Duckling is weak looking!-please help!!!

[QuacknCheep]

I have 6 ducklings from tractor supply and these are my first ducks-yellows are harlequins, yellow/blacks are rouens, and browns are kaiki Campbells-the kaiki’s are only a week and the others are two weeks. The one harlequin seems to be weak, and has sort of a puffing sound. I had them out for a bit of a swim time in my bathtub in some Luke warm water before patting them down with a towel-but I noticed that, that one was having the issues shown in the picture below-he seems to have weakness and sniffles but got in the water for like 10 minutes and was doing the duckling things

...their enclosure which is a 3ftx1.5ft guinea pig cage (so plenty of ventilation) and they have a heat lamp at 1/4 of the cage. They have their water cleaned 4-6 times daily and their food dish is cleaned and refilled with dumped chick starter 3-5 times a day and they get a mix of strawberry, banana, broccoli (occasionally) and dandelions weeds (from a non treated lawn and they were washed). They are on koop clean bedding (chopped straw bedding) that is changed daily. I feel so awful! Should I go to the vet? Or are their things I can pick up and give myself? Please help! They are my babies!!

 

[Pyxis]

I'm not sure if you meant to post a video, but it only came through as a screenshot photo.

I know this isn't related, but the yellow one pictured is a pekin, not a welsh harlequin.

What brand of chick starter are you using? A lot of them don't have enough niacin for ducklings, and I didn't see you mention that you are supplementing it, so I wanted to ask. Pekins especially are prone to niacin deficiency related issues. I do wonder if the weakness might the start of symptoms from a niacin deficiency.

Are you also providing them grit to help them digest the treats you are giving them? They need grit to properly digest anything that isn't chick food.

 

[Isaac 0]

Your video is not loading for me...Can you describe weak, is she having a troubled time walking, is she eating and drinking, how does her poop look? Are you providing grit? I would cut down on the treats.

 

[QuacknCheep]

I'm not sure if you meant to post a video, but it only came through as a screenshot photo.

I know this isn't related, but the yellow one pictured is

I'm not sure if you meant to post a video, but it only came through as a screenshot photo.

I know this isn't related, but the yellow one pictured is a pekin, not a welsh harlequin.

What brand of chick starter are you using? A lot of them don't have enough niacin for ducklings, and I didn't see you mention that you are supplementing it, so I wanted to ask. Pekins especially are prone to niacin deficiency related issues. I do wonder if the weakness might the start of symptoms from a niacin deficiency.

Are you also providing them grit to help them digest the treats you are giving them? They need grit to properly digest anything that isn't chick food.

It was a screen shot of a video and the ‘duck exspert’ as the manger called her, at tractor supply, said they were harlequins even though I too thought they were pekin, she also said I didn’t need grit because she said the food supplemented it with the fruit (what?) So thank you for clearing that up and I will get grit first thing TMR. And I asked if I needed basic in and she said there was enough in the food already—-some people man—some duck exspert—I am going to fix those things—and to answer other questions—there is labored breathing, occasional beak opening, and rocking back and fourth almost in the labored breathing sort of way. And I’m using Dumor organic Chick starter. Thank you so much

 

[Isaac 0]

It was a screen shot of a video and the ‘duck exspert’ as the manger called her, at tractor supply, said they were harlequins even though I too thought they were pekin, she also said I didn’t need grit because she said the food supplemented it with the fruit (what?) So thank you for clearing that up and I will get grit first thing TMR. And I asked if I needed basic in and she said there was enough in the food already—-some people man—some duck exspert—I am going to fix those things—and to answer other questions—there is labored breathing, occasional beak opening, and rocking back and fourth almost in the labored breathing sort of way. And I’m using Dumor organic Chick starter. Thank you so much

They are not WH, if you are giving them that many treats a day they need the grit to be able to digest the fibrous material or they may have crop/intestinal problems, you'll want chick grit with no oyster shells added.

Can you post a video of the one breathing? Upload your video to Youtube or Vimeo and then copy/paste the link here. What is the temperature in their brooder?

Heavy Weight breeds do often suffer from leg problems associated with a B3 deficiency, so it'd be a good idea to add a source of niacin into their diet, that could be in the form of brewers yeast, nutritional yeast, B complex or a Poultry vitamin since the brand you are feeding isn't formulated for ducklings.

 

[QuacknCheep]

They are not WH, if you are giving them that many treats a day they need the grit to be able to digest the fibrous material or they may have crop/intestinal problems, you'll want chick grit with no oyster shells added.

Can you post a video of the one breathing? Upload your video to Youtube or Vimeo and then copy/paste the link here. What is the temperature in their brooder?

Heavy Weight breeds do often suffer from leg problems associated with a B3 deficiency, so it'd be a good idea to add a source of niacin into their diet, that could be in the form of brewers yeast, nutritional yeast, B complex or a Poultry vitamin since the brand you are feeding isn't formulated for ducklings.

Thank you very very much-first thing TMR morning I’m getting play sand and niacin for them- thank you all for being such a help

 

[Isaac 0]

Great, I still suggest you post a video of the one breathing as sniffling or labored breathing has no correlation to a B3 deficiency.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Why play sand? Get chick grit. Play sand if they eat it may impact them.

 

[QuacknCheep]

Great, I still suggest you post a video of the one breathing as sniffling or labored breathing has no correlation to a B3 deficiency.

Here’s the link

 

[QuacknCheep]

Why play sand? Get chick grit. Play sand if they eat it may impact them.

I had just read on a BYC thread that it was suitable, but I’ll play it safe and get chick grit