Gasping duckling please help

[JayinCohoes]

I'm really at a loss trying to figure out what is wrong with this 10 day old duckling. At times it seems as if she is going to have her air completely cut off. It sounds like she has something caught either in her nose or throat. I've tried to see if something was lodged but I didn't want to stress her out anymore than she already is. She is eating and drinking and seems to have as much energy as her siblings. There's no mucus or moisture coming out of her nose or mouth and this has been going on since the first day I brought her home. I give the ducklings swim time in the bathtub and she will not put her entire face in the water. It's as if she is afraid of getting even less air. I hope the videos help show what I'm trying to explain. Please if anyone has any suggestions on what to do or not to do I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Kevin565]

What's the temps in the brooder?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm really at a loss trying to figure out what is wrong with this 10 day old duckling. At times it seems as if she is going to have her air completely cut off. It sounds like she has something caught either in her nose or throat. I've tried to see if something was lodged but I didn't want to stress her out anymore than she already is. She is eating and drinking and seems to have as much energy as her siblings. There's no mucus or moisture coming out of her nose or mouth and this has been going on since the first day I brought her home. I give the ducklings swim time in the bathtub and she will not put her entire face in the water. It's as if she is afraid of getting even less air. I hope the videos help show what I'm trying to explain. Please if anyone has any suggestions on what to do or not to do I would very much appreciate it.

Do they have some kind of bowl in the brooder that they can dunk their heads in to clean out their nares and eyes? and yes temp in brooder very important. that is hard to watch.

 

[JayinCohoes]

What's the temps in the brooder?

The brooder light is only in one corner and they have an area of 3' x 7'. So the opposite side of the enclosure has no heat lamp. My house temp is kept at 61 in the day and 50 at night. So I don't think it's excessive heat that is the problem. But thanks for asking. I have 6 ducklings and this one is the only problem child right now. I'm ready to do CPR if she stops breathing. Luckily she doesn't seem to be sick other than her breathing issue but she is the smallest duckling now. I think she's using too much energy trying to breath.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The brooder light is only in one corner and they have an area of 3' x 7'. So the opposite side of the enclosure has no heat lamp. My house temp is kept at 61 in the day and 50 at night. So I don't think it's excessive heat that is the problem. But thanks for asking. I have 6 ducklings and this one is the only problem child right now. I'm ready to do CPR if she stops breathing. Luckily she doesn't seem to be sick other than her breathing issue but she is the smallest duckling now. I think she's using too much energy trying to breath.

I know this is just a shot in the dark but have you tried giving any kind of vitamins[ poultry]? and are you giving them niacin which is very important for neurological and skeletal development. and this could be some kind of deformity in lungs maybe. I still suggest you get a thermometer for the brooder because the temp should be dropped back 5 degrees each week. starting at 90 from hatch.

 

[JayinCohoes]

Do they have some kind of bowl in the brooder that they can dunk their heads in to clean out their nares and eyes? and yes temp in brooder very important. that is hard to watch.

Thank you so much for replying. I had a smaller waterer for when they first arrived and just changed it today to a gallon waterer. All of the other ducklings have been going crazy with the water but my bad breather doesn't seem to want to do that. When I had them in the tub today I tried to splash a little water towards her face but she wanted nothing to do with it. I was debating if I should give them all another swim tonight. I really am afraid that I could stress her out even more. When she is really gasping it's as if she is fighting for every breath.

 

[jdywntr]

You want to ensure that the area under the light is about 80-85 degrees and decrease 5 degrees weekly. Too much heat or cold are both dangerous to young ducklings. As long as the temp is okay you do want to move onto something in the brooder that they can dip their whole head in.

Check their feed and make sure that it is not moldy at all. Check all the way to the bottom of the bag as sometimes a bottom corner will get wet and mold. Mold is very dangerous for ducklings.

Going by Store's Guide it could be Aspergillious (brooder pneumonia) which is caused be mold. Symptoms are gasping or labored breathing, poor appetite, weakness and occasionally sticky eyes.
Unfortunatley, there is no cure only prevention. Check the feed and the bedding for mold. Infected birds should be seperated to prevent the spread of the disease.

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/426909/non-spill-duckling-waterer/10 great waterer for ducklings. I wouldn't force her to dunk her head if she doesn't do it on her own. when you put them into the tub does this duckling swim around and enjoy itself? or does it seem stressed?

 

[JayinCohoes]

You want to ensure that the area under the light is about 80-85 degrees and decrease 5 degrees weekly. Too much heat or cold are both dangerous to young ducklings. As long as the temp is okay you do want to move onto something in the brooder that they can dip their whole head in.

Check their feed and make sure that it is not moldy at all. Check all the way to the bottom of the bag as sometimes a bottom corner will get wet and mold. Mold is very dangerous for ducklings.

Going by Store's Guide it could be Aspergillious (brooder pneumonia) which is caused be mold. Symptoms are gasping or labored breathing, poor appetite, weakness and occasionally sticky eyes.
Unfortunatley, there is no cure only prevention. Check the feed and the bedding for mold. Infected birds should be seperated to prevent the spread of the disease.

Thanks again for replying. I'll put a thermometer under the light now and check the temp. I only have the light in one corner and they are able to move completely away from the heat lamp. I now have a waterer that they can dip their whole head in and perhaps this is the problem with the one duck. I checked the entire bag of feed and it is free from mold. Other than the gasping the duckling seems to be eating and drinking fine and doesn't have sticky eyes or show any weakness. If I could see any other sign of disease I would separate her. Thanks again. I'll take all the help I can get right now.

 

[JayinCohoes]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/426909/non-spill-duckling-waterer/10 great waterer for ducklings. I wouldn't force her to dunk her head if she doesn't do it on her own. when you put them into the tub does this duckling swim around and enjoy itself? or does it seem stressed?

Thank you for replying. I didn't want to force her to dunk her head under the water so I just played with the other ducklings and let the water splash on her. She does not look like she is enjoying the water at all and will not put her entire face in the water. All of the other ducklings are diving and having a blast while my gasper acts like she's afraid of drowning. Perhaps I should have introduced them to the water as soon as I got them home. I'm hoping she just hasn't learned how to clear her nostrils.