Lone Ducking- need advice!

[secretquail]

Well, my little one made it through the night!!!

but he is the only one

He is still weak and not walking around much. I'm trying everything to get him to eat, but not so much luck. I've put vitamins in his water and fed him some of the water via a syringe and by dipping his beak in the water. I also sprinked some of the food in the water. He hasn't eaten any of the crumbles. I tried some yogurt from a spoon and from my fingers, heck, I even put some on the little stuffed bunny he cuddles up to, but he hasn't willingly eaten any.

Any suggestions?

I should add that he is very awake. Peeps constantly. He does move around the box, and tries to stretch up on his feet, he just isn't balanced enough to continue walking. He is having a hard time keeping his feet under his body, but it is getting better as he gets stronger.

 

[katharinad]

I had one that had a curled up foot for two day, it got better each day and by day 3 he was running just like the other ones. I don't feed my babies the first day, well I have food out but they usually don't care. They are still absorbing their own yolk, so they really don't need any. They why day old are being shipped all over, because they don't need food yet. Get a small 2-4 ounce bowls (tiny canning jar) and mix ground crumbles with the water into a soup. The duck will get some eventually. It will happen, so don't worry to hard.

 

[jrobertson]

duckling do need a lot more time to get there legs than chicks. by tomorrow he should be walking fairly well. i hatched goslings before that couldn't even stand up for 2 days. they made it just fine.

 

[dumb_cluck]

He's alone. He needs company, that's why the constant peeping. YOU are his Mom now. Enjoy him/her. Perhaps you should get another duckling for company? They do better when there is more than one......

 

[secretquail]

I have a message in the WTB section for another ducky. Until then, he has chosen my 4 yr old to show the love! A big part of me LOVES that she can be the one, it will teach her soooo much responsability. Right now, we have to hand feed and water him, so she does it every hour or so. but there is a teeny bit of me that wanted to be the one I'm posting here for another duckling after I write this....

 

[dumb_cluck]

Just make sure you get the right sex. Right now you don't know what sex you have. It's a roll of the dice to get another duckling that young and the outcome be a male and female. If both females, that's OK. BUT two males will be trouble once they get bigger.

Good luck!

PS, If it was me, I would get at least 3 or 4 more to make the odds in my favor. Then after you can identify the sexes, give away or sell the ones you don't want.

I read somewhere that there are online places who can sex the new duck for you to make sure, but mailing a single duck is risky too.

Forgot to add: if you and your daughter are giving all the attention he/she needs, he/she will be fine. They duck will imprint on humans and become more "human" than "duck". If that's not a problem for you. Read my website about "Skittles".