This morning before work I was doing my normal routine. Changing their puppy pads, giving them fresh water, and topping their food off. I just sat for a little while and was watching them when I noticed their cute poop routine. They back up a few quick steps, squat, then squirt. BUT, there was no pooping going on. Other than the failed poo attempts they were acting normal. I have watched them for pasty butt, but their rears always looked clean. After I saw their failed attempts at pooping I inspected each of their rears. The feathers/fluff around their vents were stiff as a board, but didn't have any poo stuck to them. It was kind of like when you add gel to your hair. I went through the pasty butt routine that I did for my chicks. Warm water in a small spritzer bottle until the poo comes loose, then follow up with food grade almond oil to prevent stickage in the future. Surviving duckling #1 was OK and pooed shortly after cleaning, duckling #2 it was like her little vent was sealed shut. I made 3 attempts and thought that I had stressed her out enough. I left for work for and came home about 3 and a half hours later to her dead in the brooder. So, either I killed her or she wasn't able to poop and that did it. After I buried her I made a warm bath in a paint pan and tried to get surviving duckling to swim. There was no swimming, but after about 5 minutes in the warm water she pooped. I gave it another 5 minutes, dried her off, added a bit more oil to her vent, and put her in her toasty brooder. Within 5 minutes she pooped 3 times. It is very watery almost clear, with a little bit of pasty yellow tinge.
Now she is SO LONELY!!! Peeping constantly for her Sister
I put 2 small stuffed bears in her brooder to try and give her something to snuggle with. This is HEART BREAKING.....
UPDATE: another poo, also almost clear. I made her some egg yolk and crumbles mash to see if she's eating.
Oh my goodness I am so sorry, I don't want to sound heartless because that is not my intention but call TSC and see if they have their ducklings in yet they are to get them in up here tomorrow, I normally wouldn't tell someone to do this but that lil one needs a buddy asap. Do you have a non breakable mirror try using that with the lille till you can find it a friend. Again i am very sorry I honestly haven't heard of pasty butt on ducklings, I'm sure it has happened just don't remember about it.
Oh my goodness I am so sorry, I don't want to sound heartless because that is not my intention but call TSC and see if they have their ducklings in yet they are to get them in up here tomorrow, I normally wouldn't tell someone to do this but that lil one needs a buddy asap. Do you have a non breakable mirror try using that with the lille till you can find it a friend. Again i am very sorry I honestly haven't heard of pasty butt on ducklings, I'm sure it has happened just don't remember about it. Have you seen her eat?
You might try gently putting a tiny bit of warm mash on her bill to see if she will eat. You have seen them eat though since you got them? what i mean is right where the bill opens and closes maybe if she gets a taste she'll eat some.
You might try gently putting a tiny bit of warm mash on her bill to see if she will eat. You have seen them eat though since you got them? what i mean is right where the bill opens and closes maybe if she gets a taste she'll eat some.
I will try that. She's done her poo dance twice within the last few minutes with nothing coming out. I can't find anything online to tell me what is wrong.
jenniemig I am so sorry to hear about the duckling . Losing little ones is just so hard. I was in the same situation as you a month ago when I recieved an order of ducklings. One was doing the poo dance but nothing was coming out and sadly he died the next afternoon, leaving the other duckling all alone. I put in a couple stuffed animals and a mirror in his brooder to help with the lonelyness. If i could have gotten him a buddy I would have in a heart beat but there are no local places where I can buy ducklings. My little duckling (named Leo) is doing fine but he has become VERY attached to me. I take him with me everywhere around the house when I am home, but when I have to leave for school he does that loud peeping that always breaks my heart. If you can find your little one a buddy that will be best, but if not the duckling will probably be alright if you are able to spend a lot of time with him.
Again, I am so sorry for your loss.
jenniemig I am so sorry to hear about the duckling
. Losing little ones is just so hard. I was in the same situation as you a month ago when I recieved an order of ducklings. One was doing the poo dance but nothing was coming out and sadly he died the next afternoon, leaving the other duckling all alone. I put in a couple stuffed animals and a mirror in his brooder to help with the lonelyness. If i could have gotten him a buddy I would have in a heart beat but there are no local places where I can buy ducklings. My little duckling (named Leo) is doing fine but he has become VERY attached to me. I take him with me everywhere around the house when I am home, but when I have to leave for school he does that loud peeping that always breaks my heart. If you can find your little one a buddy that will be best, but if not the duckling will probably be alright if you are able to spend a lot of time with him.
Again, I am so sorry for your loss.
Well Finny I guess the sealed up vent does happen. I couldn't find anything online that described what I was seeing. It just looked like someone had glued their vents shut with clear glue.
Miss Lydia suggested that I find another duckling local, but no one will have them in until the first week of March. I feel so bad, if I had thought to give the other duckie a warm bath maybe she'd have lived. I didn't think about it until I was on my way home. Everyone says to keep them dry, but it was a last resort. I think I will continue the warm bath daily, just to make sure this one doesn't have the same problem. The system that I used seemed to keep her warm and I was able to get her dry and back in the warm brooder right away. We'll see
Well Finny I guess the sealed up vent does happen. I couldn't find anything online that described what I was seeing. It just looked like someone had glued their vents shut with clear glue.
Miss Lydia suggested that I find another duckling local, but no one will have them in until the first week of March. I feel so bad, if I had thought to give the other duckie a warm bath maybe she'd have lived. I didn't think about it until I was on my way home. Everyone says to keep them dry, but it was a last resort. I think I will continue the warm bath daily, just to make sure this one doesn't have the same problem. The system that I used seemed to keep her warm and I was able to get her dry and back in the warm brooder right away. We'll see
using a hair dryer on low can dry them fast too. I'm sorry to hear there won't be any duckling till 1st of march. I don't understand why they get them in so early here when it's so cold. I actually can't bring myself to go to TSC when they have chick days, but I sure was hoping you would be able to find your lil one a friend.
using a hair dryer on low can dry them fast too. I'm sorry to hear there won't be any duckling till 1st of march. I don't understand why they get them in so early here when it's so cold. I actually can't bring myself to go to TSC when they have chick days, but I sure was hoping you would be able to find your lil one a friend.
I found someone on a farm facebook page that I'm a member of that has Pekin hatchlings. I sent her a PM to see if she has any left. I just don't know about getting one from her, she posts a LOT of wrong/bad information about caring for chickens and ducks on the facebook page.
Have you seen her eat?
. Losing little ones is just so hard. I was in the same situation as you a month ago when I recieved an order of ducklings. One was doing the poo dance but nothing was coming out and sadly he died the next afternoon, leaving the other duckling all alone. I put in a couple stuffed animals and a mirror in his brooder to help with the lonelyness. If i could have gotten him a buddy I would have in a heart beat but there are no local places where I can buy ducklings. My little duckling (named Leo) is doing fine but he has become VERY attached to me. I take him with me everywhere around the house when I am home, but when I have to leave for school he does that loud peeping that always breaks my heart. If you can find your little one a buddy that will be best, but if not the duckling will probably be alright if you are able to spend a lot of time with him. 
