Is this normal.?

[weebles&wobblesmom]

I'm sorry I am soo nervous about my duckling. Never had 1 before and this 1 wasn't "healthy" looking when he came in (thats how I got him).

Anyway, my baby looks kinda "mangy" and he seems to be lazy. Is something wrong? Maybe something missing from the diet? He is 2 weeks old, I give him chick starter (non madicated). Has water and food available all the time and a pool for playing in.

He is a White Pekin.
Sorry for being such a pain, but since my kids have grown, my animals have become my babies.

Thanks

 

[kswaterfowl]

He sounds lonely. It is never good to raise single ducklings, as a rule, you can get 10+ ducks to imprint on you exactly the same as 1 duck. If that is what you are wanting, I would at least make sure he has a friend. Pekin ducklings grow extremely fast and they start to lose their down and feathers begin to come in. (May be why you think it looks mangy) He may also be too hot if you have the heat lamp on him. Our ducklings are normally raised in a large stainless steel commercial-single layer brooder (4'x6'x16"tall) with lamps or in an old rabbit hutch with one side having a solid floor and heat lamp and the other having a wire floor and thats where their water and food goes. When first hatched they tend to stay under the lamp wandering out for food and water, but usually by a week, they spend more time out in the other compartment drinking, eating and we only lock them in the heat lamp part at night. (We put them outside in that hutch usually april-summer, and use the stainless brooder the rest of the year.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Without a friend for comparison as to what is normal - I can understand why you may be nervous. What did the person say about him when returning him to the feed store? Was there anything specific about the duckling they mentioned?

Is he preening himself if you give him a swim?? They can look a bit thin as they grow until their feathers start to come in - but it can also be a sign something else is wrong. I once had a duckling loose all the down down one side of his neck- It was rather odd - but mostly I find them just looking like the down is sparse over their growing bodies.

 

[weebles&wobblesmom]

When he first came in, they said he was really wobbley and very skitish, so they didn't give him to the person who bought him. I'm a sucker for animals (especially orphaned ones) so they asked me if I wanted to bring him home?
I put a stuffed duck in with him, which he loves. He cuddles with it all the time. Plus, I go in a talk to him as often as I can. Pet him once in a while. I don't want to handle him too much.

He was only 2 days old when I got him and he's been doing great, just seems he's acting different. He swims, but when nobody is in the room with him. I can tell because he has bedding all over in the water. I give him fresh water (drinking and swimming) and fresh food every day.

I did notice he felt kinda warm this morning when I was petting him so I unplugged the heat lamp. He will lay with 1 leg stretched out behind him. (he switches legs) but he pulls it back in and stands on it when I come in.

His down loss appears to be "evenly" spread over his body. I am getting 6 chicks and another Pekin duckling but not until the 27th of April.

I don't mean to be a pain, I just to make sure I'm doing everything right.

 

[gofasterstripe]

If hes your only duckling and he is skittish then if I was you I would be handling him all the time. Pick him up walk round with him, put him in a see thru tote and take him with you when you move from room to room, put him on a towel while your watching tv, let him cuddle into your nick.. If you dont handle him then hes only going to get more skittish. I wouldnt put his swimming water in his tote, hes only going to stay wet and cold. Just put his food and drinking water in with him and gie him a bath once a day in the tub or kitchen sink.

 

[weebles&wobblesmom]

So it is OK to be picking him up? I have been reading ALOT about raising ducks and chickens, but I'm afraid of hurting him. I know how to pick him up, as far as being careful. I actually raised a baby squirrel whos eyes were still closed. He use to sleep in my shirt collar when I was at work..LOL Sleep around my neck all day.

I never thought about a towel and having him with me most of the time when I'm home.
As far as his pool being in with him all the time. His tote is big enough that he has a big area to stay dry. He isnt wet all the time. That was the first thing I made sure of when my father in law and husband said he needed a "bigger" pool.

I am going to try having him with me more.

Thank you for all the advice. This site and everyone on it is great.

Again, sorry for being a nervous wreck pain in the tail feathers

 

[ducksinarow]

He needs his heat lamp if he is not fully feathered, especially if you allow him to get wet and swim. He must get dried off asap. Birds have to maintain a high body temp. Most feed stores will allow you to buy a replacement (extra) duckling if you say you already have ducks without buying the minimum. He really needs a friend you cannot be there all the time for him. He would be much happier and you would have double the fun.

 

[Amiga]

One thought - he's on chick starter. What are you using to supplement niacin? Ducklings need three times the niacin as chicks do (and there is wide variability here - some ducklings survive okay with the deficiency, some suffer neurological damage).

If you think it might be niacin deficiency, 100 to 150 mg niacin per gallon of water may help - some use niacin tabs, some use poultry vitamins, some use brewer's yeast, sprinkled on food.

Bugs contain niacin, by the way

 

[weebles&wobblesmom]

So I bought a rabbit hutch for Wobbles and put it where he has more "interaction" with us. He freaked out at first, putting his head through the holes. Put cardboard over the parts he could reach. didnt want him getting stuck or have 1 of the dogs bite his little head off.

I have 2 black labs and a lab/dane mix. They took their turns smelling and watching. They finally went and layed down. The next thing I know, my youngest lab is growling and standing there stareing at the hutch. I looked and 1 of my cats was smell the bottom of it and the dog was growling at the cat...I NEVER dreamed a bird dog would be protecting a bird instead of trying to eat it...

Also, I bought some electrylites (sorry for spelling) to give to Wobbles and see if that helps him any.

He has calmed down and is now curled up with his stuffed buddy again. Mu husband hasn't seen the new hutch yet and the fact that we now have a duckling in our livingroom.....wish me luck...