Duckling Not Thriving

[DucksAndGardens]

I have a Welsh Harlequin that is 3 weeks old today that I ordered from Metzer farms who just isn't thriving. I bought 10 ducks in all and received 11. There were 3 welshies in the order and the other 2 are fine but the third one just isn't doing as well.

Somehow she ended up hurting her leg when she was around 2 weeks old and was kind of limping around. So I took her out and separated her with just one welshie as a friend and she started standing again. But then she stopped drinking. So I got some Sav A Chic and a syringe and started her on 3cc every few hours. She was kind of eating but not really. It seemed like she would just nibble at the food but never swallow it. Her poop was sticky and green Mostly I believe from the dehydration and not eating much.

Then her right nare started crusting over with stuff and her right eye would be half closed. A friend of mine recommended Corid so I put her on that and I gave her some Antibiotics in case she had a respiratory infection that was causing it. I also made her get into warm baths and duck her face in the warm water so her nares would clear out. I got her hydration levels back up and she started dabbling in the water again and nibbling at food but I'm still supplementing her with electrolytes. She still isn't fully eating the way the other ducklings do but her poop seems to be returning back to normal. It's not green anymore although it's a bit looser than I like. I'm keeping her on the antibiotics, Corid, and Sav A Chic as well as probiotic at least for another week. She's much smaller than her hatch mates though, she's almost half their size. And while she can walk on her own she just seems to walk with a kind of limp. The others run around like demons and will chase peas and bugs but she just takes very slow deliberate steps as if she's not quite steady on her feet.

For now she's in a separate cage with just one other duckling so she isn't lonely and I let them all have swim time together so she is still part of the flock.

I did take her to the vet but they wanted to do blood work on her because there was nothing to determine from just a once over but I'm sorry I can't justify paying $600 for bloodwork on a duck.


Has anyone experienced this in their ducklings before?

 

[Amiga]

I think you are doing as well by her as you can - I understand the $600 being a show-stopper.

Some ducklings start out behind the eight-ball. Elfie did, and she made it, with just a little extra help.

Nutrition, keeping her warm enough, not too warm, giving her time in the tub (supervised, warm enough water), electrolytes, I would add probiotics to her regimen to help her out.

 

[DucksAndGardens]

Yes she has probiotics too.

Sav a Chic Electrolytes
Save a Chic Probiotics
Corid
Doxycycline (Antiobiotic)

Feed is Flock Raiser Crumbles with brewers yeast for added Niacin.

She has full access to water and food at all times. She has a heat lamp just in case but I've noticed in the past few days she's moved away from it and sleeps with her friend on the other side.

She gets a supervised bath with the others every day and then they all get dried with the hair dryer.

I figured I'm pretty much doing all I can, just wondered if anyone else had experienced this with their ducklings. Hopefully she will bounce back and be able to join the others soon.

 

[DucksAndGardens]

Well I guess she decided to bounce back. She was fighting her sister to get to the peas tonight during their nightly swim. She's not as steady on her feet as the others so I'm keeping her separate with her sister so she's not lonely. Hopefully she starts growing. She's a week behind the others growth wise

 

[Amiga]

Elf was two weeks behind for several months. She's A O K.