Lethargic baby

[jaykayhuff]

Hi all
I have 8 ducklings that I received through a shipment yesterday (hatched Monday). All are energized and acting like your normal baby duckies except one. Since arrival they all received Nutri Drench in their water and Brewer’s Yeast in food. The lethargic one hardly moves around (when it does wake) and it only drinks, still no eating. I have given her a little vitamin B complex but no changes. Any other recommendations on what I could do?

 

[DuckyDonna]

try giving her some scrambled eggs mashed up real small. @Miss Lydia did that with hers that were acting like that helped a lot!

 

[Isaac 0]

Most you can do is provide supportive care to the little one, and provide vitamins. If she stops drinking very much water it may be a good idea to give her a few drops of the nutri-dench orally, You can drip a little bit onto her bill and usually the sensation water will make them drink or you can tip her head into the liquid for a second, just like with administering anything fluids you have to be very careful not to aspirate, give her plenty of time to get all of it down.

Try scrambled eggs as @DuckyDonna suggested, lots of nutrients in eggs as well. Besides that make sure she is warm and dry, shipping can be very hard on ducklings. Keep us posted!

 

[jaykayhuff]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I will try some eggs next time I take her out for more TLC time. I have noticed something new which may not be anything but she is making a clicking sound now. Sounds nasally. Not really opening beak when doing it for very long. She just falls asleep so easily when I try and feed her or give her fluids. Half the time she just falls asleep with the food under her bill. It is so bizarre, like she’s narcoleptic ha

 

[Isaac 0]

And why haven't we seen any pictures of these cuties yet?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Shipping stress can really be rough on them. I lost 2 Fawn and White Runner ducklings to it last year, this is what the hatchery called it. I would have lost the other 2 if I hadn't start giving them scramble egg. My goodness they perked up so fast. Made me so sad I didn't think of it before I lost the 2. But this could be failure to thrive. They toss them into a box right after hatch. Have no idea if anything is wrong. Hopefully you can keep getting the Nutri drench into her. I just saw something interesting on how to give it too a baby not drinking much soak a q tip and put this up to their bill some will soak inside. then give them a few minutes to swallow by gently massaging under the chin.

 

[jaykayhuff]

Okay morning update... I’m thinking there is just something wrong with these silver appleyards. I ordered 4 and one was dead upon arrival, one is the lethargic duckling who I can get to drink a little but no success with food AT ALL, and now this morning the two that seemed to be fine since arrival are not. One it starting to act lethargic and the other has been non stop chirping and flopping around for over an hour now. It won’t lift up its head all the way or walk it just scoots and flips around. I AM SO OVER THIS BREED RIGHT NOW! @Miss Lydia @MasterOfClucker @DuckyDonna

 

[Miss Lydia]

Where did you get these babies? Call the hatchery an tell them what’s going on. This is awful poor little ones. I am so sorry. Have you tried scrambled egg with them

 

[Isaac 0]

Are they eating/drinking much?

 

[jaykayhuff]

Where did you get these babies? Call the hatchery an tell them what’s going on. This is awful poor little ones. I am so sorry. Have you tried scrambled egg with them

I got them from Metzer’s. The others are perfectly fine so I’m hoping whatever it is is contained to this breed. Yes and the lethargic one just spits everything out. The one that looks like it’s seizing can’t drink or eat anything because it hasn’t stopped shaking/twitching.