Sick 4/5 week old Pekin Duckling!!!

[BrianaInnes]

I have 3 Pekin Ducklings about 4-5 weeks old, 2 of them have a pale pink beak and the other has an orange beak. The one with an ORANGE beak has a little “cold” I feel? It’s nasal passages were really clogged BUT I have them in the bathtub as we speak.

They all cleared their little beaks, but I’m wondering... what should I do about the runny eyes???? And how long can they stay in the tub for before I have to take them out????? Their having so much fun

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

The one duckling with the orange beak is indeed a Pekin. The two others are White Layers, very similar to Pekin ducks but lighter and better egg producers. I have four of them with my Spring Duckling batch this year.
They can stay as long in the bathtub as they are warm and not soaked down to their skin. Careful! Little ducklings can drown! Mine had their first bath at an age of two weeks and you can really see when they have enough. I used a towel to suck the majority of the water out of their down/feathers, then set them quickly back under their infrared lamp, see pictures and videos here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/albums/2019-spring-ducklings.7428740/?page=8 - the large yellow ducklings are my White Layers.
Watch out for the little one with the cold. Keep it warm and a dose of Vitamin C, works for ducks too.
Good luck, have fun and we all like to see pictures and videos of cute little duckies!

 

[BrianaInnes]

The one duckling with the orange beak is indeed a Pekin. The two others are White Layers, very similar to Pekin ducks but lighter and better egg producers. I have four of them with my Spring Duckling batch this year.
They can stay as long in the bathtub as they are warm and not soaked down to their skin. Careful! Little ducklings can drown! Mine had their first bath at an age of two weeks and you can really see when they have enough. I used a towel to suck the majority of the water out of their down/feathers, then set them quickly back under their infrared lamp, see pictures and videos here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/albums/2019-spring-ducklings.7428740/?page=8 - the large yellow ducklings are my White Layers.
Watch out for the little one with the cold. Keep it warm and a dose of Vitamin C, works for ducks too.
Good luck, have fun and we all like to see pictures and videos of cute little duckies!

What should I use for the Vitamin C??

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

What should I use for the Vitamin C??

I had Vitamin C, Niacin or a Vitamin B complex in my ducklings drinking water all the time. With the B-complex the water looked like urine, but the ducklings did not mind. No worries about overdosing, all water-soluble vitamins cannot be overdosed, the excess is just peed out.

 

[BrianaInnes]

So I have this little brown bag of vitamins from Fleet Farm, it’s called “Save-A-Chick” but it’s for all breeds of poultry, and it’s mixed in their water, and yes it does look yellow. Should I just look to see if that’s in it? Then I can use it for the duckies too?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

So I have this little brown bag of vitamins from Fleet Farm, it’s called “Save-A-Chick” but it’s for all breeds of poultry, and it’s mixed in their water, and yes it does look yellow. Should I just look to see if that’s in it? Then I can use it for the duckies too?

Sav-A-Chick electrolyte and vitamin supplement (note that they make a probiotic supplement, too) is fine for ducks, too. It does have vitamin C, but the amount isn't listed. There are FAQs that you may find helpful, too.

The runny eyes may be related to the clogged nostrils. They need access to water deep enough to blow out their nares (nostrils) or they can develop respiratory issues, which can involve the eyes (like foamy eyes). The BYC Learning Center has a wealth of information on raising ducks, like this article by @DuckLady. Good luck with your littles!

 

[BrianaInnes]

Thank you!! I currently have them in the milk house of the barn where it’s room temp (69/70 degrees) but I have them in a large dog pen with a heat lamp and feed and their hanging waterer, otherwise they tip it over, and then I let them outside the days it’s been nice out in a fenced in area but until it gets warmer outside should I just keep letting them swim inside the bathtub in the house?

 

[BrianaInnes]

Sav-A-Chick electrolyte and vitamin supplement (note that they make a probiotic supplement, too) is fine for ducks, too. It does have vitamin C, but the amount isn't listed. There are FAQs that you may find helpful, too.

The runny eyes may be related to the clogged nostrils. They need access to water deep enough to blow out their nares (nostrils) or they can develop respiratory issues, which can involve the eyes (like foamy eyes). The BYC Learning Center has a wealth of information on raising ducks, like this article by @DuckLady. Good luck with your littles!

So I live in central Minnesota which is currently 46 degrees out, should I just keep bring the ducks in every few days to swim in the tub? Since it’s too cold out for a pool??

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

So I live in central Minnesota which is currently 46 degrees out, should I just keep bring the ducks in every few days to swim in the tub? Since it’s too cold out for a pool??

Sure, you can let them swim (supervised, in water that they can get out of on their own) inside if it's too cold outside. Just remember that they need water deep enough to blow out their nares regularly, in addition to the baths.

 

[BrianaInnes]

Is there a special kind of fish or bowl I should have out there for them??