More problems....post #19

[Barnyard]

They are eating it dry. Should it be wet?


ETA: I have there water and there food right beside eachother.

 

[redhen]

i had to wet my ducks food for a little while because they were choking...(thankfully i didnt loose any) i would try to make a mash with warm water for their feed for a bit..see if it helps any,....good luck! i had their water right beside their food also....but they were still choking sometimes when they ate...they would throw their heads back and drool..after i wet the feed it stopped..*but still keep their water right by their feed *

 

[Barnyard]

Thanks redhen. I will try and do that now.



On the chick starter...... here are the ingredients:

Ground yellow corn, wheat midds, soybean meal, hominy feed, ground wheat, corn gluten feed, calcium carbonate, monocalcium sulfate, soya hulls, dicalcium phosphate, alfalfa meal, salt, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, choline chloride, ferrous sulfate, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, vitamin A acetate, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, d-pathothenic acid, riboflavin supplement, vitamin d3 supplement, copper oxide, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, folic acid.....

It is probley not the best feed, but it is all I can get around here. Is this ok to feed the ducks?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Are you able to get flock raiser? Part of the problem could be they need more protein, or they could need some brewer's yeast, if you aren't giving them any. Only waterfowl starters have enough brewer's yeast in them, the others need it added for ducks and geese.
Are the khaki babies inside as well?? Do you have a light on them?? They could be getting too hot. My baby ducks that were brooded inside lost their light around 2 weeks old, and they would still pant as if they were hot.

 

[Barnyard]

The only thing I can find is turkey grower. Yes the khaki's are inside. I do have light on them but it is only a 60 watt bulb. I have not noticed them panting at all.

 

[shelleyd2008]

If they hatched on 3-9, then they are about 4 weeks old. They shouldn't need a light at all. Mine were outside at that age, with just a light at night. It was still getting in the 40's and 30's at night then. ETA: The light they had outside at night was a 75 watt light bulb.
The chick starter should work ok, just try to feed them some cat food or meal worms or something for extra protein. I had one cayuga duck that acted like the ones you first described, almost like it was having a seizure? It recovered, and never did it again, but it sure was scary!

 

[Barnyard]

Quote:
That is what I thought about the light, so I put them outside today with the heat lamp on them now.

Thankyou so much for all of your help

 

[wegotchickens]

So sorry to hear you're having so much trouble with you duckies.

Glad I'm not addicted to quack!



You ready to go back to chickens?
I may have some itty bitty eggies going into production again soon. And they are definitely viable

 

[asher]

 

[Barnyard]

Quote:

Itty bitty eggs....you bet I am ready!! I have been waiting on them, lol.


I have no idea what the deal is with these ducks, but I know they are 10 times harder to raise then my chickens. I just hatched 8 happy healthy LB and they are super cute!!