Help!!!!!! Please!!!

[Kaaustin74]

My husband brought home 5 ducklings. The next day we found the runt did not survive. Assumed it was just due to it being unhealthy. The next day same thi g happened. Only the duckling died in my hands (limp head, couldn't really walk, lethargic). So I thought maybe they were too cold so I added more heat. They were perfect the rest of the day!
Checked on them all through out the night, perfect. Now I went to feed them and it is happening to another duckling!!! I went ahead and separated it from the other two. I cant find anything online that might help me figure out what this is!! Any help would be so appreciated!!!!!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!
Can you post a picture of your brooder?
What are you feeding them?

 

[Kaaustin74]

He is wobbly and cant hold his head up.

 

[danceswithronin]

Chick grit is not food, it's gravel for their crop. You need real duckling food. I think they are starving to death.

You need something like this: https://www.nrsworld.com/purina-ani...MIz--OmfWB4gIVClYMCh1mbgAeEAQYAyABEgKVyvD_BwE

Go to the farm supply store and ask an associate for duckling or all-flock starter crumbles, not grit. Grit is a supplement.

 

[Kaaustin74]

I've also been feeding them a lot of real bugs and worms. I had no idea! I will run right now and get different food!! Thank you!

I just thought it was so weird that they were dying 24 hours apart like it was spreading disease or something!

 

[danceswithronin]

Yeah they are just really hungry. You are lucky you were at least feeding them live insects too, at least they haven't gone with nothing at all. A lot of people would wait about a week before introducing food other than crumbles though, fresh ducklings/chicks are delicate and need a lot of nutrients to really get going, so it's important for them to eat mostly their formulated food while they are growing so quickly. Nutritional deficiencies/imbalances are very common in poultry, ducks in particular. And they do not need grit for their crumbles, just for extra stuff like treats, insects, grass, pellets, etc... as they get a bit older.

 

[Melodychick]

I’m new to ducks too, but from all I’ve read, maybe a niacin supplement is called for as well. Hopefully someone has a picture of the liquid b complex that is recommended???

 

[casportpony]

I agree, crumbles are needed ASAP. How much of the grit did they eat?

 

[casportpony]

I don't see a heat lamp or heat source in your brooder. How do you keep them warm? What is the temperature of your brooder?

 

[danceswithronin]

I agree, crumbles are needed ASAP. How much of the grit did they eat?

Yeah I was interested in this too, I'm kind of concerned they may have impacted crops if they've been trying to eat nothing but grit out of desperation. I don't really know how you'd treat that if it were the case though.