Sickly duck at local produce store...

[SampyArctica]

Will do - thanks for the tip!

 

[Miss Lydia]

You guys are just too awesome! ^_^

4 -5 weeks, really...? When I first approached someone about him/her at the store - which, by the way is called Capalaba Produce, I have no qualms anymore about releasing the name, I have the duck now - I was told he/she was kind of the 'runt' of the ones that had come in and was roughly about two months old. Keeping in mind I've had my eye on this duck for about three weeks now, and it doesn't look like it's grown very much either. Do you think they were lying about that as well? Is it too early to tell if it's a duck or a drake? I can provide more pictures today if there needs to be more detail given to be able to tell, I fully intend on taking more anyway, I'm so in love with this little thing.

Yeah, we had two towels under the tub. When it got out though, it was shaking like a wet dog and I was sitting on the floor beside it, so I got drenched! Haha!

At the moment, we're keeping it in our old chick brooder - basically a big plastic tub that we cut part of the lid out of and attached chicken wire to see and for air without letting anything fall in. Its maybe 1m long by 60ish cm wide and about the same deep. That's during sleeping and resting moments though, it has full run of the living area - we have tiled floors throughout, so cleaning up any messes are of no concern. Or should we just keep it confined until it settles down a bit so it can rest...? Do we need to have a heat lamp like we did with the baby chicks? I know it's not *that* young, but it doesn't have all of its plumage yet. It's not very cold here though, average day temperature is about 25 - 6 degrees Celsius (77 - 78.8 F) and night around 20 (68 F), both inside (outside temp is about 30 C (86 F) during the day).

actually at 4-5 weeks old your temps are about right just don't let drafts be in the same room as duckling. and as far as them knowing the age they probably didn't if someone brings the ducklings/chicks in for them to sell. You don't want to over heat the duckling either so I really wouldn't use heat. Most likely the duckling will be around 6-8 weeks before sex will be that noticeable, looking at the lil one in the tub makes me think more like 4 weeks. I was mainly going by those tiny wings. It's adorable what ever sex it is.

 

[subhanalah]

This is run hot shower with out duck in the shower. just inside the room. 

Oh my gosh, Thank you for clarifying this!

 

[subhanalah]

actually at 4-5 weeks old your temps are about right just don't let drafts be in the same room as duckling. and as far as them knowing the age they probably didn't if someone brings the ducklings/chicks in for them to sell. You don't want to over heat the duckling either so I really wouldn't use heat. Most likely the duckling will be around 6-8 weeks before sex will be that noticeable, looking at the lil one in the tub makes me think  more like 4 weeks. I was mainly going by those tiny wings. It's adorable what ever sex it is. 

Those temperatures are for a normal, healthy duckling that has been allowed to feather out. This was pecked practically bald by other, smaller birds. She's also suffering from a sinus or respiratory infection so her body can't adequately thermoregulate. I don't mean to disagree with you, but I believe the baby should at least have the option for additional heat if it wants/needs it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Those temperature ls are for a normal, healthy duckling that has been allowed to feather out. This was pecked by other, smaller birds. She's also suffering from a sinus or respiratory infection so her body can't adequately thermoregulate. I don't mean to disagree with you, but I believe the baby should at least have the option for additional heat if it wants/needs it.

I don't disagree with you either subhanalah but looking at her temps of 86 inside and outside if she made it any warmer that could also be detrimental to the ducklings health too. Maybe offer heat at night with a way for the duckling to get out from under if it wants. but I do know too much heat can even cause them to over heat and die it's happened right here on BYC before. Sampy does your duckling act like it's cold? before we get into a big to do about this. lol

 

[subhanalah]

It's only 76-78 inside during the day and 68 at night. She won't overheat if she has somewhere to escape a 90 degree heat lamp.
It's that hot outside only.

 

[SampyArctica]

Sampy does your duckling act like it's cold? before we get into a big to do about this. lol

Nope. If anything, it was actually panting this morning when I went to let it out of the tub that it sleeps in. We have towels down around the other tub (the one it washes itself in) so it won't get a chill if it lies on the floor while damp, but it actually seems to prefer the tiled floors. I don't think it could possibly be 4 - 5 weeks old though, or it would have only been one week old when I first saw it and it didn't look any smaller than it does now. It's maybe about 40cm/1.3 feet while sitting down without extending its neck.

Edit -

I took photos next to a measuring tape, not sure who uses metric or imperial, so here's both:

 

[Miss Lydia]

Nope. If anything, it was actually panting this morning when I went to let it out of the tub that it sleeps in. We have towels down around the other tub (the one it washes itself in) so it won't get a chill if it lies on the floor while damp, but it actually seems to prefer the tiled floors. I don't think it could possibly be 4 - 5 weeks old though, or it would have only been one week old when I first saw it and it didn't look any smaller than it does now. It's maybe about 40cm/1.3 feet while sitting down without extending its neck.

I'm going by wing size but the little one maybe stunted from not being fed right.

 

[subhanalah]

I guess that solves that then! Lol. So you're thinking she probably is about 2 months old? Poor thing has been stripped!

 

[SampyArctica]

Did you guys see the pictures? Do they help? So you think that its wings are stunted from poor nutrition? Ah, I HATE that store!

I'm not exactly sure what they had been feeding it, but the single baby pheasant and the three or four few week old pullets (chickens) plus this duck had all been sharing the same food. Maybe some sort of poultry mix?