Help, please! Muscovy egg now a baby duckling-he is wet, what to do now???

[Miss Lydia]

Again, thank you. He is still peeping, and the ?yolk sac? appears to be getting smaller. Is it best to get him back to Momma? She has had several clutches of babies, and is a good Momma-love that Muscovy! She actually took in several of another ducks' babies when they all mingled together, and raised them all.

Ah, david said his eyes are open now-good news, we presume.

We DO know that we probably should have let nature take its course, but the little guy was such a fighter we had to try.

Temp is now 90.5 degrees.

He scooted around a bit, and now appears to be sleeping. He seems to be drying out, too. Lord, I hope this is good-David may be a big man, but he certainly has worked for this little guy!


Miss Lydia, thank you.

Make sure before you give him back that the yolk sack is completely gone. don't want it to get stepped on by accident. Sounds like that would be the best for him, less worry and fretting for ya'll too. Just keep him warm and let him dry good then take him to mama, when were the rest hatched? I don't blame you one bit for stepping in to help this little one, you did the right thing and it worked.

 

[oldcrowfarm]

Miss Lydia, the rest were hatched between yesterday afternoon and today (seemed to hatch at different times) in an old willow tree. Aunty Nuttin' (momma) has had 3 or 4 hatches before this, and always seems to do very well with her babies. She took them out today, in the afternoon. This poor baby just got left behind-not quite out of his shell yet.


We can probably get him back to Aunty by tomorrow-she seems to accept all babies. If she doesn't, I guess he lives in the house with us for awhile, hmm?

 

[Miss Lydia]

They do (usually) sleep in the yard-they really are NOT caged-we live on a lake and they come and go as they please.....breakfast and dinner times every day, they are here! Quite tame, but not so that they let you pick them up. When we first got ducks, we simply didn't know anything, and thought it would be ok to let them go on the lake with the 3 that were already here. They love our dogs, and the dogs sort of look after the ducks and geese.
We started with 5 ducks, had over 45, lost 22 last year to an otter, and they are reproducing like crazy again this season.

The baby is actually (it appears) to be fluffing his feathers! He hasn't stood up yet, but his little feet are busy!

Temp is up to 94, so we are raising the lamp up.

Thank you so much.

Sounds like the perfect place to have ducks, duckling and geese. Oh them Muscovy love to reproduce. lol. So how will you get this little one to mama? just walk up and set it down? might work.

since your in Texas are these Muscovies that migrate? you know they are protected.
I have to go but please post back what you decided to do and how it goes. Have enjoyed talking with you and will be thinking of ya'll this evening.

 

[oldcrowfarm]

No, we purchased them from a breeder. They never leave! Actually, we have many migratory ducks and even Canadian geese that stop by-some stay, some leave, but the Muscovies always stay home! I think they are smart enough to figure out where the food comes from! Now our neighbours on the lake feed them, too, often. It is amazing how many people buy duck and goose food now!

We also bought Runner ducks, and they have produced well-one actually mated with a white domestic duck and produced some beautiful QUACKING babies!

But I didn't know they are protected! Thats wonderful! We also have up to 100 or more Black bellied Whistling tree ducks that come every year. Only the original 2 parents that started it 4 years ago stay year 'round. The rest migrate when it gets colder.

I hope to get chickens this year, too. But from reading the forum, I KNOW to build coop and run first! This time, I actually did a little research before getting critters!

 

[oldcrowfarm]

Have a wonderful evening, Miss Lydia, and I will keep you posted. you are a sweetheart to help us so........this site is a Godsend!!


David & Sybil

 

[Miss Lydia]

How'd it go? did mama take back baby or is it ya'lls baby?

 

[oldcrowfarm]

He still hasn't stood up yet-is that normal? We were afraid to take him to Momma until he can stand. He sure is vocal, though, and peeps like crazy when David holds him. He sort of scoots around on his back, and his little feet flail, but no standing. He hasn't opened his feet-they are kind of bunched/curled up. If you sit him on his belly, he rolls to the right-he sort of lists......his right foot is spread out, but not his left one yet.

He is fluffing himself well, and seems alert, just not standing. What do we do now?

I know we are asking a lot of questions, and we truly thank you for all of your help and encouragement. The little guy is a huge fighter.....

 

[Miss Lydia]

He still hasn't stood up yet-is that normal? We were afraid to take him to Momma until he can stand. He sure is vocal, though, and peeps like crazy when David holds him. He sort of scoots around on his back, and his little feet flail, but no standing. He hasn't opened his feet-they are kind of bunched/curled up. If you sit him on his belly, he rolls to the right-he sort of lists......his right foot is spread out, but not his left one yet.

He is fluffing himself well, and seems alert, just not standing. What do we do now?

I know we are asking a lot of questions, and we truly thank you for all of your help and encouragement. The little guy is a huge fighter.....

Maybe try massage but sometimes they can be like that when they first hatch. I'm glad you didn't try to put him with mama duck though he wouldn't make it yet. Can you get anby kind of poultry vitamins? or baby vitamins like poly vi sol w/o iron then put a couple drops in some warm water and dip his bill into it and try to get him to drink. he may not eat yet but he may drink for ya. Hopefully this is not a permanent problem. I'll get a link on how to correct feet and leg problems in chickens but i think you may be able to gleen some info to help this lil one too. plus you can make a shoe out of card board and put it on the bottom of his foot lay his foot out normal and use vet wrap the stuff that sticks to itself. and that may do the trick. all the shoe is is a piece of heavy card board shaped like a duck foot placed on the bottom of the foot and wrapped. when i say heavy I mean sturdy enough to keep the foot in the right angle.
BRB

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe try massage but sometimes they can be like that when they first hatch. I'm glad you didn't try to put him with mama duck though he wouldn't make it yet. Can you get anby kind of poultry vitamins? or baby vitamins like poly vi sol w/o iron then put a couple drops in some warm water and dip his bill into it and try to get him to drink. he may not eat yet but he may drink for ya. Hopefully this is not a permanent problem. I'll get a link on how to correct feet and leg problems in chickens but i think you may be able to gleen some info to help this lil one too. plus you can make a shoe out of card board and put it on the bottom of his foot lay his foot out normal and use vet wrap the stuff that sticks to itself. and that may do the trick. all the shoe is is a piece of heavy card board shaped like a duck foot placed on the bottom of the foot and wrapped. when i say heavy I mean sturdy enough to keep the foot in the right angle.
BRB

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/

 

[oldcrowfarm]

Hi again-no baby vitamins in our house-way past that stage-and I do not think Tractor Supply or Potts Feed is open on Sunday-will call and find out.

His little feet are twitching-almost like a spasm, but he still seems alert. We are trying to get him to drink now.

Success! He likes water!
David just announced that his little feet are going like crazy, but he still cannot stay upright. David says he isn't sure it is his feet-it seems to be his equalibrium-anything we can do for that??


Will the "shoe" help correct his curled little foot for now? Or is this a permanent solution?

TIA...