Poorly ducklings

[archie123]

can anyone offer any advice. We have hatched some of our Aylesbury ducklings, now 4 weeks old. Problem is we have had 2 die and a third is looking very sick. They have been eating, drinking and running around in the brooder. They then just lie down very lifeless and laboured breathing then die. We are at a loss as to what is causing the problem and very sad to see it happening.

 

[Amiga]

archie123,

What are you feeding them?

Can you start (have you started) giving them vitamins and electrolytes?

What is the temperature in the brooder?

Is this the first time you have used this incubator?

Do you have access to a vet?

What do their feces look like?

Have you quarantined the sickly one(s)?

Any more details you can give?

 

[archie123]

These are our first ever ducklings.

We have been feeding them chick crumbs - non medicated, but in desperation we have gound up our own maize and wheat.

Not given them vitamins - electrolytes, we presumed that their food would supply what they needed.

Brooder temp is 35 degrees centigrade.

We have no access to a vet as its the holiday period over here.

The poorly one has been separated.

it is the first time we have used the incubator.

They are all running around healthy, eating and drinking and cheeping away. Then with no reason the duckling lay down and seems very laboured in its breathing and does not move. The eyes go dull and then it just gives up. The second one that died had a greenish discharge coming from its bottom, but the first one that died did not have the discharge. the poorly one which is now separated does not at present have any discharge.
They have all been putting on weight and all looked so bright. They go from being healthy to dead in less thand 24 hours.

Their faeces appears normal, no signs of any blood etc.

 

[Amiga]

Ducklings need three times the niacin in chick feed. Do you have brewer's yeast or niacin tablets?

(this is just a possibility)

The temperature is probably a bit on the warm side for four week olds. A general rule of thumb from Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks is 30 - 35 C (90 F) the first week, dropping 5 degrees F each week until they are comfortable at room or outdoor temperatures.

 

[Amiga]

Storey's guide recommends 100 - 150 mg niacin per gallon of drinking water (that's just under 4 liters, right?).

Some use brewer's yeast but I am not sure of the amount you would need . . . . try doing a search on this duck forum for "duckling brewer's yeast" but without the quotes.

I recall someone making some recommendations about that here a while back.

 

[duckluck]

I'd go right to the drugstore and get some Poly-Vi-Sol infant vitamins without added iron and get some of that into them right away, along with offering what else has been mentioned. Just squirt some into a bowl and dip their beaks in it, that will get a few drops each into them with causing them to aspirate...hopefully they are not so far gone that they aspirate because of their illness.

They absolutely need their B vitamins. B vitamins are water soluables, not fat soluables, so they will excrete extra off. Just don't way overdose them.

 

[froggie71]

What kind of bedding are you using?

 

[chickboss]

I have no advice to give that hasn't been given, just wanted to send some good thoughts your way and I hope the others stay healthy.

 

[archie123]

ok a quick update. we have just come back from the vets with a vitamin supplement - spent 2 hours - but got it. Got home to find duckling number 3 has died and a fourth is looking poorly.

As for bedding they were on shredded paper, which we changed when the first one died, thinking that may be the cause. Changed it to shavings from our local agricultural supplier. duckling number 2 died, so we changed over to straw. Its so hard to lose them when you have watched them hatch and even more so when we have just hatched 2 goslings, whose mother has died so we so desperately dont want the same to happen to those.

We are British and live in France and have not been able to find Niacin or brewers yeast, but hope what the vet has given will help. If not he wants us to take a dead duckling in to perform and autopsy.

Thank you all so much for your help, advice and thoughts, you are all so very kind.

We will keep you posted.