Help feeding small call duckling!

[Cordell]

We had a call duck hatch yesterday. She is very small! The flock raiser seems way to big even ground up. Any suggestions of a first food to get him/her started? Thanks in advance.

 

[1lpoock]

Grind the food up in a food processor or mix it with water and smudge it on the sides of the brooder.

 

[duckluck]

I took my duck starter, put it in a Ziploc and took a hammer to it, made it into a fine powder. Worked for these two baby Calls here. Hit it with the side of the hammerhead though, otherwise the crumbles will likely make holes through the bag if you hit them too hard with the business end of the hammer.

 

[ChickenToes]

Try feeding him a mash of spinach, yogurt, and the feed. The yogurt should soften the feed so he can actually eat it.

 

[Cordell]

Thanks for the suggestions. This one is way smaller that the ones we hatched out before. He was the only hatch out of 4 eggs. I will let you know how he does and try to get a picture. Keep your fingers crossed that he makes it!

 

[kawonu]

Mix it with water.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I have a Magic Bullet that I just run the chick starter through. It makes it into very fine particles that my Call babies eat with no problem. When I added water to it, they ignored it. So I just grind it up really fine and they go to town.

Laurie

 

[Cordell]

She is sleeping I hate to keep waking her up. She hatched around 5 pm yesterday so I am hoping she is not hungry due to the remaining egg yoke in her body. When I talk to her she wakes up, she peeps and is alert.

 

[duckluck]

I'd say don't worry until she's gone 48 hours without eating. The yolk should spell her for a bit, I wouldn't force the issue. Let her rest awhile, then try again with some finer food. I dip the beaks of mine in the water (don't drown them), then into the food particles, which makes it stick to the beaks and they get a taste. Try that every 4 hours or so...it worked with these guys. I also added a pinch of poultry electrolytes with probiotics to the water, mixed it in a 16 oz. bottle for the first few days. Now they're eating like hogs!

 

[duckluck]

So...give us an update. How is the little critter doing? Any progress?