This is my first post here. But I did some reading around and couldn't find a solution.
This morning we bought two ducklings from tractor supply. We took them home and made their beds and went along with our day at home caring for them.
We started cooking and then we ate. We come back and one duckling had died. This is in under an hour. It was fine. Up running around and playing and eating and drinking. I know it was SDDS But have no idea why. My biggest problem is that the other duckling hasn't eaten since and isn't moving around much and just laying down and peeping. What do I do?
I'm going up to get another two ducklings tomorrow for companions. Thanks in advance
First, the lonely little definitely needs a friend....go back tomorrow and get two more.
Secondly, look at all possible causes, to prevent any other little's not making it, such as:
Brooded temp - should be 90° for their first week of age, dropping 5° each week after until ambient is reached. Also, be sure they can get away from the heat if needed, ie - heat lamp on one end of the brooder.
Water and food 24/7 for the first 5-6 weeks - and water always available ANY time food is available to prevent choking.
No drafts - keep the brooder away from windows, doors and vents - ducklings (without mum to cover them) chill VERY easily.
Prevent drowning - they can not swim, or get out of a deep water source until a few weeks old - keep water supplies shallow and with only enough access to get their heads in. And dry them quickly when they get wet - they won't have protective oils until feathered.
Proper feed - non-medicated chick starter crumbles are fine, but chick stater lacks enough niacin for rapidly growing ducklings - VERY important in ducklings...get some brewers / nutritional yeast (not bakers yeast) - typically in the vitamin/supplement section of most CVS, Wegmans, Walmart, GNC, etc.... a teaspoon sprinkled on their food daily.
Thanks, Dan! I've recently seen the little one drinking water, but that's it. I will be getting two more tomorrow and niacin for them as well. I'm very scared about leaving the heat lamp on. Because the last little one is in our living room and I don't want the house to burn down.
You said this was right after you were done cooking. Do you use teflon/non-stick cookware? If so, did a pan overheat? The fumes that an overheating teflon pan gives off can kill a bird in minutes. I had a friend who lost a parrot because of this.
It was probably something completely random, but the "we were cooking and then the bird died" sends up red flags for me.
You said this was right after you were done cooking. Do you use teflon/non-stick cookware? If so, did a pan overheat? The fumes that an overheating teflon pan gives off can kill a bird in minutes. I had a friend who lost a parrot because of this.
It was probably something completely random, but the "we were cooking and then the bird died" sends up red flags for me.
WHAT?? I never knew about this, so thank you so much! I had just set a carton of hatching eggs in the kitchen yesterday because it's the coolest room in our house. I moved them immediately since we do cook with non-stick cookware. Holy cow, I had no idea!
To the original poster: if it wasn't a teflon issue, I would say it clearly came to you already sick if it died within an hour. Maybe their stock at the store has been exposed to some disease?
WHAT?? I never knew about this, so thank you so much! I had just set a carton of hatching eggs in the kitchen yesterday because it's the coolest room in our house. I moved them immediately since we do cook with non-stick cookware. Holy cow, I had no idea!
It's not really commonly known, I heard about it back when I was raising parrots. I had a friend that lost a bird, and I've heard horror stories about other people losing multiple birds. I didn't have teflon cookware for the LONGEST time after that, even without birds. I now have only one teflon pan, and I'm super careful about letting it get hot. I use stainless steel and cast iron for everything now.
Thanks guys. I found out about the Teflon after. I don't know if it was that or not because only one had died. The other one died while it was sleeping to what I think was it not eating for half a day. It refused any food and any option I gave it. It just wanted to sit and do nothing. It only drank water twice after the other one died.
Thanks, Dan! I've recently seen the little one drinking water, but that's it. I will be getting two more tomorrow and niacin for them as well. I'm very scared about leaving the heat lamp on. Because the last little one is in our living room and I don't want the house to burn down.
I understand the fear of fire risks (I'm a retired firefighter/EMT), but you really do not have a choice when it comes to using a heat lamp, the littles' NEED to be kept warm.
Some easy ways to help prevent potential fire issues:
- ONLY use a lamp assembly designed for use as a heat/brooder lamp - these will have a ceramic lamp socket, as apposed to a plastic/phenolic lamp socket. Some work lights look very similar to heat/brooder lamps, with the same reflector shield and all, but have plastic/phenolic sockets - these are a definite NO. Also, NEVER EVER use a table/desk/lighting lamp with any heat lamp bulb.
- Make sure that the lamp is WELL secured to it's anchor point, and that the anchor point is non flammable - like a metal chair frame, wire gate or metal step stool/ladder.
- The bulb needs to be fully screwed into it's socket, and the lamp/clamp/reflector shade is properly assembled before use.
- The lamp should be a minimum 12-18" above the tallest 'little', and well away from anything that might be flammable.
- The lamp should not be used with an indoor (light duty) extension cord. Best to plug it directly into a wall outlet.
- Support the cord from above where it enters the lamp housing - as in do not let it hang down and pull on the lamp - this could pull the lamp down.
- As for the bulb - it must be kept away from the water dish to help eliminate any splashing that could shatter the glass bulb through thermal shock from the cool water hitting the hot glass (I prevent this by using only ceramic heat emitters, not the typical red light bulbs).
Also, metal bailing wire/etc is great for helping to secure the heat lamp - I always run an extra piece or two of bailing wire from the lamp's metal shade (there's usually a couple holes in the reflector shade) to a second, secure anchor point - if the lamp's clamp were to fail or come loose, the securing wire helps to ensure that the lamp will remain in place.
As an example - this is my brooder set up from this past spring. The brooder itself is the bottom half of an extra large plastic dog kennel, and the kennels' metal gate has bee secured to the end of the brooder with 6 large ty-wraps.
The lamp reflector is 14" above the box that the littles' came in, opposite the water source and aimed to one side to allow the littles' to get out of the heat if desired.
A 150 watt ceramic emitter is in the socket, and the reflector shade assembly is held with it's metal bail threaded through the gate (instead of using the squeeze clamp the lamp came with), and it is also held from behind with an additional piece of bailing wire tied to the metal gate. Note that the cord runs up over the gate, preventing any tension from pulling the lamp down.
I know it sounds like a lot to do, but these steps are really easy to accomplish quickly, and you will sleep better knowing that you have done much to help eliminate any potential for fire while keeping your little's warm and safe!
