Seizing duckling?!?

I used a lunch meat container.
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Here's a pic of the little dude or dudette:

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It's the one in the top right corner of the picture. Next to the feeder.
 
How long have you had them? Do you handle them every day? Perhaps it's a prey-response to play dead...like a possum, or some kinds of snakes.

I've had them for about 2 and a half weeks. I purchased them the day they arrived at the feed store; they were a day old at that time. I don't pick them up every day but I go to their brooder about a dozen times per day (obsessive, I know) to check on them. I've always raised chicks (I have 2 brooders full of them right now) but never ducks. It wasn't until we lost our drake that we decided to get more for our lonely hen. She's outside in the pond and these guys are in the barn, warm, under heat.

It's so funny you mention the whole 'playing possum' thing because I was thinking the same exact thing when it first happened!!! That duck will stare at me while it's 'seizing' then pop back up like nothing ever happened! I'm a registered nurse so I can recognize when things aren't right and they way this guy acts just is off like he's either scared and playing dead or truly has a problem.

To be honest, I'm afraid to handle them every day now because I don't want to trigger that response again, it's the saddest thing ever! If I do see it I'll take a picture and post it.
 
Maybe he has the gene that has been exploited in fainting goats? I think they are a bit off kilter when they come out of it, right?

Hopefully the niacin supplementation will cure whatever this is.


I was actually wondering if ducks maybe do the same thing as fainting goats! I'm going up to the 'Big City' (Seattle) tomorrow to see if they have anything. We are limited in supplies in our small town here. I'll post updates as I have them.

Thank you for your input! It's greatly appreciated!! :)
 
I was actually wondering if ducks maybe do the same thing as fainting goats! I'm going up to the 'Big City' (Seattle) tomorrow to see if they have anything. We are limited in supplies in our small town here. I'll post updates as I have them.

Thank you for your input! It's greatly appreciated!!
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I am thinking this is not the same gene as fainting goats and is a neurological issue and most like a niacin dif. just as when a person has an epileptic seizure certain things trigger it and excitement is one of them. Hopefully you can find plain niacin but Brewers yeast will work too. and I have a link to ordering niacin on line that's plain if you have to resort to ordering. I have never heard of ducklings playing dead. Try to keep movements slow around them and soft lightening. Has your adult met the ducklings yet? once you get some niacin into your duckling and he is stable I'd begin bringing your adult into the barn so she can meet them, not face to face but with some kind of fencing between them, this will make it easier when you can actually put them all together. She may not like them at first so getting them all use to each other is very important. Does she sleep in the barn?
 
X2 their feet are much more tender than a chicks foot. and cuts can cause Bumble foot. 


I put shavings down on top of the hardware cloth to cushion their feet. I'm just trying to keep them out of the watery mess they were creating. Lol
 

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