Duckling Not Gaining Weight

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I did witness the duckling eating this am when I gave food to the brooder as a whole. I guess my only saving grace here is that I'll have more hatch-lings in a few days so this one can be with birds its size again soon.

@Amiga I'll do a course of probiotics if I can get to the feed store before it closes this evening. Seems totally possible that the digestive flora isn't 100%. That would account for eating, but not growing as fast I suppose.
 
Scrambled eggs, low sodium cottage cheese, greek yogurt and/or cooked potatoes. All of these are decent niacin sources.

Sometimes ducklings are just smaller. One of my cayugas ducklings this year is the size of a mallard hen. She was tiny when I opened the box and she stayed tiny. I could see signs she was growing and thriving. The big plus is that her colors are very intense and my broodiest hen is in lurve with her.

If the size difference is great try adding another feeding station or a larger feeding bowl your ducklings can really spread out to eat.
 
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I wouldn't be that concerned if the duckling was just small compared to the others, but this duckling isn't small, it's TINY. Having only gained 20g in a week.. every other duckling I've raised up has gained between 50-75g within the first week.

I'm hoping it's just a slow start. Other than being considerably more quiet than the others (though those others are week old ducklings and starting to be vocal about just about everything and anything) this one is just small. It still runs around, it seems to eat, drink and poop and it does peep, though you can barely hear it over the others.

I have yogurt but a question on that. Any concern with live culture yogurt?

Thoughts on Grow Gel? I'd have to order it..
 
I have yogurt but a question on that. Any concern with live culture yogurt?

Thoughts on Grow Gel? I'd have to order it..
[/quote]

I've fed live culture plain yogurt and live culture plain kefir because that's what we eat. Full fat and full protein with no problems at all.

I don't know about the grow gel. I've never used it
 
dotknott said:
I wouldn't be that concerned if the duckling was just small compared to the others, but this duckling isn't small, it's TINY. Having only gained 20g in a week.. every other duckling I've raised up has gained between 50-75g within the first week.

I'm hoping it's just a slow start. Other than being considerably more quiet than the others (though those others are week old ducklings and starting to be vocal about just about everything and anything) this one is just small. It still runs around, it seems to eat, drink and poop and it does peep, though you can barely hear it over the others.

I have yogurt but a question on that. Any concern with live culture yogurt?

Thoughts on Grow Gel? I'd have to order it..
Click to expand...


My tiny one ate just fine, it was just a birth defect. I kept moving it with younger ducklings the same size until the vet tech took her and discovered she has a small heart.
 
dotknott said:
Up to 91g today!
Click to expand...
clap.gif
 

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