Help w/my ducklings Please Help!!

[mkt000]

Today three of my ducklings hatched, and two of the three ducklings cannot lift their heads up. The one that is doing fine hatched through the night, so I don't know if they are just tired from the hatch or something serious. Please Help!

 

[MissPrissy]

Welcome to BYC.

It is very exhausting to hatch from an egg. The ducklings will spend the next 12 - 24 hours flopping around and sleeping. Keep them warm and dry. Let them sleep. They do not need food or water for 48 - 72 hours so don't worry. Keep an eye on them and watch for signs of other stress. This time after hatching is critical as their bodies are working hard to adjust to being a living being creature now and not a sterile embryo in an egg. Please leave them in your incubator until they are dry and alert. If you have taken them out already keep them warm and in a dim quiet place to rest.

Take a deep breath and try to relax. Being too anxious and fiddling with them too much can cause alot more damage to them and even be fatal.

 

[MissPrissy]

It seems this may be your first time with ducks? If so please be aware:

- medicated chick feed is toxic to the ducklings. They need a gamebird starter. It would be great if you could find a waterfowl starter.

- be very careful with them around water because they can very easily drown. Make sure the water container is too small for them to get into.

-introduce them to water by dipping their beak tip in carefully.

Holderread's recommends the following for new duckling -

- use a water soluable vitamin int heir water for a week.

- don't offer feed to them unrtil 1 hours after they have started drinking.

- don't let them drink water for more than 10 min initially - they will get sick.

They also recommend cuting lettuce up very tiny and floating it in the water for the ducklings to eat and drink - but again no start feed for 1 hour after the initial dipping and getting them to drink the water and lettuce.

Good luck with your babies!