Duckling advice needed please

[Wombat99]

I had a Shetland duckling hatch yesterday afternoon it seems very disoriented and is still quite wet. It’s still in the incubator with a duckling that hatched yesterday evening and 2 pipped eggs. How can I help him?

 

[Golden Brahma 64]

Quickly take him and the other duckling out and put them into a brooder

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hows your lil one doing now @Wombat99 ?

 

[Wombat99]

I’ve taken them out and put them into the brooder, I’ve got some multivitamin drops but I can’t get him to take a drink, any tips?

 

[Miss Lydia]

usually they don't need to eat or drink for at least 24 hrs since they are living off the yolk sac they just absorbed during hatching, You could try dribbling a little right along it's tiny bill though. Just don't want to try and put much especially inside the bill it could aspirate.

Any change since you put them into the brooder? It may just need some rest hatching is hard work.

 

[Wombat99]

It’s cheeping now in the brooder but is still very lethargic and it’s head keeps lolling back. I wiped a drop of water along its bill

 

[Miss Lydia]

Might be something else going on with it. Is it star gazing or just every once in a while it's head goes back?

If the cheeping is progress then hopefully with more time it will come around.

 

[Wombat99]

I could take a photo if that would help? It’s head isn’t back all of the time but it’s not very stable standing

 

[Miss Lydia]

That would be good. Has it dried at all? I was under the impression that when a duckling hatches in a bator they should be left till they dry and fluff? Maybe that has changed I don't use a bator I have Muscovies.

 

[Wombat99]

He wasn’t drying so I thought I’d be better to take him out and dry him rather than leave him. He hatched yesterday afternoon so he was in the incubator for about 18 hours but wasn’t dry. I’ll go and take a photo of him