Pekins have bare bellies!

[myjunoli]

Hi Everyone,

I'm raising 3 Pekin ducklings for the first time and have noticed that they are using their bills to scratch at their bellies. They been scratching since I brought them home, about 1 week ago and now their bellies are bare. I can't seem to find any info anywhere about this... so I'm guessing this is not normal, but hoping it is!! Any ideas?

Thanks for your help!

 

[zooweemama]

I have 4 two week old Pekins and none of them do this. This sounds very unusual- I hope someone can help. Is their bedding dry? How old are they? I do notice my Pekins get too hot to do the temps they recommend so I watch their behavior as my temp measurement. When mine get hot they pant, act fidgety and uncomfortable. What kind of feed are they on? Are you adding an electrolyte mix to their water?

 

[myjunoli]

They're 2 weeks old and I'm feeding them non-medicated chick feed. Their bedding may not have been completely dry, as we were constantly washing down the tub to keep it clean, so I remedied that with a towel... they seem to have quieted down more and are resting very comfortably on the towel. I do not have an electrolyte mix for their water. What do you recommend for that?

 

[Amiga]

It's a challenge, but keeping the brooder as dry as possible, with nice bedding (like towels) is good for them.

With chick starter, you may find that the ducklings are sensitive to the low niacin (ducklings, I am told, need three times the niacin chicks do). So supplementing with brewer's yeast sprinkled on their food, or plain niacin (not time release or no-flush, just niacin) capsules emptied into their water (100 to 150 mg per gallon per Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks) should help prevent neurological problems.

 

[myjunoli]

Thanks! I will get some niacin into their diet tomorrow!