I found a muscovy duckling...

[eem311]

I found a baby muscovy duckling in my pool this morning, no mama around. I had to get the baby out, because my dog would have gotten her...I've incubated, hatched and raised chicks before, so I'm going to raise this baby too! I have her in my chick brooding tub, with the heat plate to keep her warm. I picked up some purina flock raiser crumbles (the only thing available locally). Do I need to do anything differently for her than for my chicks? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Lady Clucks-a-Lot]

For chicks, you would only give them water for drinking. But for ducklings, you would want to give them a little pool. Not too big, the depth should not go over it's upper neck, as only reachable of it's lower neck (depth of water) will do too.
Also I think ducklings have duckling food and chicks has chick food? You can search it up to check, but I think they do have different food due to that they're not the same.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Can you tell how old it is? If not, you can attach a picture here and I can take a guess.
Be sure he has water at all time. He should be able to get his nostrils all the way in the water so he can clean them out. You don't want to have a pool in there that he can get into unsupervised. Assuming he isn't fully feather and doesn't have oil glands he could become soaking wet and die. Or he could drown (you'd be surprised about how little water they can drown in).

You'll need to get him duckling starter food as soon as you can. Ducklings have different nutritional needs. If you can't get any you'll need to give him supplements.
I recommend that you read @Isaac 0 's thread on niacin deficiency in the sticky threads at the top of the duck section to understand it.

And since he's a lone duckling I would give him a mirror and stuffed animal to comfort him.

 

[eem311]

 

[eem311]

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That's the duckling and the food I picked up at the local feed store.

 

[Everose]

Nutritional yeast is my favorite way to get extra niacin into their diet. Ducklings need other ducklings, does a feed store near you sell ducklings? Looks fairly young, and super cute! Good luck

 

[Miss Lydia]

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What a cutie makes me think if my first Muscovy duckling to hatch here. Pool isn't necessary until outside for good, warm water swim in the tub shallow to start with Under supervision. Flock raiser is what I started all my poultry on you just need to add something like Nutritional yeast so this little one gets a good amount of niacin. 1 Tablespoon over 1 cup of feed you dish up. That is great you were able to rescue it.

 

[Everose]

View attachment 2763457

I used the same feed for my ducklings, they were SA so very big and fast growing. They had pretty bad niacin deficiency so when I got them I had to give them extra niacin, the feed just wasn't enough. Niacin is a water soluble so it's not very long lasting in the body, they need lots. Anthony's was my favorite brand of nutritional yeast.

Edit: bcuz apparently I can't spell.

 

[eem311]

Nutritional yeast is my favorite way to get extra niacin into their diet. Ducklings need other ducklings, does a feed store near you sell ducklings? Looks fairly young, and super cute! Good luck

I've called nearby feed stores, and none have ducklings right now...

 

[Everose]

I've called nearby feed stores, and none have ducklings right now...

That's too bad. The best thing you can do for the little guy is to spend all your time with him. Not too hard to do when they're so cute