my duckling won’t open its eye all the way

[luclynn]

I have a wood duckling 5-6 days old. He’s been acting completely normal the whole time and seemed very healthy. However, this morning I woke up to check on the lil quacker and something seemed off. The way he walked seemed maybe a little more off balanced than usual, and one of his eyes wouldn’t open all the way. I kinda thought that maybe one of the chick friends he had pecked him in the eye because I’ve been pecked in the eye before lol, but I took a good look at both eyes and they looked normal, besides the fact he cant open one all the way. This is probably why he’s off balance. But it seems like his other eye is squinting a little bit. What’s wrong with him??

Could it be that the incubator he’s in is set to 80?

The fact that i’m feeding him game bird feed?

His chick friends?

 

[Luv Ducks]

I have a wood duckling 5-6 days old. He’s been acting completely normal the whole time and seemed very healthy. However, this morning I woke up to check on the lil quacker and something seemed off. The way he walked seemed maybe a little more off balanced than usual, and one of his eyes wouldn’t open all the way. I kinda thought that maybe one of the chick friends he had pecked him in the eye because I’ve been pecked in the eye before lol, but I took a good look at both eyes and they looked normal, besides the fact he cant open one all the way. This is probably why he’s off balance. But it seems like his other eye is squinting a little bit. What’s wrong with him??

I have raised one before and I would never put one in with Chicks. Mine had a small container of water that he could get into to stay hydrated. It also had a rubber toy with it along with a mirror and was eating duck starter. It did very well. A chick very well could have pecked at its eye. I hope he makes it alright. This is just what I did, you do what you feel is best.

 

[luclynn]

I have raised one before and I would never put one in with Chicks. Mine had a small container of water that he could get into to stay hydrated. It also had a rubber toy with it along with a mirror and was eating duck starter. It did very well. A chick very well could have pecked at its eye. I hope he makes it alright. This is just what I did, you do what you feel is best.

Do you think he would be ok on game bird feed till i can get him duck starter? I have this wood duck because my friend found him abandoned and called me in to see if i could raise it because she knows i have chickens and the space. I’ve never raised a duck before but im determined to raise this lil guy and have been researching. Is there any specific reason why i shouldn’t put him with chicks? They’re black americana chicks too so they kinda look like him lol I thought that was cute.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I have raised one before and I would never put one in with Chicks. Mine had a small container of water that he could get into to stay hydrated. It also had a rubber toy with it along with a mirror and was eating duck starter. It did very well. A chick very well could have pecked at its eye. I hope he makes it alright. This is just what I did, you do what you feel is best.

I just raised mine in a very deep large rubber tote with a 40 watt reptile bulb on a reading lamp over it about 6 inches up from it. It was alone as it was the only one I had. It did well with the mirror and rubber small dog toy actually that I had in with it. It paid more attention to the mirror than anything else. The water dish with it was about 6 inches long and two inches deep. It could get in and out of it easily. It could also stick it's face in it if it wanted to. I never had any eye problems with the one that I had. I hope that yours ends up alright. They claim it is hard to raise them. With what I did mine was fine. Good luck with the little fella. 80 seems warm to me for it, mine was in about 75 degree temps at that age.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Do you think he would be ok on game bird feed till i can get him duck starter? I have this wood duck because my friend found him abandoned and called me in to see if i could raise it because she knows i have chickens and the space. I’ve never raised a duck before but im determined to raise this lil guy and have been researching. Is there any specific reason why i shouldn’t put him with chicks? They’re black americana chicks too so they kinda look like him lol I thought that was cute.

I was just concerned about the possibility of eye picking. It will probably be alright on the game bird starter since it is crumbles until you can get duckling starter crumbles. If it is eating well and gaining weight then I would say that is fine. I have never had chicks before so I was not sure what all their habits were. Ducklings like water and chicks get chilled with it was my other concern. Mine never made a mess though like my Mallard ducklings that I got from Metzer Farms did. I hope yours eyes get better. Unless maybe not being able to dip its head all the way in water to clean them the chicks might have pecked them.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I was just concerned about the possibility of eye picking. It will probably be alright on the game bird starter since it is crumbles until you can get duckling starter crumbles. If it is eating well and gaining weight then I would say that is fine. I have never had chicks before so I was not sure what all their habits were. Ducklings like water and chicks get chilled with it was my other concern. Mine never made a mess though like my Mallard ducklings that I got from Metzer Farms did. I hope yours eyes get better. Unless maybe not being able to dip its head all the way in water to clean them the chicks might have pecked them.

Also if it makes it to adulthood they can fly very well and it will leave you unless you keep it in a covered pen.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I have a wood duckling 5-6 days old. He’s been acting completely normal the whole time and seemed very healthy. However, this morning I woke up to check on the lil quacker and something seemed off. The way he walked seemed maybe a little more off balanced than usual, and one of his eyes wouldn’t open all the way. I kinda thought that maybe one of the chick friends he had pecked him in the eye because I’ve been pecked in the eye before lol, but I took a good look at both eyes and they looked normal, besides the fact he cant open one all the way. This is probably why he’s off balance. But it seems like his other eye is squinting a little bit. What’s wrong with him??

Could it be that the incubator he’s in is set to 80?

The fact that i’m feeding him game bird feed?

His chick friends?

You can also use Veterycin eye spray that you can get from Tractor Supply if you have one in your area. I do not know where you are located. That might help its eyes if they got scratched or pecked or have something in them.

 

[luclynn]

I just raised mine in a very deep large rubber tote with a 40 watt reptile bulb on a reading lamp over it about 6 inches up from it. It was alone as it was the only one I had. It did well with the mirror and rubber small dog toy actually that I had in with it. It paid more attention to the mirror than anything else. The water dish with it was about 6 inches long and two inches deep. It could get in and out of it easily. It could also stick it's face in it if it wanted to. I never had any eye problems with the one that I had. I hope that yours ends up alright. They claim it is hard to raise them. With what I did mine was fine. Good luck with the little fella. 80 seems warm to me for it, mine was in about 75 degree temps at that age.

Hey I changed the duckling and chicks to a 20 gallon tank with a heat lamp. I have their water on a small plate so the duckling can play in the water but the chicks won’t drown or get too chilled. The duck is eating and drinking, but still seems very low energy and keeps falling asleep, I would assume that’s normal for a 1-2 day old duckling because they just came outta the egg but he’s almost a week old and hasn’t done this before. He used to have so much energy. I have no idea what’s wrong. I want the lil baby to live.

he also keeps moving his beak up and down really fast, is he just adjusting his crop or could there be something wrong there?

 

[Luv Ducks]

Hey I changed the duckling and chicks to a 20 gallon tank with a heat lamp. I have their water on a small plate so the duckling can play in the water but the chicks won’t drown or get too chilled. The duck is eating and drinking, but still seems very low energy and keeps falling asleep, I would assume that’s normal for a 1-2 day old duckling because they just came outta the egg but he’s almost a week old and hasn’t done this before. He used to have so much energy. I have no idea what’s wrong. I want the lil baby to live. View attachment 3851377

he also keeps moving his beak up and down really fast, is he just adjusting his crop or could there be something wrong there?

Ducklings need a water dish that they can dunk their whole bill into so that they can clean their nares. They say that Wood Ducks will usually die around day 6 or 7. That dish is not sufficient for a duck. It has to be deeper. Also what I had read was they needed a pan of water that they could get into and stay hydrated that way. Sorry he does not seem to be doing well. I had mine on puppy pads too. He might have eaten some wood shavings. Good luck with him, I hope he makes it.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I would think with him moving his beak up and down like that, he possibly could have an impacted crop. He probably did eat some of the bedding they are on. Without a deep water dish it is hard to say if he can make it. Mine had an orange tip on the end of its beak and black and yellow splotchy feet. Does yours? If not, then it is probably a Mallard duck. It would not need a dish to get into. A cool whip bowl with a hole large enough for its head only to get into would work for water. It would keep it dry and let it still clean out its nares which they have to do. The nares are the nose holes that they have. Mallards do not need to get into water when that young. Mine was much bigger than that at 6 to 7 days old. Sorry it is not doing well. You tried at least. I still hope he can make it.