First time mom: 2wk old Pekins, sick?

[mommyofthreequackers]

Hello friends,

I have three 2.5 week old Pekins. Today 2 of them started sneezing, and breathing very quickly, occasionally with open mouths. Also, one has different waste now. Before it was soft, formed and grainy, now looks like dark babyfood. Do they have a respiratory infection?


Additional info to help you help me!

-Got them at TSC

-In a 2.5 ft, by 5 ft enclosure, bottom of the enclosure is 2 inches of Hay, with a few aspen shavings, on top of a shredded newspaper layer and bottomed by brown paper bags (makes cleanup so easy!)

-Still under heat lamp, around 80, although they often sit away from it

-Plenty of water (3 of them go through 8+ quarts a day)

-Currently eating unmedicated Dumor chick starter/grower 20% (recommended by TSC associate) and organic Golden delicious apples

-Feed specs: Crude Protein (min.) 20.00%, Lysine (min.) 1.00%, Methionine (min.) .50%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.50%, Crude Fiber (max.) 4.50%, Calcium (Ca) (min.) .70%, Calcium (Ca) (max.) 1.20%, Phosphorus (P) (min.) .65%, Salt (NaCl) (min.) .25%, Salt (NaCl) (max.) .75%, Ruminant meat and bone meal free.

-Nostrils are clear

-Got their baths yesterday.


Thanks!

 

[BeccaOH]

Hmm, I'm not sure what might be bothering them. In my two years of raising ducks, I've never seen them have respiratory issues. Could they have apple suck in their throats? I've not fed apples to ducks. You could give them cut grass.

What is in your chick starter? If there is medication, then that could actually give the ducks issues. I'd switch over to unmediated food like Purina Flockraiser.

Edited to ask is it possible they are too warm? You could probably go down to a 75 or 60 watt bulb at this age.

 

[mommyofthreequackers]

Thank you. Edited to include that it is un-medicated feed.

 

[featherfinder]

My duckiling went threw the same thing here last week and i couldnt figure out wat was going on with them. I was told by someone else on BYC to switch from the suplement i was using in there water for vitamins and niacin to start using brewers yeast in their food. After a couple of days all the sneezing and runny noses started to go away and they have been fine ever since.

I use un-medicted duck starter mixed with some grit and sprinkled with some of the brewer yeast and have completly cut out the suplement in the water and they get baths twice a day to make sure they are super clean and then lay out on a heating on low till they are dry. Spoiled little ducks

 

[mommyofthreequackers]

UPDATE

This morning there is wheezing; still clear nostrils (not runny or caked up). Really not like for them to be sick!