Possible poorly duckling!

plymouthduckmum

In the Brooder
Aug 3, 2016
26
3
16
U.K.
Hi!
I was given 3 ducklings as a surprise for my birthday 2 weeks ago, 2 girls and a boy, aged 2 weeks and the boy was a little bit younger. They've all been going great although the boy is quite a bit smaller but eating and drinking well but today I've noticed a lump just above his beak on the left side! He seems fine although he has had a bit of diarrhoea and he's eating and drinking.
Can anyone give any advice on it?
They've all bonded beautifully and panic if they slightly get separated.
 
One possibility is a sinus infection. Do they have water to rinse their heads in?

Have you seen this?
oops, I meant to post this link - not the medicine thread link. Apologies.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

though it can be handy to look at that medicine thread . . .

If it is an infection, it needs to be treated to prevent worse problems.

I agree a photo might help. Is the eye foamy at all?
 
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Hi, he's a Cayuga so it's quite hard to see it in a photo. It's a little lump just above the beak, doesn't seem to be affecting his eye and I've just changed their water dish to be a bit deeper. Do you think a bath would help?
 
Hi, he's a Cayuga so it's quite hard to see it in a photo. It's a little lump just above the beak, doesn't seem to be affecting his eye and I've just changed their water dish to be a bit deeper. Do you think a bath would help?

Yes, it might. And by "bath," with ducks and ducklings that just means water, no soap.

For ducklings, I had the water the same temperature as the brooder, but no cooler than 80F.

You might also try putting a half teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a pint of water and setting that down for the duckling to wash his or her head in. It's best when they figure out they can take water into their bills and then snoot it out their nares. It's an instinctive behavior and very good for their health. There are instructions for making DIY head washers - do you need the link or can you use the search to find them?
 
Hi, he's a Cayuga so it's quite hard to see it in a photo. It's a little lump just above the beak, doesn't seem to be affecting his eye and I've just changed their water dish to be a bit deeper. Do you think a bath would help?
Try a nice warm bath in water deep enough they can swim and clean out their nares good. Be sure to stay right with them and get them out before they chill maybe 5-7 mins tops. Sometimes they can get feed caked in their nares and a good wash helps get it out. They always need water deep enough to wash their faces but not anything they can climb into and can't get out of and drown.
 
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400

The lump is just to the left above the beak.
 

The lump is just to the left above the beak.
What I'd do just in case is wrap the duckling in a towel[alot easier to handle] then gently pry it's mouth open and see if you can see anything in there on that side. impacted feed or something else he may have tried to eat. Looks like it is right before the throat so might have something in there if you can't see just try your finger down that side he isn't going to like it but much better to find out it's feed or something packed in there than an infection at least that would be one thing ruled out.
 

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