Should I cull a duckling that has no chance of a good life?

[Taffinq]

so my parents own ducks and chickens.

they've owned ducks and chickens for over three years now, so they're experienced enough.

There's this small wry neck duckling that I don't think is gonna live.

i asked my parents to buy vitamins, but they never bought them until today. and today, the wry neck duckling I think is gonna die or not have a good life.

so before my parents got the vitamins, when the duckling with the wry neck first hatched, they paid it no mind because they thought it could survive even with a wry neck. at first after a few days, it was okayish, its fur was clean but its neck still bent to its stomach.

then after a few days it's head started scraping across the ground, and the top of it's head was caked with poop and dirt.

now, today, the duckling's back is wet from water and it's top of its head is caked with poop, it's significantly smaller than its siblings, it can barely walk now and rolls around on the floor. also the duckling doesn't eat, its head is bent to its stomach.

the duckling is around 4-6 days old.

should I cull it? i asked my parents to kill it so they can end its misery, but they said no and said to let it die by itself, and compared culling it to "killing a person that's super old".

what should I do? the most my parents tried to do for the wry neck duckling was feed it boiled eggs, and that did not work. should I listen to my parents and let it wait until it dies, or just cull it when they don't notice?

it hurts me whenever I see it, I fed it vitamin e with the new vitamins my dad bought just today (there wasn't any vitamins like e or b in my house that could help the udck until today), and even though I know the effect isn't instant, I know by looking at the duckling's state that it won't survive and the vitamins won't work.

the most concerned ones in my family right now is my twin brother and me. my parents turn down my suggestions, like putting it out of its misery, and my brother's, like washing the duck and washing the poop off its head and crusty stuff on its beak.

what should I do?

 

[Callender Girl]

What a horrible situation to be in. I am a big fan of letting "special" babies live their best possible lives, but it doesn't sound like this duckling has much of a life ahead of it. It sounds like it's suffering, and that is awful.

I don't agree with your parents' position that releasing it from its pain is the same as killing an old person; that sounds like comparing apples and oranges to me. Also, ducks are not people; if they were, no one would eat ducks, would they? So, different rules might apply.

I'm not saying that you should disobey your parents, but I wish they would consider this little one's quality of life.

I hope this baby passes quickly on its own so you don't have to make a terrible choice. I am sorry that you, your brother -- and the duckling -- are going through this.

 

[AmyA248]

Wry neck doesn’t have to be a death sentence.
It should have been given the vitamins right away and kept safe indoors in a clean and comfortable brooder box.
I think it’s suffering from a niacin deficiency and should have been given electrolytes, Nutra Drench, niacin, vitamin E, selenium and thiamin immediately.
She needs TLC, as it goes a long way and never be left with the others outdoors.
She can still be saved and thrive as long as she’s eating and drinking.
Take her inside, clean her up and hold her and talk gently to her.
Get those vitamins into her even if you have to open her beak and gently put drops in her mouth with a dropper. Be very careful because she could aspirate and that could kill her.
I offered to send you the vitamins many days ago but never received a response or reply.

I currently have a week old duckling with wry neck and we are doing everything possible for her.
I understand that your young, but please don’t leave her outside to suffer and die. She’s a baby and she needs your help and support.
Please don’t cull her, she can make it with proper care.

I truly wish you would have responded and let me overnight the vitamins that she desperately needed right away, maybe now it could possibly be too late, but try! She could do a complete turn around with the vitamins and proper care and TLC.

It would really help if you could add a photo so we know how bad it is.
And remember, wry neck isn’t deadly itself, they only die if they can’t eat and drink, and even if she can’t you can force her gently to eat and drink.
If you keep her outside with her head dragging on the ground you will lose her for sure, and it could have been totally prevented.