Raising a single duckling, No Longer Alone **MORE Pics Added!**

[headred]

Well its pretty darn cute and I know a single makes for a good pet. But I would agree and think a buddy would be nice. I had 2 together for awhile and they were still very tame and friendly, but had each other when we weren't around. Good luck!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I would have to agree that you need another baby duck for him. I have one lone duckling from a terribly botched hatch that is hanging out with the chicks right now. I'm sure it would love to have a ducky friend, but I haven't made it to the feed store yet. I don't have any other ducks due to hatch for at least 3 weeks, so I know it can't wait till then. But what a cutie!! I just love ducks!

 

[Bec]

I am going to call the feed store as soon as they open and see what they have available!
I slept on the couch last night with my hand in the brooder to keep him happy

 

[Bec]

The feed store wont have any until next week, so I called TSC and asked the manager if I could buy just one and he said yes. I am going down now to get a little brother or sister for my poor lonely baby!

 

[Deedee]

So glad your going to get another, your babe will be so happy.

 

[Bec]

Well I got another baby AND THEY GAVE IT TO ME FOR FREE!!!! They are so cute together!

I will take more pics later and post them, they are just so cute. The new one is a lot bigger than the first one, so I am thinking boy???

the first one seems to be getting better. She still holds her head tilted at times, but she runs straight now! I think maybe she needed some isolation from the big group and lots of over night TLC!

 

[Schultz]

Glad she is doing better and I am glad she has a duckie friend. Maybe you can have your hand back now!

Oh and great score on 2 free ducklings!!!

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

i had a problem with that too. i actually got a silkie chicken and there best of pals and they are my pets better then a dog!!

 

[Bec]

I have always wanted Pekins and was actually about to order fertile eggs, but my goose doesn't seem to want to go broody. I didn't think I would have them this year! And for free! I don't know if you have seen the Adam Sandler movie Bedtime Stories, but my kids and I kept saying "We get a baby duck....for freee!!!!" You would have had to seen the movie to get it...lol!

Stumble:
And it is funny you should mention silkies, I am going today with BYC member, Karen71 to pick up silkie chicks! Someone bought them and them found out they can't have chickens where they are!

The man that owns the feed store said he would give me a chick for free to keep her company, but I didn't think you could keep ducks and chicks together in the same brooder.

 

[kycklingmamma]

Bec.

I noticed that your little gal has a WRY NECK, that is what it is called when their head turns on way or the other. Our runner duckling had that as well and this is what we had to do for it.
- first off-make sure you feed it highpotein 20% or so for the first 4-5 weeks, if you have her on chickstarter it has to be non-medicated, and you need to add niacin, which is vitamin B, we neded up giving our nutrional yeast flakes that we sprinkled on her food, she loved it. If you can't find that Niacin pills at the pharmacy will do just fine, just make sure to crush it and then sprinkle it on the food.
-second- she needs vitamin E, that deficiant is not very common in ducks, but apparently in Silkie chicks, so if you want to do research look under WRY NECK and potentially Silkie Chicks.
Now back to the Vitamin E. We were told to give our duckling 1 capsule of 400iu four times daily for the first week and then 2 times daily for a few days and then go off of it. What we did was pierce one end of the capsules, my hubby held her and I carefully opened her bill and squirted the gelly liquid into her bill. Sometimes alot/all of it came out, sometimes not so much, we just played by the ear. She hated it but put up with it. After two days on the vitamins her neck was almost straight and after a week --perfect.
She is now 6 weeks old and I just noticed yesterday that her neck is curving again so I gave her some Vit E last night and then once more today. She already looks better. According to the vet some ducks, just like humans, require more vitamins.
We have now moved our ducklings of starter and they are on Purina Flockraiser and will stay on it until layer age.
Sorry about the rant, I don't know if you need all this info, but in case you feel like her neck is getting worse or if she seems to have problems walking straight, here it is.

We put in a mirror so they can see themselves and that seemed to help with loneliness, and yes they also had a stuffed lovey.

Good Luck, Kycklingmamma