Runner ducklings not growing

[littlenell1]

Hi all, We recently hatched our first runner ducklings from our own group of 5. Out of 11 eggs, all were fertile. One stopped growing early on, but all 10 hatched. We lost a small duckling on day 2- just would not feed, and it died overnight.
All the others are doing ok, I have 4 that are large, and 2 that are in middle and 3 that are tiny still. They are only just bigger than when they hatched. All are active, preening, eating and pooping. Should I be worried that there is such a difference in size from one hatch? The little guys are a third of the size of their siblings...looks weird!

I cannot post a link to pics yet...

 

[duckyfromoz]

Your adults..are they all the same age and from the same stock?? What about the eggs they hatched from?? Where they all the same size or were some larger than others?

 

[littlenell1]

I don't really know their origins. I got them from someone downsizing their breeds but who bred poultry as a hobby. link
All eggs were similar size although one of the girls does lay a more rounded shape egg.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Cute babies- I see what you mean about the size difference. I recently hatched some of a friends eggs and those babies are tiny in comparison to my babies. But they are kept differently to mine so that can well explain the difference. Younger ducks tend to lay smaller eggs- which could produce different sized babies. It could just be different parents- especially if they all get the same food, housed the same way etc. Like with mammals - you can still have a " runt" hatch. they may catch up in time. In the mean time - just make sure the little ones are still getting enough food.. Oh.. What are you feeding them BTW ?? And you could add a vitamin supplement to the food or water . You can get a powdered vitamin mix from most feed stores.

 

[littlenell1]

Thanks, they are on chick crumbs non medicated at moment, but I do use my juicer to puree up wheat, dandelion leave, grass as extra treats for them to play with. I will try adding some vitamins and see how they go. They are active enough for sure, and not hogging the heat, so hopefully they are just going to be slow and steady growers rather than racers!
I have no idea what colours they will turn out to be. , I seem to have 2 very yellow- which I assume will be white, 2 lemony with white patches, 2 black/yellow- assume will be black/white, a blue with yellow bib, a blue with yellow patches and a light grey/beige...

Ours are kept in a large outside pen, approx 1/4 acre or more. Ponds x2, they are put in at night into their hut. They get wheat, mixed grain, greens, and can get to layers pellets as they share the space with 8 rescue hens...and a mini appleyard duck too!

 

[aussieheelr]

you might try uping the protein.. I put mine on flock raiser/game starter and they grow like WEEDS. My duckling that hatched Easter is about 1/2 the size of my adults already.
enjoy those babies, they grow up so fast

 

[Duck_feeder]

as long as they are eating a balanced diet and drinking normally I wouldn't worry about some being smaller than others.

When I got Moxy and Norie they were part of a shipment of 7 runners from Metzer (we gave the other 5 to a BYCer). Norie was by far the largest of the bunch and Moxy was the smallest. When they were a week old, Norie was probably double Moxy's weight. Fast forward 1.5 years later... Moxy is nearly a pound heavier! (about 25% heavier).