Please help!

[duckmama1970]

I’m starting to feel anxious, one of my ducklings is panting, she’s closing her eyes, her wings are dropping a little bit. She has access to plenty of water and food, I took them outside because it was hot in their brooder. I let them go in a little bit of water and they were doing good outside. I’m just scared something is wrong and I don’t know how to help her. It’s my first time having ducks so it’s making me more nervous because I don’t know what exactly I’m doing.

 

[duckmama1970]

She is active, it’s not like all she is doing is sleeping. But I’m kind of freaking out!

 

[Isadora]

That just sounds like she's too warm to me, or tired, or both.

 

[duckmama1970]

That just sounds like she's too warm to me, or tired, or both.

It’s hotter out on the sun porch but we opened a window and the door to outside so it’s not as hot as it was. I turned off the heat lamp because it’s warm outside today. I don’t know how else to cool her down.

 

[Isadora]

It’s hotter out on the sun porch but we opened a window and the door to outside so it’s not as hot as it was. I turned off the heat lamp because it’s warm outside today. I don’t know how else to cool her down.

Do you have anywhere else you can keep them?
A swim?

 

[duckmama1970]

Do you have anywhere else you can keep them?
A swim?

Well I ordered a kiddie pool but it’s not going to be here for a couple of days tops. I can’t keep them outside because it gets way to chilly at night for them right now. The best option would really be for them to stay in the sun porch. They are in an old dog cage we had it’s smaller but they will be moving to a bigger dog cage in a couple of weeks because the chickens should be in their coop by then.

 

[CoriM]

What are your temps outside? Do they have enough room in the brooder to escape the heat lamp if they are hot? Do you let them swim around in your bathtub in lukewarm water? How old are your ducks?

 

[duckmama1970]

What are your temps outside? Do they have enough room in the brooder to escape the heat lamp if they are hot? Do you let them swim around in your bathtub in lukewarm water? How old are your ducks?

Well this week our temps outside are about 80° and getting cold at night to about maybe 45°-60°. Yes they do have room and we’ve also adjusted the lamp to point slightly outward so it’s not covering majority of the cage. I tried to let them swim outside but we tried using a sled and filled it up with lukewarm water but it wasn’t deep enough but they still kind of went in it. They also played outside and cooled down in some shade as well. My ducks are 2 weeks old right now.

 

[CoriM]

If your house is warm and not air-conditioned you may not need the heat lamp at this point. They don't really need deep water at two weeks - they just want to splash around and get used to it. Are they on duck food and getting proper nutrition? As long as you make sure they are properly fed, watered, and at a good temp, and kept in a calm environment I bet you'll see that she starts doing better in no time.

 

[duckmama1970]

If your house is warm and not air-conditioned you may not need the heat lamp at this point. They don't really need deep water at two weeks - they just want to splash around and get used to it. Are they on duck food and getting proper nutrition? As long as you make sure they are properly fed, watered, and at a good temp, and kept in a calm environment I bet you'll see that she starts doing better in no time.

We do unplug the heat lamp during the day and at night we plug it back in because it gets colder. Currently I have them on all flock food because we have chickens as well so we can feed them both the same food. I have them on vitimans that have quite a bit of stuff including niacin in it, and I’m giving them hydro hen in their water as well. I personally think it could just get way to warm in the sun porch during the day.