The Duck Thread

[duckcrazed]

Hey,

I wrote earlier about my ducking and promised some pictures. Here is the cutie. It has around 3 and a half now and is considerably larger than in the pictures.
It is super playful and loving, but recently, it seems to be breathing a bit too fast and it sometimes opens and closes her beak rather fast.
I read that it means that it is dehydrated. So I keep a fresh bowl of water around and give it to her to drink every other 10 minutes.
I also set up a bowl of warm water for her to clean her nostrils...but still it seems like it is breathing too fast. Its whole body is moving.
Should I be worried?

 

[Amiga]

Hey,

I wrote earlier about my ducking and promised some pictures. Here is the cutie. It has around 3 and a half now and is considerably larger than in the pictures.
It is super playful and loving, but recently, it seems to be breathing a bit too fast and it sometimes opens and closes her beak rather fast.
I read that it means that it is dehydrated. So I keep a fresh bowl of water around and give it to her to drink every other 10 minutes.
I also set up a bowl of warm water for her to clean her nostrils...but still it seems like it is breathing too fast. Its whole body is moving.
Should I be worried?

Precious.

Maybe you should be concerned, it really depends. She needs water 24/7. Is that what she is getting? What's the temperature in the brooder? Can she move to a cooler place? Can you tell us more about her environment? Type of bedding? Feed?

 

[duckcrazed]

Yes,
She has constant access to water. Sometimes to make her food easier to ingest I add a few spoon fulls of water to it.
She lives inside the apartment where there is a temperature of 26-27 degrees Celsius. In her box (which has around 80cm x 50 cm) she has blankets and it is warm. She is not confined to the box and she also has her own tiny bean bag chair with blankets in which she snuggles if she is cold. She actually sees it as her place during the day and jumps up and covers herself.
She eats ground corn with a mashed mix of greens (lettuce leaves and radish greens and a bit of fresh parsley leaves and cucumbers and a bit of tomatoes) along with a little bit of cottage cheese and the occasional hard boiled egg.
I do not have duck feeder where I live.
I change her blankets and towels every other day so they can be clean. I have some wood shavings but I am afraid that she might get too cold in them. She takes small baths daily or every other day, and I dry her right after, so she won't catch a cold. Sometimes I use the blowdrier, on low setting.
Now she keeps opening her beak, and doesn't want water.
Her stool is varies in ... um, liquidity... from watery to solid, throughout the day.
If there is anything else I could tell you please ask me.
She gets attention and contact all day, and is cared for, but I am inexperienced and I might be struggling.
Thank you for answering so fast.

 

[carcar80]

She's adorable. <3

 

[Amiga]

I feel that she may need more nutrients than the corn is giving. I am wondering if you can find dried cat kibble where you are? Or sardines packed in water with no extra salt or oil?

How about organic wheat berries? All those have some more protein and the first two have some niacin. Can you order some poultry vitamin-electrolyte-probiotic mix?

Some ducklings are sensitive to nutrient balance, more than others, so it is difficult to be sure.

At three and a half weeks (did I read that correctly?), a good temperature for her is just about what you have, so that's good. I wonder if she might get a little warm, but I am feeling there may be more likely a nutrient imbalance. Good you are feeding the fresh stuff. Has she had small grit? It's important for her to have that with the diet she is on.

Have you seen the sticky on duckling care at the top of the forum?

 

[duckcrazed]

I feel that she may need more nutrients than the corn is giving. I am wondering if you can find dried cat kibble where you are? Or sardines packed in water with no extra salt or oil?

How about organic wheat berries? All those have some more protein and the first two have some niacin. Can you order some poultry vitamin-electrolyte-probiotic mix?

Some ducklings are sensitive to nutrient balance, more than others, so it is difficult to be sure.

I will go get some cat kibble first thing tomorrow. And will look for the sardines. Most of them are heavily salted, but I will try to find everything you said.

I am so worried about her opening her beak and breathing so fast. She is not wheezing and it not labored breathing, but her body moves with every breath, as if shaking.
Yes, three and a half weeks, and has gotten rather large.
She did not have grit yet, since the only place where I can get that is outside town. But I will get her some on Wednesday. I cut all her food into tiny bits and make sure it is not dry, so she can digest it more easily, until she has grit.

I did not see it. I can't seem to find the sticky. -> correction, found it. Reading it!

 

[duckcrazed]

During it's bathtime
Oh forgot to mention, it also eats mushed bananas and tiny bits of apple.

 

[BScott03]

I just put my ducks in their brooder for their first night outside (they've been in my bathroom) they LOVE being outside so much. They were so mad when I put them up. I don't think they need their heat lamp, but I went ahead and put it out there since it's their first night. I have no idea how old they are. I got them at Atwoods a couple of weeks ago but they do perfectly fine with the weather. I'll see how they do tonight and maybe I can get them off the heat lamp soon

 

[cluckcluckluke]

OH, SHE IS SOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!!

!!!!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Hi all.

Are Ducks nocturnal?!?!

I have come down in pitch darkness with a torch and found my ducks still swimming, perfectly happy and they seem to be able to see fine. Unlike chickens!