Sad site at my local farm store.

[dpingtrich352]

I went to get a couple more ducks today at my local feed store and this is how they were....it was absolutely horrible. I took 4 home and I am going back tomorrow to check on the other. Any suggestions on how I can help these little guys out more?? Here are a few pictures

 

[ashlandco]

Oh no! That’s horrible I have no experience with ducks. I hope someone can help you. Also, what is on them?

 

[ashlandco]

Maybe you could talk to an employee or something??? I have no idea

 

[Ravynscroft]

That's just a little poop/wet feed... ducklings are notorious duck pilers, it happens... give them warm baths in shallow water in a warm room... towel off and blow dry with low setting using a blow dryer... just make sure they don't get chilled...

This happens since they use the regular chick waterers, they run the water right out and track the wet stuff off the shavings right over each other... it looks awful, but in most places the ducklings don't stay long at the feed stores, they sell out quick...

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

I've never seen that at any of our TSC stores. They always keep it clean and mostly dry.... No matter what time of day it seems to be. I think it's crazy and shameful to let it get that bad. I'll admit my duckies are super messy, but we keep up with keeping their brooder clean and they get a daily "bath" which is playtime for them.... But I agree with @Ravynscroft , keep the water warm, not overly, good warm room temp when they come out... You can blow-dry on a low setting, or can let them preen themselves which is a good skill they will use constantly once moved to your run for them.... Wish I was close, I would go save some too!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Not all feed stores have enough employees to keep up on them fast, and I watched ours clean their duckling bin while I was talking to the Asst Manager who was doing it and within 5 mins flat before we were done talking it was back to an empty waterer and wet bedding...

They also can't bathe the ducklings there and there's the stretch of time from closing til opening that nobody is there to keep it clean... j/s...

The positive parts I see are the ducklings are still very young, not even a week old, and they haven't been dirty very long or there would be down loss from being pulled out from the crud caked on...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I went to get a couple more ducks today at my local feed store and this is how they were....it was absolutely horrible. I took 4 home and I am going back tomorrow to check on the other. Any suggestions on how I can help these little guys out more?? Here are a few pictures

Your so sweet to care.

How are your new babies doing?

 

[dpingtrich352]

When I went back there their wasn’t any employees even around I waited and waited so I finally went up to the counter and asked if anyone was working back there because I looked. When the younger lady got there, I said I would like to get a couple of your ducks as we walked closer to the spot where the ducks were and the first thing she said to me was...trust me their not thirsty, that’s their 3rd container in 5 hours...they had several ducklings in there, the last time I went in their watered was DRY also. This was about 5pm so it wasn’t like it was in the morning and they just haven’t gotten to them yet. I hope and pray it was just a bad day for that employee. I had already bought two from there on Monday about the same time and it wasn’t like that at all. I took 4 of them home last night (but wishing I could just purchase them all), the bigger one of the 4 wasn’t that bad, but the others was so little and it was hard to get all that poop and feed off of them. I did give them a warm bath towel dried them and immediately put them under their light. The two littler ones would not walk that well but seem to be doing better. I kept them separate from the others and put a feather duster in their pen with them. If I didn’t love ducks I would not have purchased them because they were so dirty!!! I’ve been to several feed stores looking at their ducks at 5 within a week and the worst I’ve seen.

 

[dpingtrich352]

Your so sweet to care.

How are your new babies doing?

They seem to be doing better, the little bit bigger ones I put in the pen with the ones I got Monday. I still have the little ones separated because they would get trampled and they are to weak for that.

Also...you and I was messaging yesterday about my first ducking and her nose stopped running, but then after bath time she started doing the same thing...the other ones have not done anything like that. Any ideas on what could cause that? I towel dried them all off then put them in their pen with their light on.

 

[QueenieMinx]

I got 5 ducklings that I'm currently raising this way! All 5 had leg injuries from shipping and the farm store just gave them to me because they didn't want to see them hurt anymore. 4 out of the 5 have completely healed, but my one special little guy (or girl) has a foot that doesn't work. It's curled to the side. I honestly think he may have been born that way. Still gets around though just fine! Just give them clean bedding, water with electrolytes and good feed and they should be just fine. Also watch the temperature.