Need help with baby duckling, wry neck or neurological?

[732delilah]

Hi, I'm new here and to raising ducks (about a year now) and was hoping someone a little more experienced could give some advice. My Buff duck has had ducklings, they are 2 days old, 10 in all but one has some issues. He is a little smaller than the rest and I'm not sure if he was born blind, but one eye is completely sealed shut with the tiniest opening in the corner. He spins around, stumbles and moves his head back and forth constantly. He and eats and drinks like the rest, but he seems a lot sleepier. When he drinks, his head goes back so far that he falls over backwards. It is so hard to watch the poor thing like this. Now here's the bad part - my 6 year old daughter took her three year old cousin out to see the ducks eggs without me knowing, we had a lot of company that day, so I was not aware they went into the duck pen. When she came in she told me her cousin picked up an egg an shook it and put it to her ear to "hear the ducky". I didn't see any damage to the egg, but could this poor little guy be suffering from a neurological problem from being shaken (I believe they were around day 9 or 10) or could it be a vitamin deficiency? The momma doesn't seem to notice him much and I watched her step on his head right after he hatched when she was shifting the rest of her eggs around in the nest. I'm thinking this is why his eye is sealed (but not swollen) as there is a little redness on his head above his eye. I am in tears when I watch him flopping and struggling to be like the rest and in only 48 hours I am completely in love with this duckling. Please, anyone with any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Haunted55]

Wanted to add my 2 cents worth as well. Giving the poultry vitamins is great and you could actually up the ante in his favor by giving him a bit of a human Super B Complex vitamin pill. I agree with Miss Lydia, probably the best thing you could do would be to separate him from the others until you can get him stronger. It doesn't really sound like a Wry Neck going on, but a vitamin deficiency isn't something to be ruled out.

Now the bad news, as least as my experience has shown me...this little one, may always be a special needs duck. The shaking of the egg could have messed with something and it's a miracle it hatched. Am I positive? No I'm not and I would do everything to help get it better. Not sure what you are using for a waterer or what you would do if you took him out of the mix until he is stronger. If you were to go to a chick waterer, the quart size, I would use 1/4 of the Super B Complex pill, crushed and mixed in with the regular poultry vitamins. You will need to find the measure of the poultry vites for this size as well. The Bs are water soluble but some of the vitamins in the regular ones aren't and you don't want to give too many of them.

I will tell you this....I have many special needs birds here. They can be alot of extra work and money, but...they give back unconditional love for your efforts. The best thing is they have no clue they are 'special'. They live their lives doing what they can and are happy. I've been in similar situations hatching my own. I've lost a few and saved many. This is your journey and you have to decide what you want to do. I am sure that Miss Lydia, Amiga, myself and so many others will be here to answer any questions you may run into. I wish you and your little one the very best!

 

[Haunted55]

How many days now for the vitamins and which ones? Sometimes it can take a while for improvement to show, depending on how things are with each individual bird. Some need more some less. My hopes are the Bs will encourage the body to repair any damage that may have been done and strengthen everything up. I wish I knew how long it could take. Be patient and keep up with the lovin'. Animal or human, it's the best medicine there ever was or ever will be.

 

[Amiga]

Mercy.

Hard to know exactly, but niacin can help with neurological development.

There is Gro-Gel, which is some vitamins and probiotics for newly hatched littles.

At this point, I would go with vitamins, electrolytes, and probiotics in addition to good starter crumbles.

Please keep us posted, and welcome to the forum.

 

[732delilah]

Thank you I've been giving sav-a-chick electrolytes all day and tomorrow going to tractor supply for some vitamins. Will keep posting his progress.

 

[Amiga]

Sounds good. Sometimes all we can do is love them, provide the best nutrition, water and environment, and hope they pull through. At least he will have been loved, and I think they sense that.

 

[732delilah]

Thank you for the encouragement

 

[Amiga]

 

[Miss Lydia]

If he keeps getting tramped on by the other ducklings you may have to remove him, and care for him yourself. and Veterycin spray may help with the eye, just a few sprays a few times a day. may help it to open and clean it out before infection can get started.

 

[732delilah]

Thank you Miss Lydia, I did take him out first thing this morning when I opened the duck hut, he was huddled in the corner by himself. He's being held and cuddled 'round the clock. No change today, he's still eating and drinking but needs help to find his food and water. I'm almost 90% sure he's totally blind I have just given him some poly-vi-sol which I read may help, so we'll just wait and see.