Surprise Duckling Crushed in Coop- Ruptured Yolk

WolfGirlMagic

Songster
5 Years
Nov 9, 2017
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Yesterday my mother brought me a duckling dried and cling wrapped in a stomped egg.
The ducklings umbilicus is still protruding slightly and it appears the yolk was completely ruptured. The chick was weak and folded like it wanted to still be in the egg.
I didnt expect it to make it, but now that it has made it this far. I want to see if there is more i can do.
What have i done so far
1) Carefully removed the broken and gross egg and film that still wrapped it. Made sure not to pull umbilicus and simply made the remaining cord a stump.
2) sprayed chlorohexidine (pardon spelling) around sight, removing dirt and poop debris as best i could (poor thing looked like it was in the compost pile)
3) Got warm.
4) After warming I tried to get it to drink nutridrench/save a chick mix (limited sucess)
5) applied silver sulfiodizine ointment to umbilicus
6) kept warm, snuggle, encourage, offer water every hour or so.

Its symptoms:
The thing looks like a living mummy. Clearly dehydrated. Eyes wont open, and if they do they are sunk in and glossed over. Duckling barely drinks (im honestly worried im going to aspirate it, but it desperately needs nurishment so i figure it is worth the risk trying)
It is no longer curled on itself and is sitting up and will shuffle. Otherwise it moves its head around awkwardly and weakly.

I have thought about an antibiotic for likely infection from the umbilicus but cant even get it to reliably drink water.

I feel like ive done pretty much all i can baring a vet visit (i unfortunately cant afford atm after emergency surgery on my ferret and hes had some complications :( )
Im guarded on my hope but if there is anything else i can do i figured this is the place to look.
Thank you again for any help!!!
Attached picture is chicks umbilical area.
 

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Poor little thing!

I think you are doing what you can for her. Keep the area cleaned and ointment applied like you are doing.
Put her on puppy pads or paper towels which will help keep the navel cleaner (and easier to clean up bedding too).

Keep working on hydration as well.
Hope for the best but prepare that this little one may not make it.

I'll tag in @shawluvsbirds @Miss Lydia to see if they have other suggestions for you.
 
Poor little thing!

I think you are doing what you can for her. Keep the area cleaned and ointment applied like you are doing.
Put her on puppy pads or paper towels which will help keep the navel cleaner (and easier to clean up bedding too).

Keep working on hydration as well.
Hope for the best but prepare that this little one may not make it.

I'll tag in @shawluvsbirds @Miss Lydia to see if they have other suggestions for you.
Thank you so much.
She seems to be going down hill fast now :(
Her reflex to swallow is weak and her head is just falling now.
I appreciate it so much.
Too bad there isnt a magic "you're gunna live you lil' shit" pill... 😭
 
I am so sorry I am just now seeing this, poor little one just didn't have a chance from what it had been through. Very sorry for your loss.
Thank you. I agree it seemed grim and im trying to find solace that i did everything i could and didnt make it worse.
I dont even know where it came from to be honest. None of my birds seem broody and cant find a nest. My mom found the egg in a random place.
There isnt anyone around that has ducks that i know of for a crow to have dropped it in our yard or anything. It is just all kinds of strange. I feel so bad for the cutie. Looked like one of our Cayugas also which we had unsuccessfully been trying to breed last year so this is all kinds of upsetting if it was a cayuga.
 

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