new duckling mummy needs advice!

[Mackie n chicks]

I have two adult ducks already but got them as adults - today I got 4 five week old ducklings - my concern is since I got them home they have drunk NONE STOP! It's been hours - I know i'm to keep food and drink with them all the time but they don't stop! Also my second concern is that one of them - the smallest barely eats - the rest have ate a lot but she just stares at the food - she still drinks alot though, but she also isn't as steady on her feet than the others - is there something I can do or check for? or should I just wait and see if she settles in? I'm a new panicky mummy!

 

[dekel18042]

I have two adult ducks already but got them as adults - today I got 4 five week old ducklings - my concern is since I got them home they have drunk NONE STOP! It's been hours - I know i'm to keep food and drink with them all the time but they don't stop! Also my second concern is that one of them - the smallest barely eats - the rest have ate a lot but she just stares at the food - she still drinks alot though, but she also isn't as steady on her feet than the others - is there something I can do or check for? or should I just wait and see if she settles in? I'm a new panicky mummy!

Young ducks are in water CONSTSNTLY!!!!! I'm not sure how much they drink, but they slurp it up and of course some runs out their bills. If they were in a shallow stream or body of water, they would be shifting through the water and silt and plant roots to bring in food this way.
If one seems smaller and not eating, but drinking, add some food to their water and she should slurp through it.
Ducks do better on crumbles or pellets, not the finely ground mash.
The water they go through keeps their nostrils clean and wet. Good luck with them.

 

[DuckGirl77]

Yeah, they are really sloppy. I wouldn't add the food directly to their water though. I had one that wouldn't eat at first, so I mixed some feed and water in a separate container and gave them electrolytes in their water. As far as the one who is unsteady on her feet, she may need niacin. What do you feed them? If it's chick starter, they'll need extra niacin. I sprinkle brewers yeast on my duckling's food every day. I think you can get something to put in their water for niacin, too.

 

[cayugaducklady]

scrambled eggs were a big hit with my current batch of ducklings. My first batch would eat them because they were there but they didn't seem to enjoy them.