Video clip of new ducks

[WadeMD]

I threw together a short video clip of our ducks over their first few days... from arrival in the box to their first pseudo-swim... Enjoy:

Its mostly Runners with a Cayuga and 2 Black Swedish.

We like to call their swimming behavior... Frog Rocketing. They look like superspeed frogs underwater.

 

[Wifezilla]

I call that SCUBA DUCK!

 

[Amiga]

Great video, thanks!

Now I feel a little nostalgic for the early days - all of three weeks ago!!! Wow, time flies!

And their swimming I think of as "swims like a torpedo."

I am finding the black runners are a little larger, and have a little more oil than most of the chocolates. Probably just the lines they are from. They are all doing well.

Thanks again for sharing the video.

 

[veronicasmom]

OMG, they are too cute for words. I am jealous, someday I would love to have a few ducklings. Just don't want another drake, so too risky for me. Once I have something I can't get rid of it!

 

[WadeMD]

So I have one little runner (Fawn and White) that is not being competitive with the other ducks. She is not growing as quickly, does not run with the pack (she stays a little apart when they start zooming back and forth), keeps her neck down (not extending to look around like the other runners), and generally looks 'sleepy' alot more often.

The ducklings are 9 days of age right now, so its pretty noticeable that she's not gaining weight as well. She eats when given food, but when the other ducks scramble to the bowl/feeder, she backs away.

Anyone have recommendations for keeping her healthy?

At this point, the only thing I can see doing is isolating her twice a day to make certain she is eating her fill (of both chow and veggie treats), then putting her back with the rest. These little guys hate being separated from each other (they yell alot if you try it) so that would probably induce more stress if its not temporary.

 

[Amiga]

I had one who sounds a little like what you are describing, and a couple of weeks ago she was looking pretty puny. I mixed up some vitamins and electrolytes and put them in a ricotta cheese tub with a hole cut out of the top (about half full).

I sat with them (Brooder II is 16 sf, so I can get in there). I picked her up and cradled her, and offered her the v&e mix. She settled down and began sipping down some mix. I just held her for a few minutes, close to the rest of the brood. I chatted with her, just held her.

That was late one evening. By the next morning she was perked up quite a bit, running around a bit more. I make sure that when I feed them salad, that there is an extra little bowl I can put in front of her if she chooses not to jump in there with the rest.

Lately, while she is still the shy and retiring one, she will elbow in there when the food or fresh water is put in, she now holds her own in the salad frenzy.

So, I think some extra TLC can help a shy one manage to thrive. She is still the smallest, and a bit slower to develop than the rest, but otherwise seems past the crisis point.