Help!!!!!

[OreoPlymothRock]

Hi, i know this is an off topic thread, but 2 of our ducklings died. We have 4 Magpies. Let me tell you the story. We woke up and took the ducklings out for a swim only for about 5 to 20 minutes. There is a big stone in there so if they get tired, they hop on the stone and rest. When all of them where on the stone, we took them out. We dried them off and put them in the brooder. About 3 hours later my little sister checks up on them and 2 of them are upside down. I went to the brooder and they were dead. They were stiff as a rock. We buried them about a foot in the ground. Anybody knows what happened to them. And to prevent the same thing from happening to the other 2?

 

[CMV]

No clue. What kind of water were they swimming in? Pond or tub?

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

A big bucket. Like a round bucket at least 2 and a half feet tall.

 

[Nutz245]

How old were your ducklings?

I usually won't let mine in the water until around 3-4 weeks. And then it's a bath tub with warm water in a heated room at 80-85 plus. Then it's right back to the brooder after drying them off. Sometimes their core temps can drop so low that there is no way they can get it back up if they are too young. Never let your young ducklings be exposed to anything under 70 deg f as 60 will kill them pretty quick (personal tragedy and stupidity on my part). And never use soap or other cleaners on them. I say that because a friend called me and asked me what the best soap for bathing her new 1 week old ducklings was.

Sorry for your loss. Don't get discouraged and never give up.

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

Our ducklings are 1 to 2 weeks old. They dont have any feathers yet. and the water was somewhat cold. And the 5th time they swam 1 of our ducklings passed out and couldn't walk. More about it in this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/677345/duck-passed-out

 

[CMV]

Good gracious! The way to save the other 2 is to not let them swim until they get feathered in. Why did you continue to let them swim despite 1 already having issues with it?

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

well, when the other one "died" It was spitting out water, we thought it took in too much water because we let them swim for 2 to 3 hours. So we only let them swim for 5 to 20 minutes.