Help. I have no idea what I'm doing..

[Amiga]

OK. So a couple days ago. A family member purchased 2 male ducks and then decided that they were too much work and drop them at my house. I've never had ducks before. I've fallen in love with them already and one of them has started trying to follow me around the house. His name is Flapjack and his brother's name is Wapple.

All I know about them is that they are roughly 9 month old males. And they were housed in a small bathroom with 4 other ducks and 7 chicken and were only fed Kale. I have gotten some poultry feed from the store but they won't touch it. I have discovered they like apples, Kale, turnip greens, cabbage, collerd greens and mealworms. And they have not passed and solid waste in the 3 days I've had them. They have gone to the bathroom but it's dark green and watery or almost completely clear liquid like water. And as of a few hours ago Flapjack has started acting like his mouth is dry and he like smacks his bill together like you'd do if you have dry mouth. He's not comfortable enough with me yet to let me look in his mouth to see if something might be stuck in there. But everything I've read has got me worried he might be sick and the closest avian vet to me is over an hour away...I was hoping someone on here could help me in anyway I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

Hi, glad you took them in

The opening and closing of the mouth may also be nervousness - ducks will pant, or gape sometimes when nervous.

Glad you have found a food they like. When we took Rowena in, her feathers were in rough shape - she had not been fed properly. We feed our flock either Mazuri Breeder feed or New Country Organics Corn-free Soy-free layer feed. Within months, Rowena no longer sank in water (her feathers were that dry), she began to float. She has now molted, and gorgeous. She is more energetic, and very bright-eyed.

There are poultry vitamins with probiotics and electrolytes - if you can find that, and give it to them in their water once a week (a quarter teaspoon per gallon of water) that can help.

Feel free to ask questions. I keep my flock in a barn section of my walkout basement. Works out really well for us all.

 

[Amiga]