new duckling

[WhiteCrested]

we just hatched our first white crested ducking and he's not doing very well can someone please help, he was hatched yesterday at 3pm est and was placed in a brooder around 6pm last night,i was up all night with him because he kept falling over and could not roll back over he seems to tilt his head backwards and then falls,can't take a single step without falling.please help.

 

[Amiga]

Oh, no, let's see if we can help. Sometimes it doesn't go well, but sometimes TLC works.

As a crested, the little one is at a disadvantage. But we can write more about the details later.

Since the duckling is just hatched, and I have only worked with day olds and older, I will share what I have learned from the forum.

There are likely neurological problems. Vitamins can help, niacin especially, and probably thiamine. There is a vitamin mix called chick saver, or sav-a-chick, and then there is a starter nutrient with probiotics also called gro-gel.

I would say at this point, nutrient support is what you can do, in addition to keeping the little one warm enough and so forth.

Hatching is desperately difficult for some ducklings, so he or she needs to rest, too, and that may help.

I would give some time before giving up, and it seems that you are also not willing to give up too soon. Good.

 

[Kevin565]

anyone out there who can help?

We're both parents Crested or just one? X2 on Amigas advice. You can only do so much at this point.

 

[Quackers08]

I hatched a call that did that and after a few days he started walking better but one night i woke up and found him dead on his back

 

[jdywntr]

I would agree with Amiga's advice. Give it some time as newly hatched ducklings can be a bit uncoordinated.

From your avatar, it does look like both of your ducks are crested which can lead to more problems.

Hoping all works out well.

 

[WhiteCrested]

I did call two breeders today who said its a skeletal deformity because his chest is pushed out and his neck is more to the right than the left and so is his head. We don't know if it's going to improve or if a medicine will help him in the long run. All we can do is wait.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

often times when a newly hatched duckling is having balance issues or "star gazing" (where the head flips to the side/back) it is common practice to use one of the following: 1- Poultry Nutri Drench, or 2- Poly ViSol baby vitemins (NO IRON) found at WalMart, target, most pharmacies. Give one drop by mouth as soon as you get it. Then continue to offer daily until the issue corrects itself. You can add 1-4 drops in the drinking water as well to help boost their system.

 

[WhiteCrested]

So what you listed above could help with neck problems/skeletal problems? He is definitely flinging his head around in circles on his back like a psycho so Poly ViSol or Nutri-Drench Drops will help this? The breeder near me said it was a skeletal deformity.. maybe she's wrong? (she never saw him in-person)

 

[Miss Lydia]

So what you listed above could help with neck problems/skeletal problems? He is definitely flinging his head around in circles on his back like a psycho so Poly ViSol or Nutri-Drench Drops will help this? The breeder near me said it was a skeletal deformity.. maybe she's wrong? (she never saw him in-person)

I just want to jump in and say that you can also dribble some of either of these on his bill and add to his water so he is getting it straight and in his water. Just dribble on the bill though where they meet so you don't get it into his lungs.

 

[WhiteCrested]

Sounds easy enough, sorry about another thread LOL
My father made this one while I was at school because he was home alone with the duckling and didn't know what to do and I told him to use this if
he was unsure of anything.