Help! My month old duckling won't eat :(

[torinunez]

I have the most beautiful, sweetest and kind little baby Welsh Harlequin duckling, Sweet Pea, who won't eat. It's so hard to watch my loving girl and not know what's wrong with her, someone please help me!

We have a White Layer male whose the same age (we bought them together from Metzer Farms), and the other day we were running low on food, and it was too late to go get more at our farm supply that had already closed, so we had to improvise so we made them a plate of chopped nectarine, sunflower seeds (washed off any salt on them) and mealworms and they really enjoyed. Later that night they started to act strange, and after looking up their symptoms it appreared to fit the description of an intestinal blockage.

The next morning we gave them a bowl of lettuce covered in coconut oil, after reading in a thread on this website that coconut oil was a good lubricant that would help loosen any blockage. It worked for our boy who was quickly back to eating and drinking normally, but our girl is still not eating. She'll only touch her food when it's mixed with meal worms, but she only picks the meal worms out then stops. However she is drinking normally. She is pooping, I've attached pictures for opinions. She doesn't seem like she's in pain, but when she walks quickly she looks like she's trying really hard and there is some discomfort.

A friend who owns a plethora of poultry- several chickens, ducks, geese, and a turkey- recommended tomato in olive oil to loosen anything up, so we're trying that next. Her poor little "peep" now sounds like something caught in her throat. Tuesday we are driving back to Metzer Farms to pick up two new little ducklings to add to our family, and are considering bringing her along so maybe someone can tell us what they think.

Our next step is an avian vet, which is hard to find around here Does anyone have any opinions on what this could be or how to help her? She's an absolute angel it's heartbreaking not knowing what's going on. Someone please

 

[Tlmcq]

Have you been giving these ducks grit? DO NOT give anymore food til you get her crop moving. Only water and granite grit massage crop. Is she still drinking? How long has this been going on? You may have to try emptying crop.

 

[chickens really]

Ducks need water deep enough to dunk their heads and clean nares...No more oil...Just tomato and water and massage its neck if needed?....

 

[torinunez]

Have you been giving these ducks grit? DO NOT give anymore food til you get her crop moving. Only water and granite grit massage crop. Is she still drinking? How long has this been going on? You may have to try emptying crop.

Yes she is drinking plenty and we gave her some grit. How can I tell if her crop is moving?

 

[Tlmcq]

There is a lump in neck/upper breast area where their food goes to be ground and digested...this will be full when duck eats and empty out as it digests...if it is impacted the food isn't moving thru it. The gizzard can get impacted too with no way of telling on a live duck. Treatments would be the same...no food, plenty of water to try and wash it down and if not cleared in 24 hours try olive oil. Food only adds to problem if the digestive system isn't moving food thru. I'll post a link for info and pics of duck crop.

http://www.purposefullysimple.com/how-to-treat-impacted-crop-sour-crop-and-pendulous-crop/

 

[Tlmcq]

This isn't a duck but gives ya an idea of location...you can usually see it puffed out in young ducks from eating...are you using any galvanized steel bowls for food or water?

 

[torinunez]

This isn't a duck but gives ya an idea of location...you can usually see it puffed out in young ducks from eating...are you using any galvanized steel bowls for food or water?

Nope, first we used glass currently we have plastic dog bowls

 

[Tlmcq]

That is good, just making sure as galvanized steel can cause lead poisoning in ducks, which has some similar symptoms to gizzard impactions