Check out this pdf file. It has a listing of egg deficiencies. If the mother produces poor eggs if she does not get all the nutrients it needs. As a result embryos will die or get born with weaknesses. This is the case with your ducks, but it can be fixed. You are right disease may not be the right term, it is an illness and it can be treated. http://gallus.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/b6092.pdf
Muscle problems are most of the time related to vitamin bs. So niacin needs to be added right away. To be on the save side you should add all the vitamins and minerals, because you have a good chance that they are low too. The other ducklings may be low too, only they may not show any signs. Don't give up on the little ones.
Okay, I will be the direct meanie in this thread because it needs one.
Goat Walker - look at the pictures you posted...those babies are not healthy and of course they are peeping they are in distress! The feet of the black duckie are not functioning and look malforned, there is an obvious problem with their spine and the necks.
You are not looking at a vitamin deficiency. You need to cull those poor babies.
The link posted for reference is useless! It does not discuss DUCKS! That is about incubation and regardless of why this has happened the fact is that it has happened!
Do the right thing for them. A sharp pair of scissors, a ziploc bag and snip the head off and it is over. To see them like that is heartbreaking and I cannot understand why you would want to put them through it.
I may want to be a Marine - but my heart is still too big to kill something so innocent and pure as a duckling. The black on pictured is the only one not improving. The yellow guy is using his neck more like a normal duckling and all are drinking and eating. they arent peeping their heads off - more like talking to me when i peep at them. The little black one is the only one out of the three im truly worried about - the other two are walking and using their necks the right way more and more - eating and drinking like i said.
If it comes down to it ill ask my dad to take care of them - but there is no way on this earth i could just snip off the head of a duckling. I just cant do it. It would emotionally and mentally scar me for life.
Don't kill them. Treat them and see if they improve, it they don't than you can still do the unthinkable. I had two ducks born with one of their legs turn inwards and closed up and they had a hard time using the leg. One duckling was worse then the other. There legs were just in the position as they were in the egg. I did treat them with minerals and vitamins and 3 days later they were walking normally and I could not tell the difference. So do your best giving them the best nourishment they can get.
I agree with the polyvisol. I have used it for wryneck and it worked for me. I hope it works with yours. Good luck with those little angels. They are worth a try.
Ah Goat Walker....I am no marine either and I would be crying my eyes out the entire time I was doing it but I would do it...for the duckling.
I hope the vitamins help but I fear the end result is not going to be good. That little black duck is especially in bad shape...give him 24 hours and if he is not showing any signs of improvement or new movement, go ahead and ask your dad yo do it for you...you do not want the babies to suffer.
I am sorry I sounded so strongly but I really wanted you to understand that it is fastly approaching tough decision time.
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Im a big bad meanie too. I can kill anything that NEEDS killing. We have a duck that when it was three weeks old had half of its face ripped, I thought off, and the top bill broken away from its skull (hanging out) by a cat. I though the only thing to do was cut its head off. The vet didnt hold much hope either, but at my wifes request put it back together. Its alive and happy and turning into a very friendly duck. Youre right not to give up until its absolutely necessary. If you put it down youll always question your decision. If it dies you can say you tried. If it lives and grows youll have the plsure of knowing it was your doing and you can
at those that said . Kill it.
BTW, I killed the cat when it came back for the duck a second time.
At the 48 hr mark of them being hatched - and there is no improvement on the worst black duckling the KINDEST thing you can do for it is put it down and out of its misery.
Its hard and its horrible but its better to give it a quick end than to let it live a few days/weeks in deformed unnatural misery suffering.
I am glad the other 2 are doing better - hopefully they will keep improving. I pray for little blacky to get better and if it doesnt that it doesn't suffer unneeded.
hugs and love for you cause I'm sure you're needing 'em.