MALLARD THREAD...not rouens, Mallards!

[Ravynscroft]

Can anyone help me with a couple questions?
We rescued a mallard duckling from a cat and spent hours trying to find its mom, but couldn't. The local
Wildlife rehabber is full, so we are doing our best.

The duckling was a day or two old when we got it and fiesty. We couldn't find duck starter, so we bought unmedicated chick starter and frozen brine shrimp with spirulina mixed in. We also grabbed some super fine sand from the lake for grit (because nobody around here sells granite grit or other grit safe for ducks). We've been feeding her with the starter, grit and brine shrimp whenever she is hungry, plus taking her out to forage for bugs when it's warm out and she loves worms. She was thriving for a couple days-she would run around (or we would let her swim for a few minutes, supervised), catch bugs, filter feed her food, preen and then settle into sleep. Routinely. She's probably 5 days old now, maybe 6. Today, she just wants to sleep all the time. She is still eating and pooping regularly, but she doesn't have the energy she did the last few days and she's peeping, weakly, almost constantly. If we let her go, she stands there for a few seconds and then sits down and her head nods like she just can't stay awake. She also doesn't seem to be growing.

We feed her as much as she wants, whenever she wants it.
Just wondering if this is normal? Do ducklings sleep extra when they are growing or something?
Is it okay to feed her brine shrimp and chick starter?
I have been reading about duck care for days and there is so much contradicting info out there.
I just want to make sure we are not harming her rather than helping her.

How is the duckling doing? Still lethargic??

 

[NathanZee]

Oh okay. I found out my second drake is actually a hen . So I have two hens and one drake now at least I get more eggs!

That's great! Then you won't have to worry about over breeding the hen, or fighting over her.

 

[Spyderk117]

That's great! Then you won't have to worry about over breeding the hen, or fighting over her.

Yeah I am really happy about that! Oh and I have some good news my Dad and I are going to build a seprate pen and coop just for the ducks! So they don't have to share with the chickens.

 

[tracyjg]

Please help: baby's born yesterday and today. 4. One has a bad prolapse. She can't eliminate on her own. Vet will uthanize her/him. When you try to push in. There is waste and a little bit of blood and a big bouble in vent. It's to big to stAy in place. Bandage doesn't stick. How would I super glue it .

 

[NathanZee]

Yeah I am really happy about that! Oh and I have some good news my Dad and I are going to build a seprate pen and coop just for the ducks! So they don't have to share with the chickens.

Great! It will be nice I'm sure to have them separate.

Please help: baby's born yesterday and today. 4. One has a bad prolapse. She can't eliminate on her own. Vet will uthanize her/him. When you try to push in. There is waste and a little bit of blood and a big bouble in vent. It's to big to stAy in place. Bandage doesn't stick. How would I super glue it .

I'm sorry to hear that, I don't know if super glue would work though. Hope you can find a way to help it.

 

[Spyderk117]

Great! It will be nice I'm sure to have them separate. 

I'm sorry to hear that, I don't know if super glue would work though. Hope you can find a way to help it. 

For sure!

 

[WalnutHill]

Please help: baby's born yesterday and today. 4. One has a bad prolapse. She can't eliminate on her own. Vet will uthanize her/him. When you try to push in. There is waste and a little bit of blood and a big bouble in vent. It's to big to stAy in place. Bandage doesn't stick. How would I super glue it .

Prolapsed vent on a hatchling is uncommon. Umbilical hernia and/or peritonitis are common. Photos are worth more than words. And don't push anything, it causes internal damage and a good deal of pain.

 

[tracyjg]

 

[tracyjg]

 

[WalnutHill]

That chick looks like it developed incorrectly early on in incubation. Its spine looks too short to support the abdominal cavity. If it were mine, I'd cull it as a humane measure.