- May 9, 2012
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Hey all,
We recently ordered 15 Ancona ducklings. One died in transport but the remaining 14 are fantastic! The thing is that while 13 of the ducks have grown at an amazing pace (they are about 2 weeks old now), one of them literally seems not to have grown at all. Now I know all about runts, but this seems different. This little guy is at most 1/4 the size of the other ducks. So, my question is this: What might cause this kind of lack of growth in a duck? We did try separating him out(yes it is a male) and giving him his own food, but it seems to be making no difference and he'd really prefer to be with the others. Is there dwarfism in ducks? could this little guy have some medical issue that makes nutrient absorbtion impossible? We're cool with the idea of a toy sized duck, we even joke about making him the farm mascot and greeter, but he also seems much more fragile than the others, and we'd prefer not to lose him! Any thoughts?
Thanks all,
Tim
Old Ephraim Farm, Deweyville, UT
We recently ordered 15 Ancona ducklings. One died in transport but the remaining 14 are fantastic! The thing is that while 13 of the ducks have grown at an amazing pace (they are about 2 weeks old now), one of them literally seems not to have grown at all. Now I know all about runts, but this seems different. This little guy is at most 1/4 the size of the other ducks. So, my question is this: What might cause this kind of lack of growth in a duck? We did try separating him out(yes it is a male) and giving him his own food, but it seems to be making no difference and he'd really prefer to be with the others. Is there dwarfism in ducks? could this little guy have some medical issue that makes nutrient absorbtion impossible? We're cool with the idea of a toy sized duck, we even joke about making him the farm mascot and greeter, but he also seems much more fragile than the others, and we'd prefer not to lose him! Any thoughts?
Thanks all,
Tim
Old Ephraim Farm, Deweyville, UT
