Tube Feeding Ducks - Updated 5/7/2020

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks, A friend has a duck not eating and we were wanting to know how long you wait before tubing. I am giving her this link.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Thanks, A friend has a duck not eating and we were wanting to know how long you wait before tubing. I am giving her this link.

Thank you @Miss Lydia
So far he is drinking lots but would it be best if I add Gatorade in water for extra boost as he isn’t eating feed
He is having water poo every 10-15 mins then goes straight to his water dish to drink
I am making him peas , rice with a bit of cat food
The favourite treat in hopes this may get him to eat a little

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you @Miss Lydia
So far he is drinking lots but would it be best if I add Gatorade in water for extra boost as he isn’t eating feed
He is having water poo every 10-15 mins then goes straight to his water dish to drink
I am making him peas , rice with a bit of cat food
The favourite treat in hopes this may get him to eat a little

@casportpony

 

[Kiki]

Step 1:
Bring duck inside and place in a warm room, 80-85 degrees is ideal (watch for signs of over-heating).

Step 2:
Weigh the duck

Step 3:
Once warmed, correct hydration and this should not be done until the duck is warmed up. Tube warmed (102 degrees) Pedialyte or Gatorade at 14 ml per pound of body weight, wait 60-90 minutes and repeat. If no poop is produced by 3 hours after first tubing, repeat once more.

Step 4:
Once the duck is pooping you can start tubing warmed Kaytee Exact baby bird food or a non-lay crumble (lay crumble has too much calcium). Start by tubing 14 ml per pound of body weight and increase a little at each feeding. Do not exceed 23 ml per pound of body weight. Sick birds are tube fed 2-4 times a day.


"Tube feeding, also known as gavage feeding, is an essential part of avian supportive care. Sick birds are often presented with a history of anorexia, and glycogen stores may be depleted within hours in the granivore (including psitacine, passerine and galliform species) secondary to a relatively high metabolic rate. Another important indication for gavage feeding is a documented drop in body weight of 5% to 10%."
Source: https://lafeber.com/vet/tube-feeding-birds/

The duck crop looks like the one on the left:

More tube feeding info here:
Updated - Go team "Tube Feeding!"

Below is a good article that I found on the web:
https://www.teediddlydee.com/how-to-tube-feed-sick-ducks/
How to Tube Feed Sick Ducks

@MGG Are you feeding these amounts?

 

[MGG]

@MGG Are you feeding these amounts?

I didn't weigh him because it stresses him out so bad.
I usually just feed until I can feel the crop filling up to a normal size. Pintails are pigs and commonly stuff themselves to where the crops are about dragging, lol. Pretty much all of my ducks can take at least a full 35 ml. at a time so it's just odd that she won't. I don't know how she would be bringing it back up either. I know I'm all the way in her crop. I always feel the tube the whole way down to be sure.

 

[casportpony]

I didn't weigh him because it stresses him out so bad.
I usually just feed until I can feel the crop filling up to a normal size. Pintails are pigs and commonly stuff themselves to where the crops are about dragging, lol. Pretty much all of my ducks can take at least a full 35 ml. at a time so it's just odd that she won't. I don't know how she would be bringing it back up either. I know I'm all the way in her crop. I always feel the tube the whole way down to be sure.

What it's approximate weight?

 

[MGG]

What it's approximate weight?

Gosh, I'd guess one or two pounds probably. He had lost quite a bit over the past few days so I was trying to make sure I was getting him full. Messing with him too much brings his tremors back so I'm trying to tread softly.

 

[casportpony]

Gosh, I'd guess one or two pounds probably. He had lost quite a bit over the past few days so I was trying to make sure I was getting him full. Messing with him too much brings his tremors back so I'm trying to tread softly.

So this is the one with the neck thing? When they have something like this, it's probably best to give no more than 2% of their body weight per feeding. So at 2 pounds, that's 18 ml.

 

[Kiki]

So this is the one with the neck thing? When they have something like this, it's probably best to give no more than 2% of their body weight per feeding. So at 2 pounds, that's 18 ml.

Two different ducks.
One male...started with the neck thing....now a female is starting with it.

 

[MGG]

So this is the one with the neck thing? When they have something like this, it's probably best to give no more than 2% of their body weight per feeding. So at 2 pounds, that's 18 ml.

Yes, the female is still in the flushing phase. I just discovered her acting off today.

That seems like so little. Maybe I'll try to weigh him again and see how it goes. This is what I'm using, a full syringe only fills his crop about halfway, there's still a lot of empty space. Two seems to get it pretty good. It isn't too full and it empties fully in between feedings. His poops are nice and solid.