Lonely duck

[Reuboid]

Hello everyone.
So nearly 2 months ago I got 2 call ducks. One of them died at 3 days old so I got another. They were all going well until 2 days ago when one of them got angel wing. Now that duck got really weak and stopped eating so we were thinking she would die, our other duck was perfectly healthy. I wake up this morning to find my perfectly healthy duck lying dead. No blood, no frothing at the mouth. it looked like It died in its sleep. Anyway, my other duck is sleeping and I don’t know what to do with an alone duck.

 

[Reuboid]

Anyone?

 

[Quatie]

Normally, I would say get 2 new ducks, but I would figure out what is going on with your weak duck first. If the duck is sick, it could pass it on to new ducks.

Your duck is only a couple months old, correct? What have you been feeding them? Do they free range and have access to potentially toxic plants? I would look over the duck for anything that could be going on.

Angel wing is not harmful to a duck, just a beauty defect.

In the meantime, a mirror and a stuffed animal can keep it company. You can also spend a lot of time with the duck.

 

[Reuboid]

Normally, I would say get 2 new ducks, but I would figure out what is going on with your weak duck first. If the duck is sick, it could pass it on to new ducks.

Your duck is only a couple months old, correct? What have you been feeding them? Do they free range and have access to potentially toxic plants? I would look over the duck for anything that could be going on.

Angel wing is not harmful to a duck, just a beauty defect.

In the meantime, a mirror and a stuffed animal can keep it company. You can also spend a lot of time with the duck.

They are not free range and are in an inclosure that has access to grass, above them there are fly traps however they have not leaked yet. We have a mirror and stuffed animal. Our duck just isn’t eating anything right now. We have been feeding them starter feed from our local produce farm and have been giving corn aswell.

 

[Callender Girl]

I agree that it would be best to figure out what happened to your other duck. if possible. Recently, two of my oldest runners appeared to have just laid down and died without a visible cause. I KNOW it's better for them to have flock members, but as @Quatie said, you don't want to unknowingly pass something on to a new duck.

Please consider that all the following advice is from a non-expert; it's just what I do with my runner ducks.

I don't feed little ones corn or anything but starter feed until they are old enough for "grown up" food. Is your starter specifically for ducklings or is it for chickens? Ducklings need more niacin than chicks. Since I can't get the right starter where I live, the cheapest and easiest supplement is frozen peas, although there are other options.

I try to make sure my fly traps are positioned so that nothing can leak out if the wind picks up and starts rocking them. Having said that, I know that on occasion, my ducks have eaten a few poisoned, dead flies -- certainly not a good thing, but no one died.

At this point, I would just spend as much time as possible with your surviving duckling. I have never raised a single duckling, but I have raised a single chick. Being a "flock of one" simply means Dottie is more bonded to me than anyone or anything else in the world. It's not the worst thing ever.

Good luck with resolving the situation.

 

[Reuboid]

I agree that it would be best to figure out what happened to your other duck. if possible. Recently, two of my oldest runners appeared to have just laid down and died without a visible cause. I KNOW it's better for them to have flock members, but as @Quatie said, you don't want to unknowingly pass something on to a new duck.

Please consider that all the following advice is from a non-expert; it's just what I do with my runner ducks.

I don't feed little ones corn or anything but starter feed until they are old enough for "grown up" food. Is your starter specifically for ducklings or is it for chickens? Ducklings need more niacin than chicks. Since I can't get the right starter where I live, the cheapest and easiest supplement is frozen peas, although there are other options.

I try to make sure my fly traps are positioned so that nothing can leak out if the wind picks up and starts rocking them. Having said that, I know that on occasion, my ducks have eaten a few poisoned, dead flies -- certainly not a good thing, but no one died.

At this point, I would just spend as much time as possible with your surviving duckling. I have never raised a single duckling, but I have raised a single chick. Being a "flock of one" simply means Dottie is more bonded to me than anyone or anything else in the world. It's not the worst thing ever.

Good luck with resolving the situation.

How can I get a 7 week old duck to bond with me though?

 

[Callender Girl]

Just hang out with it. If you start giving it frozen peas, hand feed those. Food is the best motivator for my ducks. Realizing that food comes from your hand is likely to endear you to the little critter. You will also be a source of warmth, which babies appreciate.

If your duckling is reluctant at first, you can roll the peas toward the baby, then encourage it by feeding closer and closer to you, until you literally have it eating out of your hand.

Having said that, most of my ducks never became cuddly; they had other ducks to bond with. But, they do all come running to me because I am the Giver of Food.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Spending a lot of time with it for a start. Not necessarily holding it because it may not want to be held. But just being close so it sees and feels your presence.
Stop the corn and other treats and get some Liquid B complex and start giving it to your duckling over some tasty dried mealworms or peas. Mealworms and peas give nutrients other than carbs which is what corn is. Corn is okay for an occasional treat once grown especially in winter since it helps maintain body heat overnight. I hope your little one perks up and eventually, you can find it a friend.
Also angel wing can be treated if this one has it.

 

[Quatie]

This duck is alone, so it will likely bond with you a lot easier than a duck with buddies. It is going to be lonely and will want your company.

Since your duck is in an enclosure, do you provide the duck with grit?

There is usually a reason your duck stops eating. The death of the other one can cause it. But since the duck was not eating before, there is likely something going on. Normally I would suggest tube feeding when a duck stops eating, but it is possible it could make things worse in your situation. Since there is little to go on, a vet is really your best bet for the duck.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Honestly I would be worried about nutrient deficiencies being the cause of death especially with you feeding them corn. I wouldn't feed corn to my ducks if you paid me. Yes, I know it is in feed, but it is part of a complete feed with the ingredients that have been balanced by nutritionist. Corn by itself will fill up your birds causing them to eat less of their feed while filling up on carbs that have little to no nutrition. Its the equivalent of giving your kids junk food with every meal and expecting them to actually eat enough quality nutritious food along with it. Is your starter feed for ducks or chicks and what brand is it? Are you adding any form of niacin?