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

[Miss Lydia]

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...

It will help fix the problem hopefully. TSC around our part of the country is open on Sundays. so if not too far from you maybe get the Nutri Drench you can give it to him right in the mouth it will come with a dropper and you'll need to just give him tiny drops on side of his bill so as not to get it into his lungs but I tell you it is some awesome stuff. then mix some into his water. Give it again to him later this evening straight into the mouth again just a little at a time. wrap him in a towel to keep him from squirming too much and getting it all over him and you. I had a muscovy duck in my house last year for 3 months, his mama refused to care for him and even injured him right after hatch so he became my baby, I carried a towel with me everywhere and when he wasn't following behind me he was up on my shoulder with the towel over him just like mama duck would do with her feathers. I gave my little guy Poultry Nutri Drench and he has become a very beautiful drake I still give it to all my flocks when in molt or just beginning to lay in the spring it is really a good tonic also. I'll get you the link to it so you can read up on it. if he is fully dry you could also put a little warm water into somekind of dish pan or just the sink make sure it's out of drafts and just enough water to see if he can float upright. that would be another way to determine if this is equalibrium but be ready to get him quick if he goes over on his side. he'll love the warm water to. then dry him and put him under the light again. My little guy was born in June and even on day 3 was out and about with me most of the time, I would just cover him with the towel to warm him up when we would sit down or something. He did great. Hopefully your little one will too. Matter of fact my drake will be a year old on June 2nd and he is still my boy even though we went and got him 3 girls of his own last Sept. he still comes in the house and lays beside me like a dog when i'm on the computer and loves to be petted and loved on.

Not that i am trying to get you to keep this little one but i can tell you it has probably imprinted on you since ya'll were the first ones he saw.
http://www.bovidr.com/ also when you get ready to feed this lil one he will need some kind of crumbles whether duck starter or all flock feed.

 

[oldcrowfarm]

In our research, it seems that inbreeding can be a cause-we still have 3 generations of our orginal males, 1 of each-but we gave a guy the other drakes. Aunty Nuttin' is an "original", too. She is usually with the original Alpha male. Could that be the cause? Do we need to get more/new males and females? The runner ducks do not mate nor "hang out" with the Muscovies.
It also says he could have a vitqamin deficiency....

We tried to spread out his little feet, and they WILL align correctly, but as soon as we lwt go, they curl back. He ate a teensy bit of pulverized scratch, and has taken several drinks. We are getting some of the awful storm right now, but as soon as it lets up a bit, we will head to a feed store.

Anything else a couple of dummies need to do/know?


david & Sybil

 

[Miss Lydia]

In our research, it seems that inbreeding can be a cause-we still have 3 generations of our orginal males, 1 of each-but we gave a guy the other drakes. Aunty Nuttin' is an "original", too. She is usually with the original Alpha male. Could that be the cause? Do we need to get more/new males and females? The runner ducks do not mate nor "hang out" with the Muscovies.
It also says he could have a vitqamin deficiency....

We tried to spread out his little feet, and they WILL align correctly, but as soon as we lwt go, they curl back. He ate a teensy bit of pulverized scratch, and has taken several drinks. We are getting some of the awful storm right now, but as soon as it lets up a bit, we will head to a feed store.

Anything else a couple of dummies need to do/know?
wanted to tell you that baby vitamins are way passed me too, the only reson I have any in my house is in the animals first aid kit and I bought them before finding Nutri Drench... Stay safe with these storms sounds like it's been bad out ya'lls way.

david & Sybil

your doing an awesome job and are not dummies, I had Muscovies for almost 8 years when this happend last year and all of the sudden i am a duck mama, what did I do I ran in here and got on BYC I had never had to care for a duckling before and was scared to death, but they are tuff little things and he did fine. Thats why I said the Nutri Drench would be so good for him it has all the things he is needs. As far as the in breeding goes I think it's okay for quite a few generations. I know with chickens i read that it's okay up to 7 generations. How far behind was he than the rest of the ducklings that hatched/ and maybe she had such a big clutch that this lil guy didn't get the warmth it needed during incubation, just guesses on my part. But Hopefully with time it will all work out and he'll be none the worse for it.
Sounds good that he is eating and drinking thats always a good sign. I'd try the shoe and see that should help him get on his feet.

 

[TLWR]

Since it may be with you for a while, you might want to pick up some niacin (not the slow release capsules) to add to the water or use brewers yeast to sprinkle on his food.

 

[oldcrowfarm]

Darnit, he can't float!! he can't stay upright!

What does that MEAN!!

Poor Something-he is trying so hard.....

 

[oldcrowfarm]

David is having to hold his head upright-he cannot float, but he will try to paddle is you hold his head upright with one finger. When David moves the finger away from under his neck/head, he flops over!!

Poor baby

 

[Miss Lydia]

Darnit, he can't float!! he can't stay upright!

What does that MEAN!!

Poor Something-he is trying so hard.....

I really don't have any clues as to why this is happening. something happened in the egg before hatch most likely. prop him up so he doesn't have to struggle and keep him warm offering feed and water to keep him hydrated. try making him the shoe and see if being able to open his foot if it makes it any easier for him to stand. it does sound nurological [sp] but I wouldn't give up on him yet! still got to get those vits.

 

[Miss Lydia]

David is having to hold his head upright-he cannot float, but he will try to paddle is you hold his head upright with one finger. When David moves the finger away from under his neck/head, he flops over!!

Poor baby

He sounds strong.

 

[oldcrowfarm]

He had chipped open his shell, but before he could get out, Momma duck took the others out (approx. 12 or so) and he got left behind. The egg had gotten cold when we found it, so David got it out and warmed it up in his hand and tummy-the little egg started peeping as he warmed up. He was struggling to get out, and David helped get the shell off of him-it appeared to be drying out. He is so vocal, and moves him little self all around the box on his back-we have a towel on the floor of the box. He actually managed to get UNDER the towel for a bit, so we checked the temp, and it was in the 80's, so we lowered the lamp-that made him happier!


Poor little guy-he is trying so hard!

 

[oldcrowfarm]

Is he the duck version of a preemie baby?