Duckling not growing at all after two weeks

[littlekatzz]

I have 15 call ducklings. One is still the same size after almost two weeks. He dose have a weak leg that twists I suspect is a niacin difecency and have been giving him niacin in his water. But he /she is now so small compared to everyone else I'm worried I'm going to find him passed away one morning. He eats and drinks and gets around. I've now seperated him out with my next smallest duckling so he isn't trampled. Is there anything I can do help him grow and catch up or at least to get to adulthood??? I'm love this duckling and have named him pip....as in pip squeak.

 

[littlekatzz]

He is the size and weight of a newly hatched very small duckling... I'm assuming if he survives he is going to be a banty of bantam duck

 

[Amiga]

Some years ago, a member here had Micro Duck. Though the photo's are gone, here is one update https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/227225/update-microduck-today

I would give him poultry vitamins one day a week instead of the daily niacin. In other words, niacin six days, multi vitamin one day.

 

[littlekatzz]

We'll pip is still the size of a hatchling. HIs brothers and sister are now giants compared to him. This morning I made the hard decision to separate him out permanently after finding him trampled, soaked, stiff, with only a blinking eye to let me know he was alive. It happened before last week and I thought it was a freak accident. After warming him up inches from a heat light he is doing much better though still not quite right. Pip is now a house duck and I'm going to look into getting him a rabbit cage with a mirror for him to live inside. I feel so bad because he is so lonely by himself, but I no longer have playmates his size. I have him on nician to help with his twisted leg though it doesn't seem to help any. His will to live amazes me daily because in his mind he is just as capable as my other ducks. My husband doesn't have high hopes for him but I'm going to try to get him to adulthood safely.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We'll pip is still the size of a hatchling. HIs brothers and sister are now giants compared to him. This morning I made the hard decision to separate him out permanently after finding him trampled, soaked, stiff, with only a blinking eye to let me know he was alive. It happened before last week and I thought it was a freak accident. After warming him up inches from a heat light he is doing much better though still not quite right. Pip is now a house duck and I'm going to look into getting him a rabbit cage with a mirror for him to live inside. I feel so bad because he is so lonely by himself, but I no longer have playmates his size. I have him on nician to help with his twisted leg though it doesn't seem to help any. His will to live amazes me daily because in his mind he is just as capable as my other ducks. My husband doesn't have high hopes for him but I'm going to try to get him to adulthood safely.

Your very sweet to keep working with him, hope it all turns out for the best.

 

[Gardener18]

I know this was 9 years ago but I'd love to know how pip did?! I have one in the same situation, he's 10 days old, so tiny, the other are huge compared to him, like 4 times the size. He's my favorite!

 

[Canadian Wind]

I know this was 9 years ago but I'd love to know how pip did?! I have one in the same situation, he's 10 days old, so tiny, the other are huge compared to him, like 4 times the size. He's my favorite!

The OP hasn't been on the site since 2016, sorry.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know this was 9 years ago but I'd love to know how pip did?! I have one and the same situation, he's 10 days old, so tiny, the other are huge compared to him, like 4 times the size. He's my favorite!

How’s his appetite? We do Have Call owners here so let’s see if we can get a few to respond with some advise.
@WVduckchick
@shawluvsbirds

 

[WVduckchick]

Would be nice to know what happened with the original post, but folks aren’t great at updating stuff like this (myself included lol)

But for future finders of this post about smaller calls, I’ll add my 2 cents. I have lots of color varieties in my flock, my Greys always seem to be smallest, so I figure it’s just breeding/genetics when some stay smaller than others. My bibs often grow slower but end up same size or bigger than the rest. I’ve also had a few stay small. But my bibs are not as show-quality looking as my greys. So I don’t really have any good answers.

I would have asked the OP where the eggs came from, and if they were show quality or pet quality. Show birds are bred to be smaller. I think another possibility is that when a hen lays her first few eggs, they are a bit smaller than her later eggs, so it would seem logical that the ducklings from early eggs might be smaller.