The adventures of L & D & the bad hatch

[Qui1980]

I’d actually thought of this. It might’ve worked.
But…The entire brood of 12 all died several days ago.
I’m absolutely devastated. And I have no idea WHAT happened.
It’s like they were poisoned. Was brutally fast. L went a few hours before the rest-I wasn’t here when it happened and didn’t see him, my husband took him out before I got home, and he thought it was related to his issues. He was significantly smaller than the rest though, so if something did poison them, it makes sense that he would’ve been affected first.
When I got home they were all weakly tweeting and barely moving.
I called a neighbor (who has a full farm at the back of our subdivision) for help. She is 3 min away.
They were gone by the time she got here. I tried desperately to DO something but it was obvious nothing could be done, so I just held them as they died.

The only change in their life was I’d switched them to View attachment 3143328View attachment 3143329
This feed (from duck all lifestages crumbles) the day before. It was a bag the other adult ducks (who are fine) had been eating from for weeks. And a brand and type (pellets) that I’ve switched other babies to with no issues in the past.

I’ve only lost one (post-hatch) duckling before, and I know it comes with the territory, but losing them ALL like this-with no reason I can figure out-has been really, really hard. It HAD to have been the food somehow, but it doesn’t really make sense. They didn’t all choke at the same time. There were no symptoms beforehand, there was no blood or vomiting or bloody stool or diarrhea, no eye bubbles, they’d been eating and drinking and pooping and active like normal.

I saved a bit of the batch of food in a (well labeled) bag, threw the rest out and returned the new bag of pellet-formed food I’d been out buying. (I also told the store where I’d gotten it just in case.)

Anyone have any thoughts?

I am heartbroken for you. I’m sos Rory this happened

 

[pandorican]

I came back to check on how things were going and was horrified to read this. I am so sorry.
I opened a new bag of chicken feed this morning and it has something in it. I don't know if is a dead mouse coated in crumbles or a clump of molded food or something else. The whole bag is going back to the feed store, including the top I cut off. I am not feeding that "stuff" to my chickens.
They can fry up the battered mouse and eat it themselves.

Ughhh how horrible! I hope they took it back! I feel like the quality control for fowl feed might not be the best.

 

[pandorican]

I am heartbroken for you. I’m sos Rory this happened

Thank you. I’m getting over it slowly, but I’m terrified of it happening again now. My neighbor brought me two ducklings as her way of trying to help (I have no idea what they are or where they came from) the other day. I’ve been watching them like hawks, and literally sifting the big chunks out of their crumbles and stuff.

 

[pandorican]

Thank you. I’m getting over it slowly, but I’m terrified of it happening again now. My neighbor brought me two ducklings as her way of trying to help (I have no idea what they are or where they came from) the other day. I’ve been watching them like hawks, and literally sifting the big chunks out of their crumbles and stuff.

These are the newbies. Ones colored almost like my black Swede babies, but the face and beak are off. Also they have tiny feet, and seem much smaller than my usual ducklings… like, mine are this tiny for maybe the first day or two but that’s it.
Is it possible that maybe they’re call ducklings or something? I have zero familiarity with Calls, but these guys just seem slightly different than the other breeds I AM familiar with. Here’s a better pic of a face, in case anyone out there has any expertise in the matter.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Adorable