Hey guys. Had a hatch the other day. 10 ducklings. 5 were pure bred mallards, 5 pekin x magpie crosses. The magpies hatched great. Strong, lively, having duck like tendencies. The mallards were all SEVERELY undersized or sickly. 2 didnt make it out of their shells. Ive got one mallard left. Im not sure if I should isolate it and try to raise the poor thing on its own, or just put it out of its misery. The duckling twitches its head alot and struggles to get around. I can tell its not in the greatest health. Not to mention its about half the size of the other ducks... any help?
I would say give it a chance, and get it on some nutrients like gro-gel, sav-a-chick. Sometimes with extra vitamins and minerals they will pull through, based on what I have read here. I would keep it separated from the others with a divider so it can see and hear the others but not get trampled on.
Seconding what Amiga said. A drop or two of apple cider vinegar in its water may be beneficial for keeping its electrolytes up as well. When you separate it from the rest, be sure to give it something to cuddle into, like a stuffed animal. Warmth is essential, of course, but I imagine even moreso for one this small...I hope they're just off to a rough start.
Well hey the little thing pulled through. Still very small but acting normal now. I added it back to the group so we'll see how that goes
That's great news, but I still would get some quality poultry vitamins and give to the whole gang it really helps them gain strength the first couple weeks of their lil lives.
