Duckling breathing problem?

[Ben10]

Hey so I recently got two male jumbo pecan ducklings, there about 12 days old. Pretty much every day I notice one of them has some heavy breathing. I’ve done my own diagnosis and I’m convinced they keep getting debris stuck in their nostrils. So I’ve began getting them in small baths everyday to clean out their beaks and that seems to be working. However this happens every day and it’s slightly concerning. Is this normal for ducklings? What can I do to stop this?

 

[KaleIAm]

Hey so I recently got two male jumbo pecan ducklings, there about 12 days old. Pretty much every day I notice one of them has some heavy breathing. I’ve done my own diagnosis and I’m convinced they keep getting debris stuck in their nostrils. So I’ve began getting them in small baths everyday to clean out their beaks and that seems to be working. However this happens every day and it’s slightly concerning. Is this normal for ducklings? What can I do to stop this?

Do they have access to deep enough water that they can dip their heads into all the time?
What is getting stuck in their nostrils? Substrate? Could you change to a different kind?

 

[Ben10]

Do they have access to deep enough water that they can dip their heads into all the time?
What is getting stuck in their nostrils? Substrate? Could you change to a different kind?

Yep they can get their hole head in there, I’m still trying to figure what exactly keeps getting stuck in beaks. I just know it’s either their bedding or maybe their food when it gets mixed with the water.

 

[KaleIAm]

Yep they can get their hole head in there, I’m still trying to figure what exactly keeps getting stuck in beaks. I just know it’s either their bedding or maybe their food when it gets mixed with the water.

Maybe switch them to towels for bedding for a day or two and see if the problem is solved?

 

[Isaac 0]

Could you post a video of the breathing?

Pekins are notoriously known for panting due to heat even if conditions seem cool enough for them - what is the temperature in their pen? If you try moving them into a slightly cooler area does the panting stop?

 

[Ben10]

There’s no panting just heavy breathing, I just switched there bedding to towels and it’s still happening, not sure what’s going on now. Only thing left in their brooder to get stuck in their nostrils is their food and there’s nothing I can do about that.

 

[KaleIAm]

There’s no panting just heavy breathing, I just switched there bedding to towels and it’s still happening, not sure what’s going on now. Only thing left in their brooder to get stuck in their nostrils is their food and there’s nothing I can do about that.

Well, at least you eliminated one possibility.

Do you have a cool side as well as a warm side? Just in case it is the heat they can go to the cooler side?

 

[Ben10]

Well, at least you eliminated one possibility.

Do you have a cool side as well as a warm side? Just in case it is the heat they can go to the cooler side?

Yep I do, warm side is 80-85° other side is around 80°

 

[Weeg]

Yep I do, warm side is 80-85° other side is around 80°

I think the cool side may still be to hot, though I am so expert. Can you turn down the heat, or make them a cooler cool side of possible? Then you can at least eliminate that possibility if nothing changes.

 

[Ben10]

I think the cool side may still be to hot, though I am so expert. Can you turn down the heat, or make them a cooler cool side of possible? Then you can at least eliminate that possibility if nothing changes.

Yea I’ll try that