Help! Sick duckling!

CLM06

Hatching
Apr 21, 2017
1
0
4
Helmetta NJ
Hello All,
We had our first go at incubating eggs from our flock. Of 25 eggs we had 6 fertile eggs and 3 hatch, one pipped and tried to come, but it was almost a week early and died in the process, or we would have had 4. Of the 3, 2 are perfectly healthy adorable ducklings. But, we have one that is having so many troubles and I'm desperate to help it. Hubby and I are both new to incubating so I'm not sure what to do. I've been researching for days, but I figured I'd ask and see what I could get from all of you lovely duck lovers!
The duckling is just about 3 days old. It had splayed leg in it's left leg which we've taped up to help, but it's hardly growing or holding it's head up. I'm not sure if it's wry neck or not because it's not twisted, and can lean back when it's drinking but usually, it just droops straight down and it's beak touches the towel. It's chirping and making noises, but then I'm also hearing somewhat of a slight clicking sound, which makes me think it's having trouble breathing. It isn't very active and spends most of it's time sleeping. At the moment, we have the other two ducklings in a brooder together and this one on it's own in a box with some towels, a light, and food and water on our dining room table. I've made a little nest of sorts with extra towels that it spends most of it's time in, unless I can sit and hold it for a bit to keep it warm. I am home all day and check on it regularly. I'm trying to make sure it's drinking, which it will assisted but not on it's own. I added a bit of brewers yeast to it's food and water to give it some extra niacin. I'm also trying to get it to eat but it hardly does. It's hardly growing at all, the duckling that hatched the day after this one is already bigger. I fear that there isn't much hope for this little one, which makes me so sad, but I'm hoping there's at least a few things I can try? Every night I go to bed thinking this will be the night it doesn't make it, and every morning it's still chugging along.
Thanks in advance!!
 
A friend explained this to me the other day....Sometimes when they hatch the neck gets twisted around and then they fail ..:(.....I mentioned the one I had hatched was like that and for some reason it was on its back so I flipped it over and was able to correct its neck..:)....Not sure what the heck I did ?...But it worked..:)
 
Get some Nutri-Drench. One of my shipped ducklings acted like that last year...slept, wouldn't eat. I pulled her from the rest and just like you...put her in her own little brooder and we used rolled up old socks to create "duck friends" for her to snuggle to. It took 4-5 days and I had nearly given up but when she turned around, she made up for lost time. She is the bossy little wench in the pen now and I called her Miss Peep Peep. Original, hahaha, because about all she would do is Peep. I made a mash of her feed, water and boiled egg and 4-5 times a day I used tweezers and fed her some. Also made sure she drank. I also got the Nutri-Drench and every time I fed her I gave her a drop or two of straight Nutri-Drench. I had nearly given up because unless I fed her she really made no attempt but the day she finally started eating on her own, she turned into a piglet! :) Her only indication that she ever had problems was a limp for a long time but now a year later it is getting more difficult to pick her out anymore. Good luck! :)

Wanted to add: use an eye dropper for the Nuti-Drench and dribble it at the side of her bill until she swallows...
 
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