Needing advice about 4 day old duckling!

[pjsfarm]

I currently have 5, 4 day old Silver appleyards. I got them from a local farm and feed store who ordered them in for me. They are all doing good except 1. He/she seems to have part of the yolk not fully absorbed. (Its not the vent). Its black and seems to not be going down in size. Ive been watching it closly, the duck seemed to not be effected by it until yesterday. Its slower than the rest, slightly smaller and not as active now. I cleaned it up today as it was looking wet and had a small odor. I am considering separating it from the rest and giving it some electrolytes. They are getting non medicated chick starter that is 20% protien. I will attach pictures of it. My gut says leave it be, but it seems to be effecting it now and i dont want to loose this duckling.
Should I add niacin and Vitamins?
Brewers yeast?
Is this something I can remove?
Should i seperate it?
If i separate it, should i include another with it to keep it company?
Or close off a corner of the brooder so it can hear the rest?
Supplement it?
Any advice would be appreciated.

As a side note, I had a injured duck last year that was attacked by a racoon and i was able to jurse it back to health. So i have a little experience, but I've never seen this.

 

[Hybridchucks]

@DuckLady

 

[HuskerHens18]

That is weird. I'd keep it clean like you are doing. I've had chicks have large black navels for about a week, then they fell off on their own. But they weren't THAT big. I would go ahead and give him vitamins, it won't hurt anything.
Hopefully somebody else has experienced this and will help you.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd clean that with betadine could be infection setting in.. Separate where it can still see it's flock or put just one duckling in with it. Def put some poultry vits in to their drinking water.

@casportpony
@Ravynscroft
@Pyxis.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! Sorry your duckling has this. To me it looks like it didn't absorb it's yolk properly and that it might be infected. Unfortunatly, there isn't much you can do for it except to keep it clean and dry. I would not suggest opening it because doing that would probably leave a large hole in the abdominal cavity. This link has some good information on the subject:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/chick-yolk-sac-infection-omphalitis

 

[Miss Lydia]

So not even clean it up with betadine?

 

[Pyxis]

I too wouldn't take it off; that could leave a large hole in its stomach. It looks like it did not absorb the yolk all the way when it hatched. Sometimes in these cases it will dry up and fall off over time. Hopefully that is what happens here. But there is a chance it could be infected like Kathy said, in which case there's not much that can be done, unfortunately The bad smell is not a great sign.

For now, I would give it vitamins, something like Poultry Nutri-Drench, as supportive care and to help give it a boost, and just watch it and see what happens.

 

[pjsfarm]

Thank you all for the advice!
My plan is to seperate from the others, but make sure it can see the others. Give electrolytes and vitimans. And to keep it clean and dry.
Crossing my fingers it makes it!

 

[casportpony]

Thank you all for the advice!
My plan is to seperate from the others, but make sure it can see the others. Give electrolytes and vitimans. And to keep it clean and dry.
Crossing my fingers it makes it!

If it's acting normal (eating, drinking, and pooping) there is a very good chance it will make it. If it starts to decline, let me know and I'll tell about another option.

 

[casportpony]

So not even clean it up with betadine?

One could try to clean it once very carefully with betadine, but touching it might enough to make a hole into the abdominal cavity. I would probably just drip some betadine onto it.