itchy little duckling!...and other duckling issues

[sunket77]

Hi everyone! you all are going to get tired of me posting b/c this whole duckling thing is so new...I am sure the chicken people felt the same way when I got my first chicks! Ok so I have two one week old call ducklings, they both came from black call parents but one is white and one is black. The little black call (Yin) seem to be healthy and doing fine and has grown quite a bit. The little white one (yang) is still kinda wobbly and has trouble with his balance from front to back and sometimes falls backwards (I already posted about this) The bigger Yin gets the more I have noticed that Yang is not growing as fast and his body seems small, when he gets wet his body looks to small for his head (like the ugly duckling) The other problem he is having is he seems to be always scratching, mostly trying to scratch his head (which causes him to fall over!) he also shakes his head a lot. I let them go for a swim everyday to get cleaned up and Yin plays and swims and clears his nose. While Yang spends the whole time scratching and preening..... he get water in his nose but doesn't blow it out like the other one (I see the adults do this all the time) So he sounds like he is weezing and just not clearing out his nose. Is there something going on with him that I am missing? They both had a hard time hatching and needed help, they both got stuck, but yang was a day behind Yin and was struggling longer in the egg and took longer to hatch. I have them on "chick saver" vitamins, is there something else I can give him to help boost him to grow? They are on flock raiser also...maybe switch to non-medicated chick starter? Thanks!!!

 

[Wifezilla]

They may need some extra niacin. A crushed brewer's yeast tablet in their water will take care of that. As for the scratching, ducks grow so fast, they are ALWAYS scratching. I imagine their skin growing and those feathers growing in have GOT to be itchy!!

 

[sunket77]

thanks! well the little guy sounds like he has a runny nose like he has water or something moving back and forth and seems like he is having a hard time

would some vet rx help? maybe a little on his nose or in his throat? Is he to young for it? I just hope he is not getting something respiratory, I am still learning about ducks and problems they have. I mostly know chickens, and I am still learning about them too! Do ducks have respiratory issues like chickens?

 

[gryeyes]

Ducks do need water deep enough to dunk their bills and clear their nares (nostrils).

This is what I use for duckling waterers: A Cool Whip container, cut an oval in the lid and put it back on. They can't get INTO the water, but they can put their heads into it.

 

[Aduquese]

Hi everyone! you all are going to get tired of me posting b/c this whole duckling thing is so new...I am sure the chicken people felt the same way when I got my first chicks! Ok so I have two one week old call ducklings, they both came from black call parents but one is white and one is black. The little black call (Yin) seem to be healthy and doing fine and has grown quite a bit. The little white one (yang) is still kinda wobbly and has trouble with his balance from front to back and sometimes falls backwards (I already posted about this) The bigger Yin gets the more I have noticed that Yang is not growing as fast and his body seems small, when he gets wet his body looks to small for his head (like the ugly duckling) The other problem he is having is he seems to be always scratching, mostly trying to scratch his head (which causes him to fall over!) he also shakes his head a lot. I let them go for a swim everyday to get cleaned up and Yin plays and swims and clears his nose. While Yang spends the whole time scratching and preening..... he get water in his nose but doesn't blow it out like the other one (I see the adults do this all the time) So he sounds like he is weezing and just not clearing out his nose. Is there something going on with him that I am missing? They both had a hard time hatching and needed help, they both got stuck, but yang was a day behind Yin and was struggling longer in the egg and took longer to hatch. I have them on "chick saver" vitamins, is there something else I can give him to help boost him to grow? They are on flock raiser also...maybe switch to non-medicated chick starter? Thanks!!!

Hi,

I just found your post and having the same issue you describe with a little duckling. I'm wondering if you found a way to save them.

I know this is a 10 year post but hopefully will reach you

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you have your duckling on chick starter or duckling starter? Are you giving any niacin as a supplement? Do they have water deep enough to dunk their heads in to clean their nares and eyes?
How old? the itching could be from new feathers coming in that makes them itchy.
Explain what other issues the duckling is having. And

 

[Aduquese]

Do you have your duckling on chick starter or duckling starter? Are you giving any niacin as a supplement? Do they have water deep enough to dunk their heads in to clean their nares and eyes?
How old? the itching could be from new feathers coming in that makes them itchy.
Explain what other issues the duckling is having. And

Hi, thank you so much for your quick reply.

We are new to raising ducklings, we have then on baby chick crumbs with niacin supplement in the form of yeast. They have access to water but the little one seems unwilling to jump into the water. They are 3 weeks old today and the big one weights over 200g while the little one doesn't grow and still in 45g. The difference in size is considerable.
The little one scratch his head with his/her feet or rubbing her head against the back, also is struggling to keep the balance and sake constantly her head.

It doesn't look poorly and seems to eat.

We pay a visit to the vet that prescribe antibiotics but I can't see any improvement.

I added a picture so you can see the difference in size both are kept in the same environment

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is amazing.
Nutritional yeast?
I believe I would go to TSC and get Liquid B complex and start them on it. You can put it in their water but with the tiny one I'd start putting it over a tasty treat since it's eating good. Dried mealworms, chopped tomatoes something they really like so it eats the whole thing and get full dose of the b complex. The liquid B complex will say injectable but we use it orally.
I can't say what is going on but the B complex has really helped many ducklings suffering for a niacin deficiency which can show itself as loss of balance , lameness, limping etc. Did the vet check the ears on the duckling shaking her head sounds like maybe ear issue. Has it finished the antibiotic> what was it?
Once they have a niacin deficiency [they can still come down with one even eating the best feed and using niacin supplements.] Giving the liquid B complex is a good way to eliminate niacin deficiency And it's not a waste of money since they need the niacin anyway just keep it in the frig.
Just some info
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/also gives doses according to age.
Please let us know how this little one is doing.

 

[Aduquese]

That is amazing.
Nutritional yeast?
I believe I would go to TSC and get Liquid B complex and start them on it. You can put it in their water but with the tiny one I'd start putting it over a tasty treat since it's eating good. Dried mealworms, chopped tomatoes something they really like so it eats the whole thing and get full dose of the b complex. The liquid B complex will say injectable but we use it orally.
I can't say what is going on but the B complex has really helped many ducklings suffering for a niacin deficiency which can show itself as loss of balance , lameness, limping etc. Did the vet check the ears on the duckling shaking her head sounds like maybe ear issue. Has it finished the antibiotic> what was it?
Once they have a niacin deficiency [they can still come down with one even eating the best feed and using niacin supplements.] Giving the liquid B complex is a good way to eliminate niacin deficiency And it's not a waste of money since they need the niacin anyway just keep it in the frig.
Just some info
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/also gives doses according to age.
Please let us know how this little one is doing.

Sadly the little duckling didn't gain any strength or weight after try everything and passed away today. We are extremely sad as he/she had an amazing personality. We tried everything to give it a chance but it seems that didn't meant to be.

Thank you so much for all your advice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’m so sorry to hear you lost him. To be so tiny there must have been something genetic going on. You did all you could to help. Is the other one alone now?