My ducklings has been acting very weak...

[LauraTheTeddyBear]

Eclipse has been looking a little knocked out since Sunday. I thought it was the cold since she's shivering. It's winter here in Madagascar and it's about 15°C. She's about 4 weeks old. I keep her in a show box with her siblings. I don't have a heating lamp cause I don't know where they sell it here, in Madagascar. There are no pet stores here.

 

[Loopeend]

You can use a regular lamp if you can't find a heating lamp.

 

[Pyxis]

I actually had posted this in your breed and gender thread, but I see you've started a thread for this, so I will copy my reply here:

They look very undersized for their age. Even if you got them when they were day olds, they would be a month now, and they should be much much larger. My three week old Call ducklings are larger than your guys are, and Calls are a tiny bantam breed. Horus also looks hunched and not so great in the picture you posted.

May I ask what you have been feeding? And what you're doing for a brooder? Such as what kind of bedding are you using, are you using a heat lamp to keep them warm, etc? They really need a heat source of some kind, be that a heat lamp, a heating pad, a hot water bottle that you change regularly, etc.

 

[LauraTheTeddyBear]

I actually had posted this in your breed and gender thread, but I see you've started a thread for this, so I will copy my reply here:

They look very undersized for their age. Even if you got them when they were day olds, they would be a month now, and they should be much much larger. My three week old Call ducklings are larger than your guys are, and Calls are a tiny bantam breed. Horus also looks hunched and not so great in the picture you posted.

May I ask what you have been feeding? And what you're doing for a brooder? Such as what kind of bedding are you using, are you using a heat lamp to keep them warm, etc? They really need a heat source of some kind, be that a heat lamp, a heating pad, a hot water bottle that you change regularly, etc.

I use a shoe box with a towel and cotton. And I feed them rice and water. I want to feed them other stuff cause I feel like they aren't getting the energy they need. I fed them carrots once and they didn't like or so much. I also tried scrambled eggs (chicken eggs) and they liked tgat but I don't know how much I can feed them that. Horus was sleepy in the picture. It's Eclipse who hasn't been her usual self. I really need help in knowing what to feed them etc. My dad is bringing green peas tonight since there is no Niacin powder anywhere. He will also bring some chick powder with minerals.

And as for the housing, I really don't have other options. I really want to make a proper house for them but all I have for now is a shoe box. I do have a bird cage which is big but it's not warm enough for me to keep them in there at night.

 

[LauraTheTeddyBear]

You can use a regular lamp if you can't find a heating lamp.

Is that good?

 

[Pyxis]

I use a shoe box with a towel and cotton. And I feed them rice and water. I want to feed them other stuff cause I feel like they aren't getting the energy they need. I fed them carrots once and they didn't like or so much. I also tried scrambled eggs (chicken eggs) and they liked tgat but I don't know how much I can feed them that. Horus was sleepy in the picture. It's Eclipse who hasn't been her usual self. I really need help in knowing what to feed them etc. My dad is bringing green peas tonight since there is no Niacin powder anywhere. He will also bring some chick powder with minerals.

And as for the housing, I really don't have other options. I really want to make a proper house for them but all I have for now is a shoe box. I do have a bird cage which is big but it's not warm enough for me to keep them in there at night.

I know you're in Madagascar, so I'm not certain, but do they have places there that sell things for livestock? A feed store or similar? If so, do they carry anything made especially for chicks or ducklings? If they do, get that ASAP.

Rice is definitely not enough for them and explains the severely stunted growth. Ducklings need a lot of protein to grow big. Feed them more eggs, it will help. If you can't get a commercial feed, ask around about what other people who have ducklings feed theirs. Can you ask the person you got them from what they feed their ducks?

The shoe box is fine for now but once they are eating properly they are going to rapidly outgrow it. They also NEED a heat source, especially with them being in bad condition right now. If you can't specifically get a heat lamp, use a heating pad, or a regular lamp, or even a bottle filled with hot water that you change regularly to keep it warm. The goal is for them to have a spot under the heat source that is 32 degrees Celsius for them to go to when they are cold. They also need room to move away from the heat source if they get too hot.

Can you find or get a bigger box to keep them in once you have a proper heat source?

 

[Pyxis]

The place where your dad is getting the chick powder doesn't also sell feed for animals?

 

[LauraTheTeddyBear]

I know you're in Madagascar, so I'm not certain, but do they have places there that sell things for livestock? A feed store or similar? If so, do they carry anything made especially for chicks or ducklings? If they do, get that ASAP.

Rice is definitely not enough for them and explains the severely stunted growth. Ducklings need a lot of protein to grow big. Feed them more eggs, it will help. If you can't get a commercial feed, ask around about what other people who have ducklings feed theirs. Can you ask the person you got them from what they feed their ducks?

The shoe box is fine for now but once they are eating properly they are going to rapidly outgrow it. They also NEED a heat source, especially with them being in bad condition right now. If you can't specifically get a heat lamp, use a heating pad, or a regular lamp, or even a bottle filled with hot water that you change regularly to keep it warm. The goal is for them to have a spot under the heat source that is 32 degrees Celsius for them to go to when they are cold. They also need room to move away from the heat source if they get too hot.

Can you find or get a bigger box to keep them in once you have a proper heat source?

So should I take the rice out of their diet completely and just feed them eggs? And should I make scrambled eggs (without the salt and oil of course) or should I just mix it? And if it's scrambled eggs, should I mix it with water?

As for the housing, I will do my best to find something once they grow. I just posted a picture of the lamp with the shoe box, is that Okay? However it looks like it's not giving out enough heat. So I'll use a water bottle and see how that works.

 

[Pyxis]

So should I take the rice out of their diet completely and just feed them eggs? And should I make scrambled eggs (without the salt and oil of course) or should I just mix it? And if it's scrambled eggs, should I mix it with water?

As for the housing, I will do my best to find something once they grow. I just posted a picture of the lamp with the shoe box, is that Okay? However it looks like it's not giving out enough heat. So I'll use a water bottle and see how that works.

They shouldn't have just eggs either, but eggs will add some protein to their diet so since that's what you have to work with right now, feed them some. Just scramble them up and offer them to them. And try to find a commercial feed meant for ducklings or chicks to feed them, does the place your dad is getting the chick powder also sell feed? If so they should have a chick or duckling feed. If they do, buy that immediately and feed it to them.

If they don't, contact the person you got these ducks from, find out what they feed their ducklings, and feed yours the same.

 

[Loopeend]

Ouch, only rice and water.
That would make us starve too!

I asume there must be chicken food in madagascar. If you can find this it might be too big; grind it down and mix with water.

I this takes days I guess I would find eggyolk, grains, peas, corn (not from salted water!), worms, snails, and grind it all down to a mush... everything is better now then nutrient-poor rice!
Good luck!