Urgent! One duckling died and the other won't eat

[deedles]

Just found this thread as we have the same thing here: We had 13 ancona ducklings and they are now 12 days old. Healthy, active ducklings, growing well. A couple days ago we noticed a couple ducklings not keeping up in size to the rest but thought not too much of it since they all seemed fine. Also noted one to be a little 'sleepier' then the others but still seemed fine. Yesterday we found that one dead on the ground. I had seen them all just 10 minutes prior and nothing looked wrong but then my DH went outside and one laying nearly dead. We brought her inside and put her in the inside brooder under the heat lamp and she moved her wings a few time and blinked slowly and then died. No respiratory struggling or anything else notable.

Now today we notice the other littler one doesn't seem to be eating, is a little 'sleepy' looking and isn't keeping up with the rest of the flock much of the time. She sips a little water and pecks at the grass but we watched for at least 15 minutes and all of them ate their food except this one.

Any ideas of what could be happening here? Seems related to the other duckling but we've never had any ducks before so we're grasping at straws.

Suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Beekissed]

Have you checked their vents for pasting? Sometimes that happens before we know it and it can take a chick or duckling down right quick. Sometimes it just happens that a chick or duckling are born with a genetic defect of some kind that causes failure to thrive and there's not much that can be done about it, it just happens.

I wish I could help you on this but I'm often as mystified as the next person when a young animal dies for no apparent reason. If they have access to fresh feed, plenty of clean water, and a warm place and they fail to thrive, there's not much can be done.

Last year I had some ducklings and was using a nipple waterer...saw them drinking and everything. Well, for chicks the nipple bucket may be just fine but I think I lost a duckling over it...I don't think it was getting enough water. When I replaced the nipple bucket a few of the other ducklings that weren't looking too well, perked up and got zippy again. I think they were just dehydrated...they seem to need more water than chicks. That one was easy to solve but I've had others that were not.

 

[deedles]

Thanks for the comments, Bee. They do have food and water available at all times, fermented feed plus they are nibbling on the grass and weeds when they are outside. I guess we'll just watch her and see. What else can you do, anyway?

 

[casportpony]

Can you take some poop samples to a vet?

-Kathy

 

[deedles]

Gave her a couple drops (or at least one) of mineral oil and then set up a separate brooder for her and one (very noisy and unhappy) friend. Made up some electrolyte solution which she tested and now seems to love and is guzzling. DH suggested scattering some dry crumbles on the towel and she is eating a few of them. Definitely seems perkier in the last hour since the electrolyte solution came on board. Still isn't touching the regular feed. I haven't seen her poop yet, though. Wait and see I guess.

 

[casportpony]

Gave her a couple drops (or at least one) of mineral oil and then set up a separate brooder for her and one (very noisy and unhappy) friend. Made up some electrolyte solution which she tested and now seems to love and is guzzling. DH suggested scattering some dry crumbles on the towel and she is eating a few of them. Definitely seems perkier in the last hour since the electrolyte solution came on board. Still isn't touching the regular feed. I haven't seen her poop yet, though. Wait and see I guess.

Be *very* careful giving miner oil because I think one aspirated drop can kill them, Look up lipoid pneumonia.

-Kathy

 

[deedles]

Hmmm, never heard of lipoid pneumonia in all my 35 years of nursing. Thanks for the heads up on that. She seems better this am and does weigh 6/10 of an oz more than last night most likely due to the guzzling of the electrolyte solution. Still isn't eating the fermented feed but is still pecking at the dry crumbles on the floor and was very excited to get ahold of some leaf lettuce. Still keeping her separate for the time being, though.

 

[deedles]

Oh, I did check for pasting and saw none and I did witness her poop this am, so that's good. It looked a little more loose than the others but not watery by any means.

 

[casportpony]

Hmmm, never heard of lipoid pneumonia in all my 35 years of nursing.  Thanks for the heads up on that.  She seems better this am and does weigh 6/10 of an oz more than last night most likely due to the guzzling of the electrolyte solution.  Still isn't eating the fermented feed but is still pecking at the dry crumbles on the floor and was very excited to get ahold of some leaf lettuce.  Still keeping her separate for the time being, though.

Sounds like it's getting better.

With your experience in the medical field you might find this useful:
http://avianmedicine.net/publication_cat/avian-medicine/

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

And there is this one:
http://avianmedicine.net/publication_cat/clinical-avian-medicine/

-Kathy