Should I be worried about little Lullaby? (Updated)

[Wifezilla]

It is supposed to boost mineral absorption, kill cooties, and act as a general tonic.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

And if you can find Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother in it, its the best there is. I always have at least two bottles of it in the house. I swear by it!!

Good luck with your babies.

Laurie

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
How old are your mallards? Rainstorm and Lullaby are just over 1 week. Every time I go and check on them and see how HUGE Rainstorm is compared to tiny Lullaby, it makes me cry.

She's still not eating much today, but she's up and moving and seems in good spirits. I've been trying the yogurt, put a cap-full of generic cider vinegar in both the chick waterer AND the extra water dish (which is a neat tupperware container that's tall and narrow - their entire little heads can reach in, but it's too small to sit and poo in) until I can get to the store and find the Bragg's, and have offered scrambled egg, chopped hard boiled egg, watered down boiled egg-yolk, and mushy crumbles - but all she wants is the stuff in the chick waterer - I tried putting a little scrambled egg in the waterer, and it floated up into the jar, and then big Rainstorm went nuts running around in circles and trying to figure out how to get it

 

[Wifezilla]

 

[taraann81]

Quote:
How old are your mallards? Rainstorm and Lullaby are just over 1 week. Every time I go and check on them and see how HUGE Rainstorm is compared to tiny Lullaby, it makes me cry.

She's still not eating much today, but she's up and moving and seems in good spirits. I've been trying the yogurt, put a cap-full of generic cider vinegar in both the chick waterer AND the extra water dish (which is a neat tupperware container that's tall and narrow - their entire little heads can reach in, but it's too small to sit and poo in) until I can get to the store and find the Bragg's, and have offered scrambled egg, chopped hard boiled egg, watered down boiled egg-yolk, and mushy crumbles - but all she wants is the stuff in the chick waterer - I tried putting a little scrambled egg in the waterer, and it floated up into the jar, and then big Rainstorm went nuts running around in circles and trying to figure out how to get it

They were born may 13th. The little one I was talking about died today

She/he never grew. Honestly it was the same size it was when it hatched. I even separated her 3 times a day just to make sure she was getting plenty to eat. I hope lullaby fairs better than my little one did. Good luck.

 

[Cetawin]

Could she be partially blind? If she will not go to the food on her own...she may not be able to see it or see it clearly. Is there a vet around that can treat a duck?

I dunno just a thought. I hope everything works out and little one gets on the mend.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Since I started the cider vinegar and gave Lullaby a "haircut" to keep the down from sticking into her eye, she's been MUCH more active, and has been keeping that eye open - although I don't think she can see out of it - she always cranes her head to use her good eye to look at me. I think Wifezilla was right - in one of my previous threads, last week when I first brought these guys home, that there was probably a humidity issue during hatching.

taraann81 - I'm so sorry about your tiny mallard

I really think Lullaby is on the mend - she gained some weight overnight, and when she sees me coming with her yogurt/poly-vi-sol treat (just a teaspoon of plain yogurt with a sprinkle of sugar and a drop of the poly-vi-sol that I give 3 times a day) she actually has started leaping up at the sides of the rubbermaid tote they're in in her excitement

I'll have to move them into the big stock tank soon.

I have little shallow lids that I scavenged from the recycling bin filled with starter crumbles all over the brooder - she'll look at them, maybe take a little taste, but she still won't eat them. She's been cleaning all the mush from the waterer though, and she'll pick up spilled crumbles off the floor and eat them, so, as you can imagine, I've sprinkled crumbles ALL OVER the floor.

Still, she seems to be doing better. If she keeps getting bigger, I'll post some pictures in a couple of days so that everyone can see the improvement.

 

[Wifezilla]

Great news!!!

I know she isn't out of the woods yet, but the activity level is a good sign.

 

[TheNewMrsEvans]

Yea! I'll have to remember the ACV

Is she still scratching at that eye?

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Although she's been keeping it open, it's still a bit squinty - almost like the back corner of her eyelids are fused together - like the font half of the eye is open, but the back corner is shut

I've still been giving her eyedrops a few times a day (thinking that the moisture will "unfuse" the corner of her eye), and she freaks out and scratches at it right after I'm done - but then she leaves it alone. She's so funny - as soon as she sees me bring out the towel I wrap and hold her in while I'm cleaning her eye, she shuts her eyes and tries to hide her head. Poor baby.

Rainstorm has been picking on her a little, but so far he's not being rough enough to hurt her at all. He'll peck at her face when she's in his way (I've had to put 3 extra water dishes in with them, since that seems to be what they squabble over) and she'll run all the way around the brooder, back up behind him, and nibble on his tailfeathers. When he turns around to see what's going on, she takes off in the other direction.