Cayuga duckling not growing

[Texas37]

Hi everyone! We're new to ducks- with our first ducklings arriving 2 weeks ago. We have Cayugas, Khaki Campbell's, Mallards, and Rouens. We've noticed that one of the Cayugas is really not keeping up with the others on growth. Is it common for there to be a big size difference?

This is her with one of the other Cayugas- same age... Any advice is welcome!!!
Thanks!

 

[seashoreduck]

Is this by any chance from Metzer? I know myself and several other people got some very teeny cayugas. Mine is 25 weeks and as big as the others now. Here's a couple of welshies for a comparison. They were the same age in this picture. The cayuga was only slightly bigger at this time, but I wanted to contrast the size of the ducks of the same breed.

 

[Texas37]

No, they're from McMurray. It's just crazy how tiny this one is, out of a flock of 20. Everyone else has grown very well.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Is she growing by about 10% / day (by weight)? If not is she pooping? Seriously. We had a duckling that was initially constipated and needed help for about 3 days and ended up about 1-1/2 weeks slower in development compared to the rest of the flock. As long as she is growing and otherwise acting normal eating,drinking,walking she might just be small. If they are from the same day, they could still be almost 24 hrs apart and that is a lot at that age, so that coupled with normal size differences could explain the difference between them.

 

[Amiga]

What is their feed? I think you have received some good help so far (ideas and questions). It won't hurt to put vitamins in their water once a week.

Ducklings can have different nutritional needs - some are more sensitive to low niacin, for example.

 

[casportpony]

@Texas37 Welcome to BYC! When it poops, does it's poop look like the poop of the other ducklings?

-Kathy

 

[Texas37]

I haven't been

 Is she growing by about 10% / day (by weight)?  If not is she pooping?  Seriously.  We had a duckling that was initially constipated and needed help for about 3 days and ended up about 1-1/2 weeks slower in development compared to the rest of the flock.  As long as she is growing and otherwise acting normal eating,drinking,walking she might just be small.  If they are from the same day, they could still be almost 24 hrs apart and that is a lot at that age, so that coupled with normal size differences could explain the difference between them.

I haven't been weighing them. Do you use a food scale? I'm feeding unmedicated chick starter. The tiny one does eat and walk around but I think it lays more than the others. We moved her to a brooder with a few others so she's not with the big group getting trampled. She is pooping and it looks the same as the others.

 

[Robin1970]

I have 2 Cayuga ducks and at 14 weeks one is much smaller than the other. They started out the same size the first week and from then "Minnie" has always been mini. They are both very healthy and have never had any problems. I will take a picture this evening and post.

 

[caesargirl]

I have Cayugas and one of them is half the size of the rest and they are full grown...

 

[Tevyes Dad]

I used a food scale to weigh them when they were tiny. When our 'ling was constipated, she didn't grow, but once she was freed up, she grew but 'lings grow geometrically for the first 3 weeks so just being a day or two behind can make a big difference. I weighed the flock one / week just out of curiosity but weighed our little problem child every day.

If she is eating and pooping she is probably growing, but since she is laying down more, I would get some electrolytes (available in the feed store) and some niacin - either from capsules or brewer's yeast. We did the capsules and we had two half gallon pitchers full of water. The electrolytes came with a scoop sized for 1 gal of water so we put half a scoop in each and half a capsule of niacin in each pitcher then we filled the drinkers from the pitchers. It won't hurt them and if they are deficient (chick food needs added niacin for sure) it will help.