Need Help — duck abandoning eggs after 28 days. The ducklings are about to hatch!

[KaleIAm]

Thank you! They're all very friendly. It seems the "special" ones are the friendliest...4 and 5 both love to chat and like to be around us the most it seems so far! Everyone else is getting the zoomies and learning that water is fun. 1, 2, and 3 are already noticeably bigger.

We've been giving him a little nutri-drench every few hours, not so much dribbling it in his mouth so much as getting it on his bill and letting him slurp up a little. He's been eating a little bit more and also drinking, but not nearly as much as the others. I'm just worried because neither of us have had a duckling so drained-looking before...he just constantly looks exhausted. He also keeps his eyes half-shut most of the time although I have seen him open them pretty far, it's almost like he's walking around in his sleep. I hope he pulls through, I hate seeing little ones suffer! If you or anyone have any more ideas don't hesitate to share them.

Oh the zoomies. I love the zoomies!

Have you tried softening his crumble with water or making it kind of soupy? Or offering small pieces of scrambled egg? I have heard that this can help get them to eat.

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

Oh the zoomies. I love the zoomies!

Have you tried softening his crumble with water or making it kind of soupy? Or offering small pieces of scrambled egg? I have heard that this can help get them to eat.

Actually yes! Most of the food he does eat is food sprinkled in his water, it's just that he stops eating pretty quick and falls back asleep or just stands there and dozes off.

 

[KaleIAm]

Actually yes! Most of the food he does eat is food sprinkled in his water, it's just that he stops eating pretty quick and falls back asleep or just stands there and dozes off.

Awww, he's like a newborn human baby, too sleepy to eat.

Hmmm... So, if you gently wake him up will he eat more? What if you put him in front of food the moment he wakes up everytime, that way all his energy can be spent on eating?

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

Awww, he's like a newborn human baby, too sleepy to eat.

Hmmm... So, if you gently wake him up will he eat more? What if you put him in front of food the moment he wakes up everytime, that way all his energy can be spent on eating?

If he's away from someone for too long he'll come toddling over (he likes to be held), so we'll hold him and let him doze for a little bit and then place him next to his water/food. I'm going to try giving him a couple more drops of nutri-drench before bed time tonight and then give #5 a bath and wash 5's eye, which is doing better but still not 100% yet.

Generally if we wake 4/poke him he'll just drift off back to sleep soon, although he does peep and chat quite happily to you. I feel awful because out of all the ducklings he was the most excited to hatch, he was peeping quite a lot before he finally came out of his egg. A little earlier he stood up for a long time and walked around, eating food we had spread out. He got some water then slept again, hopefully he keeps doing more of that!

edit: He's still quite small compared to everyone else, even the more recent hatches seem to have grown more than #4. Could there be a developmental issue?

 

[Miss Lydia]

There could be just hard to know for sure, hopefully today you'll see more improvement.
When I ordered Runner ducklings in the mail in 2019 2nd time to ever have live birds come in the mail. Went and picked them up at the PO all 4 were perky and happy, then after a few days 2 of them just stopped eating I tried all I could think of but lost those 2 and hatchery called it shipping stress, I called it heartbreaking, anyway I started scrambling eggs every morning for the 2 that were still acting okay they loved them. Actually, I cooked them in the microwave. Try the scrambled egg and see if it helps perk #4 up. Sure can't hurt.
Sure pulling for this little one, they can sure waddle into our hearts fast.

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

There could be just hard to know for sure, hopefully today you'll see more improvement.
When I ordered Runner ducklings in the mail in 2019 2nd time to ever have live birds come in the mail. Went and picked them up at the PO all 4 were perky and happy, then after a few days 2 of them just stopped eating I tried all I could think of but lost those 2 and hatchery called it shipping stress, I called it heartbreaking, anyway I started scrambling eggs every morning for the 2 that were still acting okay they loved them. Actually, I cooked them in the microwave. Try the scrambled egg and see if it helps perk #4 up. Sure can't hurt.
Sure pulling for this little one, they can sure waddle into our hearts fast.

That sounds really sad...I've never ordered from mail just because I don't think my heart could take it. I think we might try the scrambled egg later today just so we have tried everything.

#4 still isn't doing well, he seemed to be eating and drinking even less than yesterday, but just before sitting down I actually saw him toddle his way over to food and water and get a bit of both, so he does seem to be eating a very tiny amount. There's some nutri-drench in the duckling water, but we're trying to drop some in/on his bill 3-5 times a day and see if he can take any. We stopped trying to force his bill open because he gets really distress and cries, and if he's going to pass we'd rather not have him distressed. We've been getting a little on his bill and he'll slurp up a little but it must taste pretty bad.

#5 is doing pretty good, he has a lot of energy and is really friendly. Most of the dried egg-stuff has washed off, although he still has some on his head. He can get his eye about half open but he's still squinting with it. We started out using teramycin and are currently spraying his eye / eye area with a little vertricyn pink eye spray which seems to have helped break down some of the dried mucus and stuff around his head. He can definitely see out of the eye but it's still half-shut, so we're going to keep trying and see how it goes.

Everyone else is doing really good. Duckling #10 just hatched this morning and #11 is chirping happily and about to hatch! They were so spread out, they've been hatching since wednesday evening. I have no idea how she would have hatched them all in the wild (I guess she wouldn't have). I'm glad everyone is doing well for the most part, I just feel really bad about 4 and 5. 4 loves to be held so much, I'll be really sad if he goes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like your doing all you can for them. Looks like she started sitting and others were adding to her nest that's how you get a staggered hatch, she would have most likely given up after some hatched and left the ones that hadn't usually after 3 days they are ready to leave the nest with their duckling so you taking them was the best idea.. What was the reason for slipping nonfertile under her if you took all the eggs? Just curious.

That gook can take a while to come off but sounds like it's working with bathing and using the spray on the eye.
Sure hope #4-5 keeps on making progress. Just keep on with what you're doing. I agree not to stress the little one out by opening the bill usually they get enough just by dripping along the bill. If they are eating and drinking that is a good sign.

I will never order again. this year the PO has really been bad about deliveries and It's not worth it. I wanted Fawn and White Runners to add to mine and to have some new blood lines since all of mine are related. Just isn't worth the heartache of losing them.

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

We slipped non-fertile eggs under her after day 28 when she seemed to abandon the nest...we were hoping she would get back on and wanted to keep her broody but didn't want the ducklings to perish. She did keep sitting but only for about 2-4 hours a day, and when we brought the first couple of ducklings and placed them in the nest she seemed totally disinterested, even a little afraid (bad maternal instinct it seems). We have another little duck who is sitting on her own little clutch of 6 eggs and she peeped up and responded to the little one's cries. We debated letting her take them but we didn't want to ruin her own hatch since she's been a really good momma so far and probably still has another week to go.

#4 got up and I watched him get some water and food! He definitely goes for the food-mash (food mushed up in water) so we make sure there's a lot of that around. We gave him a little bit more nutri-drench on his bill and he took a tiny bit. That's encouraging to see but he's still not eating a lot...I hope he keeps going!

#5 I think we'll keep to the plan!

There's a few ducks I'd love to add to the flock eventually but I'm just afraid of ordering any in the mail...

I'll see if I can get some cute photos for an update later today. Thanks for the help so far everyone, I appreciate it!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had a Orpington hen (chicken) who went broody right after her sister. It’s amazing the difference these two have been my Mauve Orpington got 2 legbar pullets next day after hatch and at 8 weeks she still has them with her. The other one acted like she was ready for chicks to but she wasn’t. I like to find out who will be my best mamas and they are the ones who get to hatch or get chicks or ducklings. Thank goodness you have an incubator I don’t I have to rely on my birds so I have to know who will follow up. Sounds very encouraging with your little ones. Looking forward to pics

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

Here's a little group photo from last night right before bed!

Bad news about #4. It seems he's not taking food or water today. We keep getting him to try and at least drink some, but he will just fall asleep and his head/bill dip into the water. He's so weak, his little legs are floppy and his neck is droopy. He chirps happily occasionally, and sometimes he peeps like he's distressed but we're not sure what's wrong. I'm hoping he's not in pain. Whatever is wrong, at this point I think there's a real risk that he might just starve to death. It's really hard to watch, is there anything we can do or should we just try to make him comfortable?