The Quack Shack

[Muscovy Wunda]

Now yall made me concerned about Mr. Snotty:

• He hatched sometime early August and spent the first weeks of his life with Momma Tweedledee.
• One afternoon in mid September i found him abandoned in the duck-run, unable to walk, so i adopted him.
• He spent some weeks with Sunny Sunshine and Fluffy Fuffbutt on my patio until i was able to finish the Momma Duck Shack

Since then he has gained some weight and is able to walk much better, but:

• He is still not walking like a normal duck, he is getting up, tilting forward and then steps forward to keep his balance and after a few steps he drops down again.
• He is not fully feathered, still has down-fluff in some spots.
• His feathers are not waterproof and he is shivering after baths and in cold weather.
• He is way too light, literally a "feather-weight".

I wonder if that is the result of a genetic-defect, parasites (worms?) or malnourishment. Pinball kept him inside of the duck-house a lot. He was rarely outside with her.

I have uploaded two videos of him, first that is him in a luke-warm bath:

And here he is sitting in my lap, still soaking wet and shivering:

I wish i could spend more time with him, physical therapy, medicating and feeding him with some good stuff, but i am exhausted after returning from my shift.

What do you think?

A short term solution is a hair dryer after his bath. Sorry I'm not more helpful

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I totally forgot to show you the recently completed Momma-Duck shack:

Currently living here are Fluffy and Erbse Duck and Snotty Drake. Erbse is sitting on eggs, no clue how many and if they're developing, lost several limbs when i tried to candle them…

 

[Canadian Wind]

Now yall made me concerned about Mr. Snotty:

• He hatched sometime early August and spent the first weeks of his life with Momma Tweedledee.
• One afternoon in mid September i found him abandoned in the duck-run, unable to walk, so i adopted him.
• He spent some weeks with Sunny Sunshine and Fluffy Fuffbutt on my patio until i was able to finish the Momma Duck Shack

Since then he has gained some weight and is able to walk much better, but:

• He is still not walking like a normal duck, he is getting up, tilting forward and then steps forward to keep his balance and after a few steps he drops down again.
• He is not fully feathered, still has down-fluff in some spots.
• His feathers are not waterproof and he is shivering after baths and in cold weather.
• He is way too light, literally a "feather-weight".

I wonder if that is the result of a genetic-defect, parasites (worms?) or malnourishment. Pinball kept him inside of the duck-house a lot. He was rarely outside with her.

I have uploaded two videos of him, first that is him in a luke-warm bath:

And here he is sitting in my lap, still soaking wet and shivering:

I wish i could spend more time with him, physical therapy, medicating and feeding him with some good stuff, but i am exhausted after returning from my shift.

What do you think?

Awww, the poor little guy... I don't think you'll be able to keep him outside this winter. Or anywhere unheated.

If it were me, I would probably cull him but you and I are very different people. I mean that in the most positive way possible!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Nope, can't do that. He is such cuddler.
I have to install a heat pad anyways in the shack for the ducklings that may hatch from Erbse.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Nope, can't do that. He is such cuddler.
I have to install a heat pad anyways in the shack for the ducklings that may hatch from Erbse.

I wouldn't be able to either Frank. Since I have a Special Needs Son I would not be too concerned over a Special Needs Duckling.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Today our little weird Welshie boy was found dead in the middle of the large duck house. There was no blood and no indication yesterday that this could happen.

He was 5 months old and very strange - he remained small, was never fully feathered (areas with down remained) and those feathers that he did have were kinda random in placement in size. He looked all the time as though he just escaped from a fox's mouth.

We told the egg seller about this after the first two months when it became obvious as we were worried about genetic defects. He insisted that it must be some kind of internal parasites inhibiting the duckling's growth. But then he did also insist that he sold us 2 boxes of Welshie eggs and not 1 box of Welshies and 1 box of Silver Appleyards which turned out to very obviously be the case.

We're sad about the little guy and concerned what this means going forward - do we try and hatch our own Welshies or will this bring even more strange and short-lived animals.

No good answers right now.

I got my beautiful golden Welshie from Metzer Farms and she has been such a delightful duck. I piggybacked my order on the back of a gal's that used to ride my bus years ago so I did not have to pay shipping which was quite nice. They have a nice flock of them if you would rather hatch some out from a different flock.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I got my beautiful golden Welshie from Metzer Farms and she has been such a delightful duck. I piggybacked my order on the back of a gal's that used to ride my bus years ago so I did not have to pay shipping which was quite nice. They have a nice flock of them if you would rather hatch some out from a different flock.

So sorry that your little one passed and I pray it's not in the genenics .