Magpie Ducklings Dying Unexpectedly!

[Jillio]

I took the advice to offer a deeper waterer and that has worked really well for my babies the last several days. It is in the 100s in the daytime and in the 80s at night. We have had no issues since we added the deeper waterer. We do our nightly rounds every few hours, going out with a flashlight and checking on everybody to make sure they are getting their water, since they can’t see in the dark. When I went out last night another one of my ducklings had died. I can’t believe we made it through the baby stage without any losses and now at past a month old we have lost 5 out of 12! It just seems so strange. They are happy and thriving even in the very hot days as they free-range the garden area and gobble up grasshoppers and such. At night we put them up safe and secure (with food and water), check on them frequently, and then wake up to dead duckling(s) who does very suddenly.

I did hear they shouldn’t be swimming in the night but the waterer we got out of pure desperation to make sure they never run out is large enough for them to get in- so sometimes they will do a bit of swimming in the night. But mostly I just see them drinking from it, not inside of it. I don’t think they could be getting chilled now that they are in their 5th week of life from getting in their waterer, could they? It would seem that more of them would be getting chilled and dying, not just one, since they do almost everything as a flock. And it’s so hot and humid outside that it just doesn’t seem reasonable to me that they would be getting cold, although of course I could be wrong about that. As I said previously, they are not on heat because it is so hot outside. (We moved them out simply so they would have enough space.)

They are on scratch and pack grower feed with added niacin. Should they be getting grit in with their grower feed? We do offer it usually but last night I had forgotten it.

Last time I checked into getting a poultry necropsy in Texas it was a ridiculous amount of money, and none of our local vets did it.

I am really at a loss here! I would think with the intense heat in the daytime would be more dangerous for them, not the warm nighttimes. Any more thoughts are appreciated, I don’t want to dread putting them to bed nightly. Thanks guys.

 

[Jillio]

They really need to have access to their feed 24/7 when growing so fast which is their first 6 weeks of life. And being ducklings their foraging skills are a learned art so they may not being getting as much to eat by as you would think . Can you give them a deeper container for their water so they can dunk their bills when my duckling graduated to outside these are the waterers. View attachment 3138438I used they can dunk their bills but can’t climb in so they don’t waste the water.

We need to find some containers to make waterers like this. We are currently using a wide rubber tub that is about 4 to 5 inches tall.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd still keep them out of water at night until fully feathered in.
I am so sorry you lost another one. Any symptoms before it happens?
Don't put grit in their feed just a container close by they will use it as needed.

 

[Jillio]

Ah, thank you Miss Lydia. Not a single symptom before they just die. I checked on them all and they were wonderful- went out a few hours later and one was dead. Again. And they are our babies We will figure out a new system where they cannot swim at night. Thank you so much for your response.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Where did these ducklings come from?

 

[Jillio]

These guys came from Ideal Poultry here in Texas. They arrived healthy and happy and I was shocked, as it’s my first time ordering from them and didn’t know what to expect.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just don't know what could be happening. Sure sounds like your doing everything you know how to do to care for them. Maybe when one gets wet at night they chill?

@HollowOfWisps any ideas?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I took the advice to offer a deeper waterer and that has worked really well for my babies the last several days. It is in the 100s in the daytime and in the 80s at night. We have had no issues since we added the deeper waterer. We do our nightly rounds every few hours, going out with a flashlight and checking on everybody to make sure they are getting their water, since they can’t see in the dark. When I went out last night another one of my ducklings had died. I can’t believe we made it through the baby stage without any losses and now at past a month old we have lost 5 out of 12! It just seems so strange. They are happy and thriving even in the very hot days as they free-range the garden area and gobble up grasshoppers and such. At night we put them up safe and secure (with food and water), check on them frequently, and then wake up to dead duckling(s) who does very suddenly.

I did hear they shouldn’t be swimming in the night but the waterer we got out of pure desperation to make sure they never run out is large enough for them to get in- so sometimes they will do a bit of swimming in the night. But mostly I just see them drinking from it, not inside of it. I don’t think they could be getting chilled now that they are in their 5th week of life from getting in their waterer, could they? It would seem that more of them would be getting chilled and dying, not just one, since they do almost everything as a flock. And it’s so hot and humid outside that it just doesn’t seem reasonable to me that they would be getting cold, although of course I could be wrong about that. As I said previously, they are not on heat because it is so hot outside. (We moved them out simply so they would have enough space.)

They are on scratch and pack grower feed with added niacin. Should they be getting grit in with their grower feed? We do offer it usually but last night I had forgotten it.

Last time I checked into getting a poultry necropsy in Texas it was a ridiculous amount of money, and none of our local vets did it.

I am really at a loss here! I would think with the intense heat in the daytime would be more dangerous for them, not the warm nighttimes. Any more thoughts are appreciated, I don’t want to dread putting them to bed nightly. Thanks guys.

I do not feel like not having deep water to dip bills in just overnight should be causing death.
The reason they need deeper water is just to clear their eyes and snares of food and debris. So unless you are finding them dead with their snares all clogged up I highly doubt that is the issue.

With Temps in the 70s or higher at night without access to swimming water I would also think should be fine.
All of that being said would lead me to believe there may be a feed issue. I am unfamiliar with scratch and Peck brand feed but I would look into that and see if it was nutritionally adequate for ducklings. Also as has already been stated whether or not they're able to forage I still provide access to feed around the clock for the first 6 weeks. I use a meat bird crumble that is 20 or 22 percent protein and I do not have an issue with angel wing.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Maybe they are eating too many grasshoppers?
Or could some of the bugs they are eating have been exposed to a pesticide?
I mean... That's just a thought. I have no actual basis for that theory. Could you can find them to run for a few days where they couldn't gobble up as many hoppers and see things get better?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

For the scratch and Peck grower feed is it whole grain, crumbles or pellets?