Does this one day old duckling have wry neck?

[threedoor]

Help! I've never incubated & hatched eggs before—but I rescued a wild mallard egg after its nest was raided and its momma left. It just hatched this morning, about two hours ago, and I'm afraid it has wry neck. Will someone help me identify whether this is normal or not? And if not, what should I do?

If you'd like more information about what I have planned for this duckling, I had planned for it to spend the first 12-24 hours in the incubator and then transfer it to a brooder and bring it to my local Audubon Society, which I have confirmed has tons of other ducklings and is very capable of taking care of the one that I incubated. (I will also be making a sizable donation to the Audubon Society.) I want this wild duckling to know that it is a wild duck, and to be among its own species even if it doesn't have a momma. I was planning on going to the Audubon Society tomorrow morning. I'm worried that if the duckling has wry neck, the volunteers there won't want to take care of it.

Does anyone have any wry neck advice?

This is a video of the duckling:

Also, my friend says I should hold it to comfort it—but I didn't want it to think I'm its momma. I shouldn't hold it, right?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sure looks like wry neck . You don't have to leave the duckling in the bator 12-24 hrs let it get a little more stable then put it into the brooder with a mirror and a stuffed animal to comfort it.
Here is some info on how to treat. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wry-neck.1391120/#post-22832889

I would have a very hard time not holding that little one, especially since it's so unstable and needs some security right now. Since your taking it to a rehabbing site I see nothing wrong with your holding it. About the only way you could treat it any way. When you move it to the brooder place a towel around it like a donut to help it become stable.

 

[Ratchnick]

That is not normal, and looks like a form of wry neck. I think this can be caused by genetics or the mother not having the right vitamins to impart to the embryo. Just prepare yourself, it is unlikely this duckling will live.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Isaac 0

 

[threedoor]

Thank you for the info! I will certainly feel a lot better holding the duckling, and I'm glad wry neck can be treated. I'm definitely going to make sure this little duckling is comfortable and secure.

 

[threedoor]

Thank you! I'll prepare myself, and in the meantime make sure this little duckling is comfortable and secure in the brooder. The momma duck was quite small—so small that my husband and I commented on it when we spotted her the first time. Could be that she lacked some important nutrients.

 

[threedoor]

From what I understand, right now the duckling is still absorbing nutrients from the egg sac. Is there anything I can do on the first day of its life to bolster its vitamin deficiency? From what I understand, they typically don't eat or drink on their first day.

 

[Isaac 0]

Hello, and Welcome to BackYard Chickens!

I do agree that what we’re seeing here is Wry Neck.

Wry Neck is not a disease/condition, but rather a symptom of one. There are lots of things that may cause it, with ducklings the most likely cause is going to be either vitamin related, likely vitamin E and maybe thiamine (B1), sometimes during incubation the neck will have a greater muscle pull to one side and eventually will cause a permanent skeletal deformity, shock, bacterial or viral infections can also be an underlying cause, if her yolk sac was not absorbed all the way and got infected that may have caused the Wry Neck, also possibly neurological damage especially if there was ever trauma to the egg.

These are all factors that should be considered, use your best judgment to make a somewhat clear diagnosis. In my honest opinion, I would lean towards a vitamin deficiency. Which at this age can be treated most of the time, and even if it's not, sometimes just vitamin therapy and supportive care can help relive/cure the symptoms, so its definitely worth a try, In my opinion.

If you want to go through treatment, do the following, get her started on vitamin E soft gels capsules or liquid, give her 400iu a day, get some B complex and give a drop or two a day as well. Selenium easily overdoses so you may use that as the last option to help absorb the E. Offer her scrambled eggs often for protein, keep her warm, make sure the other ducklings aren’t bully her, flip her up as needed, make sure she’s getting enough food, and hopefully, she’ll be on the road to recovery soon.

When giving her the vitamins, just drop a drop onto the side of her bill, be gentle and give her time to get everything down, as ducklings aspirate easily.


https://www.amazon.com/Nutricost-Vitamin-400-Softgel-Capsules/dp/B01I5OB3LW

https://www.amazon.com/Durvet-Vitamin-Complex-Injectable-Livestock/dp/B01DOFK0CA

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/thiamine-deficiency-in-waterfowl-in-progress.75690/

 

[Isaac 0]

From what I understand, right now the duckling is still absorbing nutrients from the egg sac. Is there anything I can do on the first day of its life to bolster its vitamin deficiency? From what I understand, they typically don't eat or drink on their first day.

You know, they generally don't, but I have seen ducklings drink a few hours right after hatch.( I know it depends on a lot of factors) Later tonight, just give her barley of a drop of E/B, and slowly increase the dosages.

 

[Isaac 0]

That is not normal, and looks like a form of wry neck. I think this can be caused by genetics or the mother not having the right vitamins to impart to the embryo. Just prepare yourself, it is unlikely this duckling will live.

I'm sorry about your duck that had Wry Neck, but I don't think just because of your experience with Wry Neck it's fair to say it's unlikely the OP's duckling will survive. I'm not trying to be the opposite, but lots do recover.

No one can make a prognosis on these ducklings/ducks because each one tends to have an different underlying cause.