Day old ducklings panting

[paigeber]

Hello!

Brand new duckling mom here (I just brought them home today!!) -

I have anconas & one of my babies looks to be panting - they are 2 days old. I don't think they're too hot as they're still huddled under the heat lamp, & I dunked their head in water & made them drink but still looks to be panting? I heard its maybe anxiety based on just being moved into a new location & being held but I want to make sure nothing is wrong.

Also, they haven't touched the water or food in the couple hours since we've been home - is this normal? I showed them where it is in the brooder but they're not going towards it.

Thank you for any help at all!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you take your finger and kind of scratch in the feed? were they with a mama duck before you got them or hatched in a bator? Be sure not to give them cold water it needs to be lukewarm. They should begin to eat by tomorrow since they have been living off the yolk they absorbed since hatched.
Could be stress but do you know what your temp is in the brooder? is the heat at one end and food at the other end so they can move
out of the heat if they want.

 

[paigeber]

Hi!
yes I scratched in the feed & they should know where it is. The heat lamp is in one corner but they are choosing to stay there (even when I picked them up & moved them lol). I raised the lamp & they are looking a bit better but I think still just very sacred of me.
Thanks for the tip with the water! They are drinking it on their own now
Temp in the brooder is now at 83 F (which is way lower than I thought it would have to be for 1-2 day olds?). & they were hatched in an incubator.

thanks so so much!

 

[Miss Lydia]

i try to keep my brooder at 85 for the first week but it is amazing they can tolerate it at 83 and do fine as long as there aren't drafts. . Just watch them for any signs of being chilled. Hopefully, they are up exploring their new home today and beginning to eat and drink. One tip if your brooder is on the floor may be set it up on a table so when they see you you aren't up high over them like a predator would be. I have 6 chicks in a brooder on my dining room table so when they see me I am at eye level just about.

And of course we needs some pics!

 

[paigeber]

Hi!
yes I scratched in the feed & they should know where it is. The heat lamp is in one corner but they are choosing to stay there (even when I picked them up & moved them lol). I raised the lamp & they are looking a bit better but I think still just very sacred of me.
Thanks for the tip with the water! They are drinking it on their own now
Temp in the brooder is now at 83 F (which is way lower than I thought it would have to be for 1-2 day olds?). & they were hatched in an incubator.

thanks so so much

i try to keep my brooder at 85 for the first week but it is amazing they can tolerate it at 83 and do fine as long as there aren't drafts. . Just watch them for any signs of being chilled. Hopefully, they are up exploring their new home today and beginning to eat and drink. One tip if your brooder is on the floor may be set it up on a table so when they see you you aren't up high over them like a predator would be. I have 6 chicks in a brooder on my dining room table so when they see me I am at eye level just about.

And of course we needs some pics!

Here’s some of the little angels of when I first got them home

 

[Miss Lydia]

Love them, and those little two-toned webbies oh my gosh

How are they doing?

 

[paigeber]

Love them, and those little two-toned webbies oh my gosh

How are they doing?

Much better today! The heat lamp being moved definitely helped & they stared eating & drinking a little bit on their own at like 3am LOL I got super excited.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s great! It usually takes them 2-3 days to get going but after that they really get going!! Happy to hear. Be sure to keep those pictures coming!