]

I got some jumbo Pekin ducklings when they were a few weeks old. We went to vent sex them when we got them home and one had a seizure and died when I set him on the ground after flipping him upside down, I assume from a heart attack. I was not able to get his heart started back up again. The ducklings may not have been socialized but it did not leave a favorable impression on me. Because he died, I do not know if it would have been an ongoing issue or not.

 

[Wobbles]

Well that makes me feel better. It's weird that a magpie was the only other duckling I saw on another thread that had something similar happen. I read a few having to do with Cayugas. Must be a breed thing? It was scary watching her act like she was dying.

Yeah it is very scary! I was sure my little guy was dying last night and then I picked him up and in a couple of seconds he was normal. Then went to eat and drink with his buddies. I had startled him when I came in the room without talking. It is the oddest thing I have ever seen.

 

[Bryam]

I am glad he okay now!

 

[HennyPenny2]

I'm so relieved, I went to check on her and she is perfectly fine. Has anyone else had this happen, specifically with Cayugas or even in wobbles case a magpie? I read in one thread where someone's Cayuga did this that a person replied that ducks do startle easily. I've just never seen anything like it, and hope I never do again!

 

[Bryam]

She was probably cold! Lol!

 

[HennyPenny2]

She was probably cold! Lol!

Lol, no it wasn't very cold out just a little chilly (in the shed was even warmer, when I went to check on them they were sleeping out from under the heat this morning. I definitely had to of really startled her. The buff didn't even blink an eye it was just the Cayuga that flipped out when I came in.