Poor ducklings drank too much

[crazylilchick]

I just killed 2 of my ducklings. I have Storeys book for ducks and no where in there dose it say to take the water away from them after 15 min. I didn't read the care info on Ideals web site because I had a whole book on ducks that I read from cover to cover. I ordered 4 ducks and 3 chicks from Ideal and it took 3 days to get them. One chick DOA and another I am waiting to see if it will recover. The ducks looked good. I gave them sugar water and grow gel and they loved it. They drank and drank. Now I have 2 dead ducks!!! The yellow slip of instructions Ideal sent with them said nothing about taking the water away. I am soooooo upset those ducks survived 3+ days in a box and they finally got here and I killed them because of lack of info. I'm waiting to see if the final 2 ducks die too. When I got them they were so cute running around all over and I was shocked when 1 hr later the first duck died. Then another started acting sick so I called Ideal and they told me about the water. They drank them selves to death.I am horrified. This is so awful. I'm so mad because it was totally avoidable. I double checked my book and it says nothing about this. It says to provide a constant source of water, and regarding shipped ducks it says to waiit to give them food for the first 20 min or so. It says to put greens on the water to encourage them to drink. NOTHING about remove the water. When I got the order I read all the info on the packing slip and there was nothing there either. Something that vital should have been included on those instructions. Its terrible to loose a pet because of something you did. Am
I the only idiot that dosen't know ducks will drink themselves to death? Is there anything special I need to do for the last 2 ducks? I removed everything water and food both. I know they can't have anymore water for a while and I was concerned they would choke on the food without water to wash it down. If they live how long should I withhold water? Boy i'm really not sure if they are going to make it. The other 2 were perfectly fine then they laid down, fell asleep and didn't wake up. I'm mad at myself but I think Ideal and Storeys book really let me down.

 

[3peeps]

Gosh, I'm really sorry....I know nothing about ducklings. They are water birds, after all. Does a mother duck instinctively keep them from drinking too much water?

Is this true?...it sounds really strange, especially if Storey's mentioned nothing about it.

Perhaps someone more experienced can enlighten us here...

I'm really sorry about your ducklings.

 

[ruth]

So sorry to hear about your duckies. I don't think normally they will drink themselves to death cause hey, their ducks they live in the water - I think it's because of dehydration from being shipped for 3 or more days shortly after hatching, before they ever get to have their first sip of water. I had never thought about that but makes sense - same with food. Anything that has been deprived of food and water and is basically starving should be fed and rehydrated slowly.

You're right the instructions should have had that in giant red letters all over box.

Just another reason I am so against shipping live baby chicks/ducks - just so cruel - and it is considered normal that many die of heat/cold; thirst/starvation before they ever arrive and then more shortly thereafter.

I have the ones I hatch, both chicks and ducks eating and drinking before they can even stand up. It's not true that they don't need to eat or drink for 3 days - it's just true that some can survive that ordeal.

Again so sorry - your experience will help others to avoid the same. Thanks for posting.

 

[aberfitch]

dont feel bad. stuff happens. I think the ducks arrived but they were banged up really bad during shipping or was really sick to start. so they natrually died , since you had some that were DOA. I wouldnt feel too bad, it was inevatable.

 

[chicks rule]

I am really sorry to hear this, I was looking into getting some Rouens and read this on Cackle Hatchery site last night, hope it helps for the other babies. Here is a link to that page. HTH

http://www.cacklehatchery.com/page14.html

 

[crazylilchick]

So far I have lost 2 of the 4 ducks. The last 2 are hanging in there. I think only 1 of the 3 chicks may make it. What a sad frustrating day. Last year I ordered 25 chicks and got 26 and every last one of the lived and were very healthy. Guess I got spoiled last year.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

well I am no duck expert I raised my first two last year and they had water down 24/7 and did just fine - alot of wet bedding but other wise they were fine.

I hatched some ducklings who are not even a week old yet and they also have water down 24/7 and they are doing fine.

I am wondering if they poor things were already sick or injuried in some way that caused them to pass?
I mean ducks out in the wild or the local pond raise babies on the water


I am so sorry for your loss but I dont think you had anything to do with them passing


Julie

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Have you been picking them up any? When I first got my ducklings they drank a LOT too (I had no clue, like you) and when I picked up my Pekin, she puked water all over my arm. I guess being squished a little made her throw it up. I am now wondering if the same thing might have happened to her if she hadn't puked it up. Perhaps if you could get the remaining ones to vomit somehow it might help?

Please don't blame yourself though. I don't know how they can expect people to just know something like that.

 

[banter]

Don't feel bad! These things happen and you will just get more and more depressed if you dwell on it! Get a couple more and try again. Next time do not add anything to the water. It is not necessary with ducks. Less is more. Plain clean dechlorinated water is all they need- unless they are very sick.

 

[Frosty]

Yes ducklings that are shipped may drink themselves to death (this isn't a problem with home hatched ducks). When I get ducklings in, I let them have the water for about 5 minutes if they are parked in front of it and drinking. Then I take it away for about 15 minutes. I repeat this about 4 times, then I put the water down and leave it. By this point they are no longer desperately thirsty and are eating too. For what it's worth, adult ducks will do the same thing if they are shipped.

Please don't blame yourself, you did what the information available said to do.