Ducklings sitting normal?

[Titantherooster]

Hi! I hatched 6 pekin ducklings 1 week ago and so far they have been healthy from what I can tell. They eat and drink plenty and they get a bath once a day where they do swim and are dried off in plenty of time.

Perhaps this is me hovering too much and I could be wrong on this but, it seems that perhaps they are sitting more frequently and not as playful as they had been a few days ago. They still get up maybe once an hour and eat and drink but often they sit for those activities and I don’t see them chasing each other or getting as wound up as they maybe did a few days ago. I don’t know that I could say it’s lethargy but “maybe” it’s less active?

Granted I had not been adding extra niacin to their diet which I did just today begin adding capsules into their water until I get some nutritional yeast to add to the feed. Perhaps if there were any issues at all this would remedy. But I wanted to ask if others find this to be normal duckling behavior at this stage and I’m over analyzing? Or is there anything I should be watching out for or being proactive to ensure they grow healthy?

 

[Quatie]

I found my Pekins too be rather lazy compared to other breeds. I would take them outside and they would shortly tire and lay down. From my experience, this is pretty on par with Pekins. Other people may have different experiences with them. Mine didn't become more active till I added other breeds that like to forage.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I agree with Quatie. I kept pekins for a long time and all of mine used to sit around a lot. They're just lazy birds haha. That and they're heftier then other breeds, so they need to rest more frequently. I have 2 that I hatched a while back now that do the same. One of them even lays in the water dish sprawled out and eats like that .

 

[Titantherooster]

Thanks to those who responded. Just wanted to make sure I had my ducks in a row!

 

[Miss Lydia]

As with the niacin it’s important you give the right kind it can’t be time released or flush free. Has to be free of those additives. Pekins are very prone to leg problems so keep them on some type of niacin until at least 10-12 weeks old. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in- waterfowl.1367557/. Even after grown wouldn’t hurt to maybe a couple times a weeks sprinkle a tablespoon of (nutritional yeast) over their feed. Be sure it’s not baking yeast.

 

[KaleIAm]

I'm not sure if your duckings are appropriately active for their age. I found my duckings to sleep a lot. Your babies are sure cute.

I do have an adult pekin, and when we go foraging she sits next to me and waits for me to dig up and hand her bugs. The other breeds of ducks I have find their own bugs. This is how lazy my pekin is.

 

[Quatie]

I'm not sure if your duckings are appropriately active for their age. I found my duckings to sleep a lot. Your babies are sure cute.

I do have an adult pekin, and when we go foraging she sits next to me and waits for me to dig up and hand her bugs. The other breeds of ducks I have find their own bugs. This is how lazy my pekin is.

Wow! I thought mine was lazy. My pekin girl goes looking for bugs. I have no idea if she actually finds any, but she tries.