silent moscovy baby ducks

[[email protected]]

Ok, I need help.

We had about 20 moscovy baby ducks that we took from the mother, because it was getting to cold, and this ducks first batch of baby chicks disappeared (we think something ate them).

Well, we had a total of 20, from 2 ducks.

Last weekend, it was really warm outside, so we filled a bucket up with water, and they swam around then, they started diving and drowning. It seems like they could not get warm, so we had to dry them with a hair dryer. Some of them did not make it

We are now down to six, because what they are doing, is when they get water to drink, they drink it, then fall over like they are drunk, lie there and die, unless we take the hair dryer and dry them. They don't drink that much water, but you can see it in their little necks, a big bulge, and they can't hold their heads up, they lie there on the bottom. We have also heated them up with a lamp, which has been on them since they were born.

I live in SC, so it is getting cold and I am afraid they will die out in the cold.

Does anyone know why they are drinking themselves to death????

 

[pnuts]

idk that sounds awful.. are there marbles in the drinking water thing? i hear that helps

 

[BarredBuff]

Marbles in the water definetely, and baby ducks without a mommy should not be allowed to swim.

 

[chicksbestfriend]

You didnt state how old the ducklings are, but my experience with ducklings, is that they are prone to drowning within the first three weeks of life. Sounds like to me that they drowned.

Sorry for your loss. The only water that I allow the baby ducklings around is the waterers, they cannot drown in them.

 

[[email protected]]

Well, they are about 4 weeks old, and I can't put marbles in their water, it is one of those old water thingies, that has the mason jar, and you screw this metal thing on the top, and turn it upside down, and only lets out a little bit of water at a time, kind of like a water cooler, you can see the little bubbles going up. I only gave them a little bit of water, but they want more, they are tring to jump out of the plastic bin I have. Hatching chickens were a whole lot easier!!!!

 

[Frannabelle]

My cousin raises muscovies. You shouldn't have taken the babies from their mothers, muscovies are excellent mothers. They provide enough warmth for their babies too! If something got to the first hatching, you probably should have made a brooder pen from some chicken wire or something and moved mom and babies into that. Nothing beats mommy as a brooder. Only give them access to shallow waterers. Muscovies are less oily than other ducks, but still mommy has oil glands that will rub off on the ducklings. Without the oil, the water just soaks them.
Sorry for your loss, and hopefully next time you will let their mom's do the brooding!

 

[[email protected]]

won't they freeze in the cold weather? Here we thought we were doing a good thing...

 

[Olive Hill]

Do they have drinking water available at all times?

 

[[email protected]]

no, we are afraid they will drown in it. We limit it. Last time we left the water in side with them, three (3) of them died!!

 

[Olive Hill]

That's why they're dying. Ducklings should not be allowed to swim unsupervised, but they MUST have drinking water available at all times.