- Feb 21, 2014
- 99
- 4
- 74
i just finished my first hatch, the first 6 ducklings came out in fine health (just 1 case of curled toes that splinting quickly fixed). the 7th has issues with both legs and one foot. they were due to hatch on the 20th, but the first didnt hatch until the night of the 23rd and 4 more following the next morning. the 6th hatched yesterday and the 7th this morning at a full extra week in the egg (had thought it was dead until i heard peeping 2 days ago, had been no movement or sign of internal pipping for the entire week before). all the eggs are from my own ducks (rouen drake, 3 rouen girls, and a khaki campbell girl). all 5 are very healthy with no physical problems but they were all from TSC.
this duckling seems quite strong and healthy aside from the leg problems and hasnt been still for more then 10 min at a time since it hatched about 6 hours ago. it only flailed about in the incubator after hatching so i have had it with me on a heating pad to keep it warm (only time it stops flailing is when held). the right leg keeps wanting to stick out behind the duckling and that foot i think is clubbed (stiff, tightly curled, bent a bit backwards, and not opening on its), i used vetwrap to secure that foot to a small cardboard splint after opening it (just unwrapped and removed the splint cause it was twisting the leg, foot is mostly flat after just a few hours) and have been moving the leg into a more natural position each time the duckling moves. the left leg seems smaller then the right and is real stiff and unable to unbend fully. i am giving water with niacin and electrolytes a drop at a time periodically. Will be trying a swim in warm water to see if that will stimulate proper movement for both legs.
is it likely this duckling will be able to walk or at least have a decent life? am i treating these problems correctly, if not how should i be? is there anything else i can or should be doing for this duckling? and was this probably from being a week late in hatching or is it common from hatchery stock? anything to be done needs to be home care and with stuff i have on hand (i do a lot of crafts so i have a good deal of materials on hand). if this duckling doesnt have much chance id rather know now so i can humanely put it down and concentrate on the other 6, but if it does ill do what i can to give it a decent life. this hatch was a bit of an experiment to find if some traits from my drake would be passed on and this little one is one of 3 that got it so i would rather it not need to be culled.
this duckling seems quite strong and healthy aside from the leg problems and hasnt been still for more then 10 min at a time since it hatched about 6 hours ago. it only flailed about in the incubator after hatching so i have had it with me on a heating pad to keep it warm (only time it stops flailing is when held). the right leg keeps wanting to stick out behind the duckling and that foot i think is clubbed (stiff, tightly curled, bent a bit backwards, and not opening on its), i used vetwrap to secure that foot to a small cardboard splint after opening it (just unwrapped and removed the splint cause it was twisting the leg, foot is mostly flat after just a few hours) and have been moving the leg into a more natural position each time the duckling moves. the left leg seems smaller then the right and is real stiff and unable to unbend fully. i am giving water with niacin and electrolytes a drop at a time periodically. Will be trying a swim in warm water to see if that will stimulate proper movement for both legs.
is it likely this duckling will be able to walk or at least have a decent life? am i treating these problems correctly, if not how should i be? is there anything else i can or should be doing for this duckling? and was this probably from being a week late in hatching or is it common from hatchery stock? anything to be done needs to be home care and with stuff i have on hand (i do a lot of crafts so i have a good deal of materials on hand). if this duckling doesnt have much chance id rather know now so i can humanely put it down and concentrate on the other 6, but if it does ill do what i can to give it a decent life. this hatch was a bit of an experiment to find if some traits from my drake would be passed on and this little one is one of 3 that got it so i would rather it not need to be culled.
