Not sure why ducklings are dying :(

[Kanrayhen24]

I have recently hatched one duckling in an incubator after the mother abandoned her eggs. The duckling sadly only made it 2 days and then died and since then I have rescued another 2 that were being attacked which also died a few days later. I have a brooder set up with water and feed and I had a heat lamp but I've now got a brooder heating plate for when my next 2 ducklings hatch. The ducklings all went lethargic and stopped moving around but we're still eating and drinking. Any ideas on what's happening with them? Could it he the feed?

 

[StinkyAcres]

What was the temperature under the heat lamp?

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi, and welcome to BYC. So sorry for your losses.

Could it he the feed?

What is the feed?

 

[Kanrayhen24]

What was the temperature under the heat lamp?

I brought the heat lamp from a pet store it was a ceramic bulb and light socket designed for heat and it said the max temperature was 37.5 degrees Celsius. I googled to see how far to place it from the floor of the brooder and it said 18 inches. I was checking constantly and the ducklings felt warm when I picked them up and they had space to move away from the heat source if they got too hot as well.

 

[Kanrayhen24]

Hi, and welcome to BYC. So sorry for your losses.


What is the feed?

Hi thank you I was pretty upset after the first one as I helped it out of its shell and everything I believe it was shrinkwrapped from what I found online. The feed I purchased from farmsource it's called supa chick premium starter mash and the lady at the store said it would be good for ducklings. I also got told maybe they need niacin but I haven't been able to find where to buy it. I'll attach a photo with the info of the feed I'm using. I noticed two of the ducklings had a blocked vent and I had to keep cleaning it so it didn't dry up.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi thank you I was pretty upset after the first one as I helped it out of its shell and everything I believe it was shrinkwrapped from what I found online. The feed I purchased from farmsource it's called supa chick premium starter mash and the lady at the store said it would be good for ducklings. I also got told maybe they need niacin but I haven't been able to find where to buy it. I'll attach a photo with the info of the feed I'm using. I noticed two of the ducklings had a blocked vent and I had to keep cleaning it so it didn't dry up.

It could be the lack of Niacin. Can you get some brewers yeast? Otherwise, in a pinch, smash up some frozen peas.

The amounts of yeast I don't know so let me tag a couple of duck experts.

@Jenbirdee @Miss Lydia @New duck mommy 2021

 

[Jenbirdee]

The best one is nutritional yeast, and you add 1 tablespoon of it per cup of feed. its so important for ducklings to have this extra b vitamin that we even add the nutritional yeast to duckling starter crumble specifically made for ducklings

 

[Kanrayhen24]

The best one is nutritional yeast, and you add 1 tablespoon of it per cup of feed. its so important for ducklings to have this extra b vitamin that we even add the nutritional yeast to duckling starter crumble specifically made for ducklings

Oh wow thank you so much! I will find some of this and do that for my 2 ducklings and hopefully will have a better outcome so does yeast have niacin? Is this the only thing that could be why they are dying? They are indian runner ducks also

 

[Evadig]

so does yeast have niacin?

Yes

Is this the only thing that could be why they are dying?

I don’t think so, but I’m not an expert. Sometimes they just die…I had one that I helped but it died an hour later.

I hope your last two duckings survive!

 

[Jenbirdee]

i’m glad you switched away from a heat lamp bulb some bulbs have a teflon coating and that kills birds fast. I have heard many times helping a bird hatch can make it weak too and there are things like pasty butt that can kill them . but you said you know about that and have taken care of it so that’s good. If you feed them anything other than their starter crumbles, they need grit on the side in a little dish. They will take what they need, but without grit, they can’t digest anything except their feed. The water needs to be deep enough for them to dunk their whole face into it. Otherwise their little nostrils (nares) get clogged up and their eyes can have troubles too. Do you have a thermometer you can place into their brooder to see what the temperature actually is in each side. ( warm side and cool side)
Maybe you can post a picture of your set up.