"Helpers" Anonymous-Chat Thread

[sonjab314]

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I seen those this morning. They are pretty too

 

[sonjab314]

I just lost Elvis. He started running around and falling over and just died. The rest of them are doing fine but I put them back in the house. I have put ducklings and baby chicks together before with no adverse reactions. Any ideas?

 

[easttxchick]

Oh no, Sonja I'm so sorry.

Calls are particularly vulnerable until they are 2 weeks old. If you can get them past that point, they will usually make it. Nothing you did wrong at all-they just tend to be so fragile.
Poor Elvis...

 

[sonjab314]

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They hatched on 03-16. There is another one that is really inactive but he's been that way prior to today. Its almost like he can't bear weight on his legs. He's growing fine but he only stands up for a second and then. He lays back down and he doesn't walk hardly at all. Any ideas about that one East?

 

[easttxchick]

There is something called Brooder Pneumonia and Duck Plague that I think are causes of high mortality in Call ducklings.
No symptoms other than lethargy, Sonja.
There are times when smaller ducklings are rooted out of the feed and water by larger ones.
Something else I have heard is that when Call babies are confined to a small space-you will have some that "volunteer" to die in order to make room for the others. They are a very odd little species and that's the reason that they are SO hard to hatch/raise/breed.
What are you feeding them?

 

[sonjab314]

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Well he is actually one of the bigger babies. He does eat and drink. I am feeding the gamebird starter. Is any of the pneumonia or stuff contagioius?

 

[easttxchick]

This is worst case scenario stuff, Sonja, but after what we've been going through here, I am so gun shy it's ridiculous and am jumping to doomsday scenario first.

This is some info on both.
Also, sometimes ducklings just die for no logical reason at all.
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disfungi.htm
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/51/duck-virus-enteritis-duck-plague

 

[adyhart1]

thats good information east! i saved it to my favorites!
Sonja i am so sorry about elvis.

I hope the other gets outta his funk.
I am so bad, still looking at eggs! I tried to candle the goose eggs tonight and i think 3 of 5 are fertile but its hard to see in them.... I have one of those mini led and it sucks. I got a new flashlight but it just got up and walked away i guess...

ughh i just got back from grocery shopping.... YUCK

 

[easttxchick]

Gee, talking to other breeders, it sounds like a REALLY bad season for Calls. Incubating and hatching going badly, high duckling mortality, death of adult birds for no apparent reason...scary stuff.

I sure hope we all have beautiful, healthy, show quality Call ducklings running out our ears soon!

 

[easttxchick]

I need to post a pic of my little Call cross that hatched yesterday. It is SO cute. It's all by itself in a brooder for now(the others tried to stomp her yesterday, so I put her in with a stuffed animal) and she doesn't mind it a bit. She's so quiet.

Ady, as soon as I find out if my flock is clear, I'll send you some eggs from them-they are just bigger Gray Calls, but SO cute.