I am not feeding them starter, only once a week, to save money by any means. I was told that once I let them roam free outside, I should cut them back on it to once a week. so on sundays, i give them nothing but starter all day. occasionally, when they go to bed, and i put them up, ill give them a couple handfulls but in the morning, it's all still there. But I guarantee this is not an issue with the starter. I had another one die a couple weeks ago from the same ailment, whatever it is, and I had not even released them yet. It was I was still feeding them starter only. I do still give them dilouted electrolyte water every day in addition to everything else i give them and fresh water. I dont have a problem giving them duckling starter on a regular basis again. If i do this though, I will have to keep them pinned up since i have about 100 other fowl who roam free on our grounds; or the other critters will eat all their food. But like I said, if keeping them pinned up and feeding them only duckling starter will keep them alive, that is what I will do. How I do it now, is how I have always raised my ducklings. I have only had this problem once before and that was with this one's sibling.
On another note
I force fed it concentrated electrolYtes yestrday. I still wont eat so I did it once in the afternoon, once before bed and I will again when im done here. So far I must be doing something right because it is still alive. When it's sibling was sick, it only lived for about 12 hours. It has been 2 days with this one. I read up on something called bumble foot. The pad of it's feet do seem rather hard like a calus and one seems to have a very small crack in it. Bumble foot is caused my a thiamine deficiency. Online I read it can cause many problems but doesnt say anywhere that it will stop eating, drinking, and die. So since most of the symptoms are right for that, that is what I am treating it for. Does anone have an opinion about that? I have put it back on duckling starter, but it wont eat it. I am force feeding it electrolytes. It is still alive, but still rolling over onto it's side. It has hard pads on its feet and small cracks. It's "webs" are very warm compared to how they should feel. It doesnt act sick. IE: If it were just sitting out in the grass, you wouldnt know it was sick because it still is playful and perky; not droopy. At first I thought it had just been tripping over the grass because it needs to be cut; my mower is broken. Please help. I dont want to treat it for the wrong ailment. Can it give it Penicilin? If so, how much? We give our chickens 1/2-2cc depending on the ailment and size, but I have NEVER given a shot to such a small bird. It weighs exactly 9.84oz. -I have a digital kitchen food scale. It is 3-4 weeks old I think. Im not exact on the age because I did not know the age it was when I got it. But it IS loosing it's baby feathers a bit. It is the same size as my other ducklings who are 4 weeks old; whom I raised from the egg.
thanks
