New duckling not eating-

[evergrowing]

I got 11 ducklings yesterday from Holderread farms. 10 of them are doing great, but one of them isn't eating. She lays down more then the others and is deffinantly smaller. I'm worried about her, should I give her something extra? I did finnally find a poultry vitamin mix yesterday and have that in their water along with 100 mg of niacin per gallon of water. They are eating unmedicated chick starter with a pinch of grit sprinkled on top along with a couple tsp of finely chopped up grass in their water. I think she's eaten some of the grass. I thought I read something about feeding hard boiled eggs to ducklings needing a boost, but now I can't seem to find the post on it. Any ideas on what to do?

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Did you read the recommending feeding that they emailed when they told you your ship date. I believe suggested Honey or Sugar in their water to start. Also suggested greens in their water.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Oh no!

I had a little Mallard that didn't want to eat last year, and I finally got him to start eating plain yogurt with some vitamins and corn syrup in it. After that, he graduated to lots of worms (thank goodness I have a worm composting bin in the basement), and then he finally started eating his crumbles on his own.

Good luck!

 

[evergrowing]

She is looking a little shakey now too.

I forgot

I did also put corn syrup in the water along with the chopped grass. She likes that, it's just the food she wont eat. I'll definitely have to try the yogurt next with vitamins and corn syrup in it and worms later. We also have a great supply in the compost.

Thank you for the help.

Has anyone heard about the hardboiled egg? Or is that just a treat?

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
I tired hard-boiled egg with my little Mallard and he wouldn't eat it. He did eat an entire scrambled egg one night when he was about two weeks old though.

I'd try watering down a hard-boiled egg yolk and putting a little corn syrup in it to see if she'll take that. But if she doesn't, don't be too discouraged, just move on to the next thing until you find something that works!

 

[evergrowing]

Thank you. I did just get her to eat a couple bites of the yogurt mixture off of my hand. She didn't eat much, but at least it was something, and then she drank. She wouldn't eat from the lid I put it in, only from me. Annarie did you have to hand feed your mallard? And how long did it take before he was eating crumbles? I hope she eats on her own soon.

Everyone else seems to kind of run her over. Do you think I should separate her?

I'll have to try watering down an egg yolk later, but for now I think I'll stick with the yogurt. I even watered the yogurt down a bit before she really wanted it, so she probably is not ready for the yolk yet.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Yes - I had to hand-feed him for about two weeks. He also liked it if I smeared a blob of yogurt on the wall of the brooder, and then he'd gobble it off the wall!

I probably could have stopped hand-feeding him sooner, but he wasn't eating as much as I would've liked, and he wasn't growing like his brother was:

He's still a runt to this day, but he's alive and healthy!

His brother was picking on him and trampling him too, but when I tried to separate them, they both cried for one another - so I let them stay together. I don't know what I would do in your situation - you could try separating her, but if it distresses her even more, then I'd probably just leave her.

 

[Amiga]

I wonder if setting her up with one other duckling might help - she would have company, but not get pushed around.

We have a smaller, slower duckling, and I had to give her some extra attention and vitamins early on. but she seems to be developing, just more slowly. I do think attention can really help the frail ones make it through.

 

[evergrowing]

She hasn't eaten again since this afternoon, I've tried a couple times. I'm going to try again now, this time with egg and yogurt mixed. I just set up another brooder and put her in with 1 other duckling and they both seem happy. Should I force food down her? That seems so mean, but she's not eating from my hand.

My kids have named her angel and she seems to like being held. She goes right to sleep on you. It's killing me to think I could lose her.

 

[evergrowing]

She ate a bunch (a teaspoon?) of yolk and yogurt. And is drinking a lot more. She is sleeping right next to her water and wakes up everyfew minutes to drink and eat. The funny thing is she doesn't even get up, she just reaches out has a snack and goes back to sleep. I smeared the food all over the water container. I'm using a baby bowl with a lid on it with a hole cut out of the lid for her to stick her head in. It seems to be working good. I need to figure out how to post pictures. I feel so much better knowing she has something in her tummy now. Thank you for all the advice! Hopefully she continues eating tomorrow. Our whole family loves her so much!