Help! Duckling drooling

[wildriverswolf90]

Hi, I am very new to ducks, my ducklings are a week old, they are all active, eating and playing, but one of them has started drooling(just noticed it an hour ago) no other signs that he/she is sick, just drooling, any ideas what this may be?

Also I have their waterer on a 4x4 piece of wood and twice now I've had ducklings push eachother off and one lands on its back and can't right itself is that normal?

I am also almost out of pine shaving and won't be able to get any for at least a week, could I mix last of pine shaving with hay in the brooder?

 

[billw]

It is probably normal. Ducklings often spew out big gouts of drool when they eat or drink too much too fast.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Ducklings who are dehydrated drool a thick mucus. If that is what is happening, make that baby drink some water.

If it is a wet area around the bill, ducklings are sloppy drinkers and dribble water every where, including down their own front. It's not unusually to see ducklings with wet chins.

Any other symptoms? Any sneezing, rattly breathing? Listlessness?

 

[wildriverswolf90]

She had just gotten done drinking when I picked her up, the drool was clear, she seems active, bright eyed, eating well, no sneezing or rattling. The only thing is that twice now she was shoved off the 4x4 where their waterer is and fell on her back and like a turtle couldn't get up.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She had just gotten done drinking when I picked her up, the drool was clear, she seems active, bright eyed, eating well, no sneezing or rattling. The only thing is that twice now she was shoved off the 4x4 where their waterer is and fell on her back and like a turtle couldn't get up.

Put a smaller piece of wood in front of the wood you have their waterer on that way they have something to stand on when dsrinking and maybe they won't try to stand on the block of wood the waterer is on, and yes sometimes they can get on their backs and need a little help getting turned over. I didn't notice it so much when my ducks were ducklings but if I pick one of my ducks up now water and other stuff like food mixed with water will come out of their mouths. If it's doing well other wise I wouldn't be concerned just keep an eye on them which I'm sure you are, and as for hay I would be a little concerned about them eating it and not being able to digest it, do you use grit? how about just old towels or pee pads till you can get some shaving. you'll have to wash the towels and change the pea pads more often but at least you wouldn't have to worry about them getting impacted. Maybe it would be okay hopefully someone else will weigh in on that one. And Hi Wild

 

[wildriverswolf90]

Hi Miss Lydia
I will you use the pee pads I have a bunch of them around! I'm not using grit because I'm only feeding plain chick starter. Should I feed grit?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi Miss Lydia

I will you use the pee pads I have a bunch of them around! I'm not using grit because I'm only feeding plain chick starter. Should I feed grit?

The only reason i mentioned grit was because you had mentioned hay and felt that if they did eat some hay at least they would have grit to help. But I think the pee pads would work real good that what i used with my duckling.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The only reason i mentioned grit was because you had mentioned hay and felt that if they did eat some hay at least they would have grit to help. But I think the pee pads would work real good that what i used with my duckling.

I put a block of wood in front of the 2 4x4 that I have my chicks waterer and feed sitting on they they stand on it to eat and drink so maybe that will help your 2 also.

 

[wildriverswolf90]

I took the wood piece out and made a pyriamid with 3 bricks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I took the wood piece out and made a pyriamid with 3 bricks!

Good idea, sometimes we just have to try things till we get it right. lol or I do anyway.