Weak duckling advice needed

[bubbyduck]

I had a duckling that spent 36 hours externally pipped, I discovered he was dried into the shell and completely needed to come out. He got out himself as soon as he was given the opportunity, the yolk was absorbed but he wasn't in the best way from being stuck I think. His wing was stuck to his body and his head was stuck to the other side!

I cleaned him up mostly and he's been back in the incubator for about 17 hours. He's just resting, not really able to move in a co-ordinated fashion yet, although better than last night, which I know can be normal but he seems very weak at this point. Should I be offering food or water or does he need more time to rest?

I already made a choice to offer some spark electrolyte energy water which may have been the wrong decision, he took it himself, but just now after a small sip he seemed to respond by shaking his head a lot and flailing a bit so I worried he had aspirated. He is just laying down and breathing basically and moving his position every so often.

What should I do now? This was my first hatch in an incubator so I am still learning the eggs were shipped and had very damaged air cells, no one else has hatched and I think the rest have died in the eggs at this point so it's been somewhat traumatic for me and this poor little baby. (he is a pekin)

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you have any Poultry Nutri drench you can dribble some along his bill and he’ll hopefully get some inside it’s great stuff for newly hatch and shipped poultry. It can also be put into their water. But giving straight should help. Poor thing had a rough hatch so a few days of resting should help. Put a safe water source close by and some feed and every so often offer it the feed he may not want or need yet but they seem to take water first. Keep us updated on this little one and sorry about the others.

 

[chickens really]

Hello ..I place them into a paper towel lined margarine container in the incubator and Don't give anything by mouth. It can take well over 24 hours till they find their feet. They don't require anything till they can do it themselves. They are still absorbing the yolk.

 

[Jpat]

i recently had the same thing happen to one of my ducklings

Heres my thread about it, good and detailed

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/treating-weak-runt-duckling.1307972/


Good luck with your baby!

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[DuckyDonna]

Hello ..I place them into a paper towel lined margarine container in the incubator and Don't give anything by mouth. It can take well over 24 hours till they find their feet. They don't require anything till they can do it themselves. They are still absorbing the yolk.

She said that the yolk was absorbed.

 

[chickens really]

She said that the yolk was absorbed.

You don't understand that they absorb yolk the first couple of days and why they can be shipped all over the country without feed and water..

 

[Miss Lydia]

The duckling was over 17 hrs old and had taken water on its own. When my recent Runner ducklings hatched one afternoon the next morning they were up eating and drinking to beat the band I was pretty surprised but it’s true.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@bubbyduck hows your duckling doing?