I know this is an older post, but I learned a lot...... thank you.
I hatched 3 ducklings, parents are a mix of Pekin & Cauayan. But they all look like they sure have some Mallard in there.
2 hatched 3 days early and grew just fine, they are 4 1/2 weeks and getting their feathers.
1 hatched the next day, and just didn't grow much. It looks like it is only 2 weeks, no feathers yet.
I have it in the house in a cage, it acts normal, eats, drinks and poops are normal.
In the beginning, it took a week for it to gain it's balance. So from the beginning I knew it wasn't normal.
But now it's just small and then started having seizures, 1 last week and 1 today.
It acts like it's startled and then falls on tummy, legs straight, neck picks up and wobbles and falls repeatedly while bending at weird angles. Wings flap fast, heart rate is fast.
This time I rubbed it's little neck and below and it seemed to settle down faster.
fed it the Non Medicated chick food in the beginning and is now eating the All Flock food.
It does like to sleep in a bowl, but I figured it made him feel not so alone.
Even tho I'm in the Phoenix area, it's to cold to put him outside. The other 2 are in a large water trough in the shed with a lite. They were just stepping all over him and he couldn't get to the food easily.
So if you have any suggestions on they Why it's having seizures and Why it's such a Runt. I would enjoy hearing it.