Duckling having trouble drinking water

[Seafarm]

I just brought home my ducklings yesterday. These are my first. One of the girls every time she try's to drink as soon as her beak the touches the water throws her head back and flips over. She hops up and lifts her head fine and eats fine. All the others stick there whole beak in the water. My son did give her water last night with a syringe and said she drank quite a bit. She doesn't seem any better today. I'm not sure what else to do. Help! Thank you

 

[lindsbradway]

I had this problem too. It's called stargazing. Normally the ducks will grow out of it, don't worry my ducks are 5 months old and only do it once in a while. I don't think there is anything to do but stop them when you see they are doing the neck flipping. I think it's when they go to get a drink of water they do this to help the water go down more easily. I'm no expert but this is my experience with this hope it helped

 

[Tlmcq]

I just brought home my ducklings yesterday. These are my first. One of the girls every time she try's to drink as soon as her beak the touches the water throws her head back and flips over. She hops up and lifts her head fine and eats fine. All the others stick there whole beak in the water. My son did give her water last night with a syringe and said she drank quite a bit. She doesn't seem any better today. I'm not sure what else to do. Help! Thank you

Are you giving them chick starter? If so they need extra niacin you can sprinkle food with brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast. They have to have it. Ducks need more niacin than chick starter provides. They can have problems with leg development including what you describe as star gazing. It should go away when they get enough and also if they forage when older you can discontinue using it

 

[Seafarm]

I'm feeding flock raiser crumbles. I did bring her in the house today the others are still in the brooder under a heat lamp and gave her some b complex in water. Do I treat it like wry neck or just add the niacin or both. All others seem fine will it hurt her to be in with them?

 

[Seafarm]

Thank you guys for you advice my 13 year is really upset and been giving her lots of attention, I would hate for anything bad to have to her or the rest of them

 

[Tlmcq]

She should be fine with others unless she is falling over and you're worried about them trampling her. Stargazing and wry neck are virtually the same. And unless it was caused by parent stock being low in vitamins/niacin the rest of your ducks may need the vitamins too, just not showing outward symptoms like the one. Although an all flock should have more niacin than just chick starter, maybe she is more sensitive to a deficiency and just needs a boost. That being the case she will get better in week or so with vitamins. By the way, they do have to stick there whole beak in water and they will shake it pretty quickly to clear out their nasal passages. They will get clogged and not be able to breath proper if she doesn't get her beak in to clear them..Maybe that's the head flipping but never seen em fall doing it. What it on bottom of brooder? As long as it has shavings or towel should be fine just no slick surface as they will get sprawled legs

 

[Seafarm]

Thank you. What vitamins do you recommend? I have them in a kiddie pool with pine shavings in the bottom. I knew they have to put there whole beak in so have been massaging her neck and putting her beak in the water to make sure it is clean. I think she does fine with her buddies she can run around with him and seems to be able to hold her own. She is a little smaller than the others so we brought her in to make sure she is eating enough.

 

[Tlmcq]

Thank you guys for you advice my 13 year is really upset and been giving her lots of attention, I would hate for anything bad to have to her or the rest of them

extra love never hurts and will actually help her be much more tame and come to you when it gets older. What kind are they. Here's a pic of my new ones this year.

[/IMG] and some of my older ones in 2nd pic

 

[Tlmcq]

Thank you. What vitamins do you recommend? I have them in a kiddie pool with pine shavings in the bottom. I knew they have to put there whole beak in so have been massaging her neck and putting her beak in the water to make sure it is clean. I think she does fine with her buddies she can run around with him and seems to be able to hold her own. She is a little smaller than the others so we brought her in to make sure she is eating enough.

Sounds good! They do best with flock mates. If you're B vitamins have niacin that should be great. Niacin is B3 so just check the label of your B complex and see if it states either niacin or B3. There are many threads on here regarding proper niacin levels and ducklings.

 

[Seafarm]

Perfect thank you. I have a silver appleyard drake (a hen is with a friend right now) and 4 welsh harlequin hens. I was a 4-H leader so I know some about them but my daughter showed horses and rabbits and guinea pigs. But my son wanted ducks. I am looking forward to the eggs. Plus I love to watch the wild ducks that come and play in the pond in the horse pasture.