My poor babies got the runs!!

[ryadances224]

Hi!! I recently got some jumbo pékin ducks about 4 weeks ago now and they have had on goinf WATERY diarrhea. It’s so bad and just keeps getting worse. I’m super worried for them. I’ve got three! They also tend to be drooling a little, is that normal? Please help
I attached a picture of her poop lol and then there’s another one showing how much drool keeps falling out.

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Please, give us more details!

• How old are the ducklings?

• Have their juvenile feathers started to emerge?

• How do you raise them exactly? (Inside? Outside? With the help of a head lamp? In a box? Etc...)

• What do you feed them?

• Do they have an unlimited access to their food and their water... including during the nights?

• Is their waterer big enough to plunge their entire head - or at least their entire bill?

• What are the exact symptoms (if ever there are more), and when have they started?

Tell us EVERYTHING you can think about... even the smallest detail - whatever if you think it would be irrelevant with their condition or not (you never know...!).

Also : more pictures - even videos if you can - would be appreciated, and might allow us to see for ourselves if their physical appearance looks particularly worrying or not.

 

[davez]

Watery poop is not abnormal. Drooling, if it is happening is abnormal. I do not see a pic of a drooling duck. I see 2 duck poops.

 

[ryadances224]

How old are the ducklings?

they are about 5 weeks now!

• Have their juvenile feathers started to emerge?

Almost all but their back feathers

(Inside? Outside? With the help of a head lamp? In a box? Etc...)

They are inside in a gated space with a tarp (see picture)

• What do you feed them?

I switched to another feed Purina duck feed. And they love peas and i’ve been trying to give them some rice to help

• Do they have an unlimited access to their food and their water... including during the nights?

They always have their water and food filled 24/7 I put electrolytes in their water

• What are the exact symptoms (if ever there are more), and when have they started?

They’ve had them for a whileee now maybe 2 weeks

 

[ryadances224]

How old are the ducklings?

they are about 5 weeks now!

• Have their juvenile feathers started to emerge?

Almost all but their back feathers

(Inside? Outside? With the help of a head lamp? In a box? Etc...)

They are inside in a gated space with a tarp (see picture)

• What do you feed them?

I switched to another feed Purina duck feed. And they love peas and i’ve been trying to give them some rice to help

• Do they have an unlimited access to their food and their water... including during the nights?

They always have their water and food filled 24/7 I put electrolytes in their water

• What are the exact symptoms (if ever there are more), and when have they started?

They’ve had them for a whileee now maybe 2 weeks

sorry i wrote this in a hurry! lmk anything else!

 

[ryadances224]

Watery poop is not abnormal. Drooling, if it is happening is abnormal. I do not see a pic of a drooling duck. I see 2 duck poops.

The drool is the water next to her mouth

 

[Crazy Maizie]

The waterer you have is great for chicks, but not so great for ducks. Get a bowl with a lid and cut holes out of the lid so that they can stick their head in, but not get in. If they aren't able to dunk their head they can end up with issues.
Cut out the rice and peas for now, just feed crumbles. They only need the electrolytes for the first few days or when they are under stress (heat stress, moving stress, etc). You want to make sure they have access to fresh plain water. Any other water, you're going to have in a separate container (that's where you can use the poult waterer). I would try some probiotics in the separate water container for about 3 days, but no more electrolytes for now.
Also, since you are offering other foods besides crumble (peas and rice), you need a dish of poultry grit available or cut out all treats. If the feed your giving them is not specifically for ducks, you will need to add niacin. Peas actually have very little niacin compared to better alternatives. You want to opt for nutritional yeast added to their feed or non-flush niacin capsules that you would add to their water.

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

they are about 5 weeks now!

Almost all but their back feathers

They are inside in a gated space with a tarp (see picture)

Hmmmm...
I do wonder if your ducklings are not, in fact, too hot? I can be mistaken, but to me, they kind of look like they are.

Is your weather currently warm?
Because, if they were my ducklings, I would get them outside as soon as possible - at least for one or two hours per day.
...So they could at last benefit from the sun, and eat grass and insects... (Carefully monitoring them of course!)

I switched to another feed Purina duck feed. And they love peas and i’ve been trying to give them some rice to help

Look...

...how I feed MY ducklings :

• from DAY 1 to 3 WEEKS :
Duckling crumbles, mixed with food grade Diatomaceous Earth.

• from 3 WEEKS to 5 WEEKS :
A mix of ducklings crumbles and ducks pellets, mixed with food grade Diatomaceous Earth.

• at 5 WEEKS :
A mix of ducks pellets and wheat, mixed with food grade Diatomaceous Earth;
+ Oyster shell grit (in another feeder).

(My ducklings also eat grass and insects, since they are raised outside by the hens that hatch their eggs...)

You are NOT obligated to feed food grade Diatomaceous Earth to your ducklings, of course...!
I am just precising it here because that is what I feed to my chicks and ducklings, and I have noticed it actually made them grow stronger, healthier, and even more beautiful (shiny feathers)...

They always have their water and food filled 24/7 I put electrolytes in their water

Huh... I know about electrolytes, but personally, I am not familiar with it...

Still : I would recommend you to stop putting it in your ducklings water.

Instead : get them another waterer ASAP.
Your ducklings need to be able to plunge their entire head in their waterer, so they can clean their nostrils - which is necessary for them.

They’ve had them for a whileee now maybe 2 weeks

It is worrying.

Please : if it is warm where you live, put your ducklings outside - in an enclosed space where they have access to sunlight AND to shades.
Monitor them carefully of course, and give them their feeder and their waterer in the pen...

In my opinion, these babies really need to go outside (under watch)... at last for a bit, you know?
Even at least 20 minutes outside would be better than staying constantly inside!!

 

[ryadances224]

Hi.







Hmmmm...
I do wonder if your ducklings are not, in fact, too hot? I can be mistaken, but to me, they kind of look like they are.

Is your weather currently warm?
Because, if they were my ducklings, I would get them outside as soon as possible - at least for one or two hours per day.
...So they could at last benefit from the sun, and eat grass and insects... (Carefully monitoring them of course!)



Look...

...how I feed MY ducklings :

• from DAY 1 to 3 WEEKS :
Duckling crumbles, mixed with food grade Diatomaceous Earth.

• from 3 WEEKS to 5 WEEKS :
A mix of ducklings crumbles and ducks pellets, mixed with food grade Diatomaceous Earth.

• at 5 WEEKS :
A mix of ducks pellets and wheat, mixed with food grade Diatomaceous Earth;
+ Oyster shell grit (in another feeder).

(My ducklings also eat grass and insects, since they are raised outside by the hens that hatch their eggs...)

You are NOT obligated to feed food grade Diatomaceous Earth to your ducklings, of course...!
I am just precising it here because that is what I feed to my chicks and ducklings, and I have noticed it actually made them grow stronger, healthier, and even more beautiful (shiny feathers)...



Huh... I know about electrolytes, but personally, I am not familiar with it...

Still : I would recommend you to stop putting it in your ducklings water.

Instead : get them another waterer ASAP.
Your ducklings need to be able to plunge their entire head in their waterer, so they can clean their nostrils - which is necessary for them.



It is worrying.

Please : if it is warm where you live, put your ducklings outside - in an enclosed space where they have access to sunlight AND to shades.
Monitor them carefully of course, and give them their feeder and their waterer in the pen...

In my opinion, these babies really need to go outside (under watch)... at last for a bit, you know?
Even at least 20 minutes outside would be better than staying constantly inside!!

Thank you for the response! I haven’t taken them outside yet becauze it’s extremely cold in colorado and snowy! I’ve also been a little worried about bird flu (i’m a worrier haha)! It shouldddd be a little warmer tomorrow so i can try taking them out. i gove them a bath every noght to clean out their nose. What waterer do you recommend? Could you send a screenshot of the one that should be good! I’ve also noticed the heat and have started turning it off for a few hours now.

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Thank you for the response!

You are welcome!

I haven’t taken them outside yet becauze it’s extremely cold in colorado and snowy!

Yes. That's understable, of course...

But when there is no snow anymore, you can get your ducklings outside during the days - at least if temperatures are NOT in the negatives... (Talking Celsius here...!)

Even if temperatures are negatives, you can try for 10 or so minutes per day - why not?
(Carefully monitoring your ducklings then!)

What waterer do you recommend? Could you send a screenshot of the one that should be good!

Oooop... I don't even know if I have taken any picture...?

...So, instead of taking and posting some, I'm giving you the US links of the waterers I use for my ducks AND grown enough ducklings :

• Eglu Cube waterer - GREEN :
https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/feeders_and_drinkers/21350/eglu_cube_waterer_-_green/

• Eglu Cube waterer - PURPLE :
https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/feeders_and_drinkers/21351/eglu_cube_waterer_-_purple/

From my experiences, these waterers are really IDEAL for ducks :
• they are remarkably durable for plastic waterers - I have had some of mines for years now, and they still look as good as new even though they are used all year round... including on the coldest winter days/nights I have here in Cantal,
• they are easy to clean,
• they are deep enough for the birds to plunge their entire head in them - so the ducks can easily clean their nostrils...

I’ve also noticed the heat and have started turning it off for a few hours now.

Good!

Ducklings are stronger than chicks, so they won't die from a bit of cold... especially at 5-weeks-old!