Ducklings that get soaking wet and have trouble fluffing/drying up

[Miss Lydia]

Sorry you lost one hope the other little one perks up.

 

[Loopeend]

I have had these 'wet onces'. That were not wet. Rather gunky.
I don't know if they had anything perticular.. only maybe that they fell behind. They did not preen like the rest (and became gunky), stand like the rest, sit like the rest, they also stayed behind in growth..
I think once staying behind everything made it worse automatically and the gap of staying behind made it bigger compared to the rest, because duck siblings don't care if you are weak. They push you out of the best heating spot, best eating spot, and push you in the pool if you are in the way of them wanting to get to the pool.

I did not give them any vitamins. But took them apart, on by belly under our shirts, or my partner, and try to (force) feed them as much as possible. With (force) feed I mean; put their beacks in a porridge made of 'the bigger grains' 'the bigger ones' got, but then made easier to eat. Since they kinda didn't see food as edible anymore. Untill they tried it again after 10 pushes; this porridge was okay. And they eat a bit again. And then more. After only one!! half day they were more strong again to combat their siblings more. They got for a weak secretly out of sight of the siblings some porridge. Then they were as strong as their siblings. They ended up the fattest, bossiest and most egg-laying ones.. haha!

I can understand when you don't want or have the time to put them on your belly. But for these weaker ones it might work to temporarely give them their own cage with an heating lamp (we didn't have a second one, so improvised), and make the food extra-grinded down and put it more next to them a few times a day, like under their beaks (with supervision, water in a small bowl also), to get them going again. If you have the room; make a divider in the cage for them, so they still can interact with their siblings. Some are just slower then others in their early ages, just like humans, but catch up eventually.

I'm so sorry you lost one. I hope you don't loose more.