PLEASE HELP STRAY TINY DUCKLING

[Aunt Angus]

Lousiana Fish and Wildlife isn't answering their phone or email, and I cannot find a rehabber anywhere near me. I'm in Batchelor Louisiana - if anyone can help find a rehabber Please, please post their info. I promise to do my best for it but I can't keep a duck. I don't want a duck.

They won't because it's the 4th. Dang. These things always seem to happen at the most inconvenient time. Keep trying! Any other rescue facilities in your area? You might have to keep it until Tuesday.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My day olds were fine with chick starter.

 

[PeepOverlord]

I'd try to find the mamma duck in the river before you decide what to do with the baby.
Maybe he just strayed too far from mamma and she's looking for her. Go to the river and try to look for the mamma.
If you can't find a mamma I'd call a rescue/rehab if you don't want to raise it

Its 4th of July weekend. The river is 1/4 mile away and it's full of jet skis, speed boats, overpopulated with drunks, kids, loose dogs... every camp is chock full of people, ATVs, fireworks and guns going off since 8am. Its also huge, the banks overgrown, and it goes into a big lake. My chances of finding Mama duck are astronomical

 

[PeepOverlord]

My day olds were fine with chick starter.

Yay for chick starter, becasue the farmers co-op is also closed today. Is dry ok, or wet it?

 

[Tonyroo]

You brood chicks and ducklings the same way. Warmth 100 degrees, food, water.
Chick starter will work for feed. Add some niacin yeast to the feed to supplement it.

Hang in there more duck people will show up soon to help.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yay for chick starter, becasue the farmers co-op is also closed today. Is dry ok, or wet it?

Dry is just fine as long as it has access to water at ALL times. They can choke without it (no salivary glands).

 

[EverythingDucks]

Sounds like you're doing everything right so far.

It is a wood duckling, and like previously mentioned they're hard to care for.

Start at 95°F and you should lower it by 5°F every week (assuming you have it for that long).

Be sure he has access to plenty of water and that he can rinse out his nostrils in it. Water is very import for ducks because they need to first wet their food to digest it.

Chick feed will work for now, but he'll need niacin supplements.

You should try to handle him as little as possible so he has the best chance of survival once he goes back into the wild.

You can add a mirror and a stuff animal to his brooder to make him feel less lonely.

If you end up having to keep him for a while until you can find a rehabber you can take him outside in an enclosed space for short amounts of time everyday, and sprinkle some food in the grass (you can even try a few live mealworms). This will help him learn to forage, which is very important for a wild duckling to know.

Good luck, I hope a rehabber will be able to take him in soon. And good job rescuing him!

 

[PeepOverlord]

You brood chicks and ducklings the same way. Warmth 100 degrees, food, water.
Chick starter will work for feed. Add some niacin yeast to the feed to supplement it.

Hang in there more duck people will show up soon to help.

Sounds like you're doing everything right so far.

It is a wood duckling, and like previously mentioned they're hard to care for.

Start at 95°F and you should lower it by 5°F every week (assuming you have it for that long).

Be sure he has access to plenty of water and that he can rinse out his nostrils in it. Water is very import for ducks because they need to first wet their food to digest it.

Chick feed will work for now, but he'll need niacin supplements.

You should try to handle him as little as possible so he has the best chance of survival once he goes back into the wild.

You can add a mirror and a stuff animal to his brooder to make him feel less lonely.

If you end up having to keep him for a while until you can find a rehabber you can take him outside in an enclosed space for short amounts of time everyday, and sprinkle some food in the grass (you can even try a few live mealworms). This will help him learn to forage, which is very important for a wild duckling to know.

Good luck, I hope a rehabber will be able to take him in soon. And good job rescuing him!

Yes, agree! Handling as little as possible! Its never good for wild animals to be used to people.
I don't have niacin yeast and nothing's open today.The only mealworms I have are nonGMO dried for my chickens. Doesn't seem like those are a good idea.
How hot is too hot, becasue it will be over 100 degrees today with high humidity. I'm guessing since its a wild ducky, it should be ok with that?
We're outdoors. Its 96 in the shade.
The only bird rehabber on the LA fish/game site that serves Point Coupee parish is a couple hundred miles away. I left a message.
Everyone start praying or crossing fingers or something that we find a rehabber today or tomorrow latest. I'm so out of my league.

I added a mirror and a couple little stuffeds. It's peeping at the mirror - is that ok or is the mirror stressing it? THANKS so much for helping, I really want the duck to live. It's very active - I guess that's a good sign?

 

[PeepOverlord]

@EverythingDucks When some animal randomly shows up needing help - It's my job to do the best I can. Doesn't matter wild or domestic, you just help.
I'm just freaked out becasue this is my first HelpMe *duck*. And its so incredibly, unbelievable tiny. A day old chicken is bigger than this.

 

[swampfox440]

Its 4th of July and a random tiny duckling showed up while I was out weeding. Thank goodness my chickens didn't see it first! IT'S SO TINY. Duck people - please help me keep this duckling alive until I can find a rehabber or at least someone more qualified than me.
IDK what to do with a duck. I keep chickens.
I put it in a large plastic tote with some wood chips, a shallow bowl of water and sifted out the smallest bits of chick starter feed into a plastic jar lid. Its 95 degrees here in S Louisiana, so no heat lamp. It's quite active, seems healthy.
I can't imagine where it came from or how it's still alive with the insane number of feral cats, coons, possums, loose dogs, etc.
This is a very rural area, I'm 1/4 mile from the river. There is a road, a levee, and a dirt road on top of the levee between me and the river.View attachment 2746955
Pretty sure ducky is too tiny to just go put it in the river and let it fend for itself?? It has no feathers, only fluff. Can it even float yet?
What do ducklings even eat? All I have is chick starter, meal worms and dry/canned cat food.
Please help, it's so, so tiny and it managed to survived a night of predators - it deserves to live.
Will DM my phone number if that will help anyone help me help Ducky

Baby wood duck 100%