Duckling hatching question

[Laurelm]

How long from the time a duckling hatches until it is able to stand? My first duckling hatched this afternoon and he/she is still kinda spralled on the incubator floor. It is peeping and trying to stand but it doesn't seem like it's legs work. I realize it may just take time, rest & effort but I'm worried since this is my first duckling. Please advise. Thank you!

 

[canada-goose]

Not sure but that sounds like problems to me! I hope the baby is okay!

 

[FenDruadin]

Hi Laurelm,

I hate to be a bearer of bad news, but that doesn't sound normal to me.

I have only hatched out a couple batches of ducklings, but out of twelve ducks so far, only one was not up and running within a couple hours, and that one is still severely crippled at two weeks of age and will probably have to be euthanized.

How many others are waiting to hatch? If it's a single duckling, you may have had incubator problems that you weren't aware of. What was your temp? Humidity? And what were you measuring those with? The thermometer that comes with incubators is notoriously inaccurate. And if you don't have a hygrometer your humidity could have been wrong.

If you have others getting ready to hatch, you'll be able to tell if it was a fluke or an incubation problem by how the other ducklings do.

I do hope your duckling turns out all right. Some folks have had late bloomers that ended up doing just fine. Let us hear how it turns out.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Are the legs under it or out to the sides? If they are kind of out to the sides, it is probably spraddle leg, which can be fixed very easily. Do you have any pictures?

Edit to change 'eggs' to 'legs'

 

[Laurelm]

thank you. It seems to have it's legs under it now but when it moves it does not stand up and the legs go out to the side....more like it's paddling. I hope it will be okay. What can I do to help. It did hatch one day early the other ducks are due to hatch tomorrow - Monday.

 

[shelleyd2008]

It does look like spraddle or splay leg. Take a bandaid, cut it in half lengthwise, and tape its feet together. Use the gauze portion of the bandaid as a spacer between the feet. Tape just above the feet on the legs. This should help a lot. Leave the bandaid on for up to a week, replacing if needed.


ETA: Link to how-to pics http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

 

[mulia24]

mine, two days.

but duck have really weak legs and sometimes can break their own legs after running.

i'm not expert, still newbie, and for duck question, i think it's better to ask imcuriositycat (AKA heather) she's an expert in duckling.

but i've see that she's been posting above.

 

[FenDruadin]

Hello again--

Mulia--you're very sweet to say that, but there are MANY on here who know more than I do--for instance, I didn't even think of spraddle leg, and I have never treated for it, so the advice on that was much better coming from shelleyd.

I think I'm going to try the spraddle leg remedy, using a credit card piece, on my weak duckling...

 

[mulia24]

hello again too

not at all heater, thank you.

ups, credit card piece? if i were you, i won't. because i don't want the duck find the number of the credit card piece and use it to shop online (but they can't)

em, for me, i didn't even use anything, when i found my duck having problem with her legs, i increased the food ration and give more kind of food. she will be back with good legs soon (about 2 weeks).

not asked, just share.

 

[pixie74943]

I cant see what you've got in the brooder, but I assume you know that you need to have some kind of surface their feet can grip? I seem to remember that newspaper is not good for the first couple of days because its slippery. I think someone said they use a towel for the first couple of days, and then change to wood shavings.

Should say though, this is chicken related information, but Im pretty sure its still applicable to ducks, since their legs are basically the same (except the webbing)