Sickly ducklings

[Ducktown]

There is something on his feet, like a knot or something, but it seems to be healing. The foul smell I mentioned earlier was most likely the infection, they all smelled, but the small one was the worst. Yesterday I have not sensed the smell anymore. I did not give them any antimicrobial stuff so far, instead, I gave them a lot of water, gave them access to the pond (they don't go swimming yet - large one already enjoys bathing in the water though) and they have dry ground with grass and clover on one side and layer of hay on the other. I placed them into full sun until noon position and shaded their straw "nest" so that they can escape the heat. The large one likes resting much more than the small ones. She lays down and cleans herself constantly while the others roam around. She's getting really nice healthy feathers!
During the day, two small black ducklings started opening their bills (I guess it was heat, we got to 32°C and it was hot!) and I have sent my duck to walk them to the pond. Sadly they don't go swimming yet, but I've seen them arranging their water-proof coating afterwards. I think they will follow her inside any day now. Even if they don't go swimming, they still walk inside into shallow part where they search for all kind of creatures and water plants. They love it.

Something else happened yesterday. Like I mentioned, I have 2 dogs, a border collie had a baby which is now 2 months old. He bites everything at this age and I have to be careful he doesn't play with ducks his (violent) way. Ducks have an anti-predator instinct, and they gather up when the dog appears. If the dog lays down and does nothing, they come to him and the small one even started pecking his tail. I'm bringing the ducks slugs in a brown water tray. At one point, dog toddler picked up that tray and ran - and all the ducks ran after him!

PS: I have seen the feet is changing color from dark brown to healthy pink-ish. I think it's going to heal.

 

[Kiki to Nana]

I don't recall reading anything about a smell but typically it probably would be from some type of bacteria or infection. They shouldn't produce an odor other wise.

I've seen and heard many stories of ducks being okay around dogs, mine have been fine from fence interactions but never have I had them in the same space. I'd just be a little cautious is all, even if you trust it now. You just never know because the ducklings one day could end up too curious.

See if you can get a smaller container like a serving pan. It should be big enough for them to lay in and almost be fully covered possibly even lift the feet up and drift but still safe. You'll just have to gather some rocks to build a ramp so they can walk in and out easily.

@Ducktown

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes be very careful with your ducklings and your dogs it only takes a split second. Some of us have learned the heart breaking way.

I would place your ducklings from time they go out till you bring them in in a spot where they are never only in full sun. They can over heat real fast. Make it so if they choose to only lay in the shade they can or choose the sun but still have a way out of the heat.

Good to hear the lil ones feet are healing.

 

[Ducktown]

They have found a way to break out of the improvised fence I made them. Well, I just opened it and let them decide where they want to be. I have figured out by now that they tend to stay near the pond and I have kept close eye on them. They were in the pond for more than half a day. Other half, they were baking in the sun or moved into the shade and roam through dense plants to find slugs and insects. They were extremely busy the whole day.

They already started reshaping the pond. They will clean the water edge. There were many slugs before, but I have a feeling they will decimate them within days.

The small duckling nearly killed himself today. He has eaten too many slugs and dropped down and behaving like he will suffocate. After a few minutes he started looking a bit better and could start taking small sips of water. He sure is greedy. He would snatch every slug and take it away. Since he's the smallest, usually other ducks can eventually get their slug back and eat it easier than little criminal, but he did have some success - and it nearly killed him.

I think one is most likely male. It's the non-bald black duckling. The white one I assume is female (she is the closest to the character of my duck) and the bald one... I'd say male but I hope female.

If I end up having 2 males and 2 females, I'll most likely have to give one male away. I hope there is just one male.

Almost forgot. 3 ducklings are growing tail feathers. When they started swimming, they waxed themselves and they look A LOT better! The bald places are still present, but seem to be healed and the skin below looks healthy. The white duckling has replaced most of her down. That one baked in the sun when all other ducklings needed to go into the shade. Bill and feet became nicely orange colored, she's becoming really nice little duckling!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Great to hear they are doing so well. Gosh I hope they soon take care of the slug problem about makes me sick just thinking about them eating so many. Poor lil small duck almost killing himself on them. Are they eating reg feed too?

 

[Ducktown]

They are. My duck didn't eat much chick starter or any grain I gave her, but when I got the 3 ducklings, they eat almost as much as I give them. Including my duck! She now eats a lot more.

This morning I gave them regular feed and they all attacked immediately. They all went for water, except greedy little one who just shoveled as much as he could. When he went for the water, he could hardly get it down and other ducklings ate most of the feed. I gave them refill, but anyway... He's doing it with all the food.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like you are taking great care of them. They had such a rough start it may take them a while to realize all they are getting is on a permanent basis. Especially if they had a hard time getting to feed where they came from.
You have a nice lil flock there. Be sure to keep the pics coming too. We want to see the changes they are going through.

 

[Ducktown]

Not just well fed, stuffed! They continued eating after that, and then when back inside, they ate oatmeal. I almost stopped giving them chick starter, it's just way too much protein with all that hunting going on outside! I'll see how it goes, they eat a lot.

Today, they were in and around the pond again. They were more inside than outside. It's getting difficult to get them anywhere else, they follow a few meters away from the pond, then at least one turns back, goes into the water and starts calling. Interesting thing is, that my large duck doesn't follow me as much as she previously did, but two ducklings, the black and the white one started following me. The small one is still frightened and runs away from me if I get near him (he's OK with me if I stay in place and he comes towards me).

I pack them into a plastic box each evening and take them inside. As they are big enough to watch over the edge, they somehow started figuring out the path they are being taken. And here's tonight's highlight... As the sun went down, they grouped up like 3 times. Each time, something went wrong, I got a phone call, and they went back to the pond, I had to bring in the dogs, they went back.. but it was evident, they were expecting something. Well, they refused to go into the box, and they all hate being picked up, so I decided to see where they will take me. The large duckling brought us almost into the house, sadly it missed a direction halfway there. I loaded them up into the box and got them inside. They could all jump out easily, but they stopped doing that the first day.

 

[Ducktown]

A few days old video when they finally started swimming.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aren't they precious. Love their pond.

One thing with natural ponds is snapping turtles they lay in wait and will grabbed ducklings drag them under drown them and eat. I hope you don't have them. If you do get rid of them asap.

Sounds like they are well on their way to enjoying the good life. Don't let them talk you into staying out on the pond over night though which may come any day now. Too many preds around especially after dark. Also sounds like your duck has bonded with her buddies now which is awesome.