Struggling with my current duck hatch

[Miss Lydia]

How is the little one doing this evening?

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

How is the little one doing this evening?

Thank you for asking. Little one is doing alright. Still can’t use the leg good, but it is eating and drinking well. It’s so tiny compared to the others. I can’t leave it in with them yet because they accidentally step on the poor little one. It just ate and drink so I’m letting it rest for a while then I’ll take it out and get a video of it walking.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's sure adorable. I was hoping you weren't leaving it with the others yet, so it wouldn't get run over.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

It's sure adorable. I was hoping you weren't leaving it with the others yet, so it wouldn't get run over.

I have it in the incubator with no water and the temp at 90 degrees. Is that still too hot? I can turn it down more. It is happy in there right now. I tried putting it in with the siblings and it was doing good at first, but it got flipped on it’s back and wet. I immediately put the poor little one back in the incubator so it didn’t get chilled.

I’m leaving it in the incubator till I go buy another heat lamp but it seems content for now. I’ve been taking it out every hour and a half to eat and drink while I watch it.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Too bad you can't have a separate area for the wobbly duckling where they can all still see each other but not trample each other.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can you divide your brooder so they can share the heat lamp? That way they can all see each other. When my 2 week olds were in the brooder and my duck was hatching ducklings and acting crazy, I had to bring the ducklings inside so I used a piece of hardware cloth wrapped the edges in tape and used that to make a separation, that way the heat lamp was placed in the middle and shared by both sides.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

Too bad you can't have a separate area for the wobbly duckling where they can all still see each other but not trample each other.

Can you divide your brooder so they can share the heat lamp? That way they can all see each other. When my 2 week olds were in the brooder and my duck was hatching ducklings and acting crazy, I had to bring the ducklings inside so I used a piece of hardware cloth wrapped the edges in tape and used that to make a separation, that way the heat lamp was placed in the middle and shared by both sides.

I hadn’t thought about that. I might try that later. Last night and this morning, I am struggling to feed the little one. It keeps eating and drinking and then will suddenly start foaming, gasping, and choking on the food. I thought since it ate a lot last night that maybe it’s crop was over full or maybe it’s eating too fast. Maybe it’s not wanting to drink enough water. It has a little crackle when it breathes that comes and goes. I’m not sure. It sure scared me though, I thought I’d loose the sweetie. I gently flung the little downwards and it spit up a piece of food, I then massaged the throat downwards so the blockage would move down, after that I wiped the foam out of its nostrils. It went on to act completely normal after that, pecking at everything and sitting there.

I’m just so worried, I’m going to hold off feeding till later but I really have to go to work today. I maybe even someone check on the little one.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

Here was the little this morning: he’s the second one in on the left side. He is so teeny tiny!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you tried making mush out of the feed so the little one is drinking soup instead of eating it dry?
I bet that was scary I hope it will be okay.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

Have you tried making mush out of the feed so the little one is drinking soup instead of eating it dry?
I bet that was scary I hope it will be okay.

Yes, I had wet the food and made a little “soup” so to speak. I did offer it some food off my finger but it was wetted down not dry. I hope so too; I hated leaving the poor little one. I’m trying to get someone to stop by and check on it.