We put the ducklings and chicks outside for a bit yesterday as it was so warm. Put them all together in a pen in the sun. Aside from a few pecks at each other, they all seemed fine. Today, we will try a short swim for the ducklings.
We noticed that our new 5 day old Rouen leg's, seem a little weak. They are not splayed, per se, but he/she seems to hold them apart more than the mallard and while he/she runs around and keeps up with the mallard, he lies down a lot more than her. He will walk from one end of the brooder to his food and water and plunk himself down. They are the same age. The Rouen is definitely bigger than her, his feet are larger and his legs seem robust, but while she stands to drink and eat, he'll waddle over and then plunk himself down to eat and drink. They are on duck starter mixed 1/10 with grit and I have added a vitamin/electrolyte mixture to their water. Storey's said it could be a lack of Niacin? I don't think he had a great diet from where I got him. Mind you he had just hatched last Sunday and I picked him up on Thursday. I saw mom and dad and they were huge, gorgeous, very healthy looking Rouens.
I had them on paper towels in the brooder, but he had been on grass for 3 days before I got him and I thought maybe it was too slippery for him, so I put them on straw. If I take them out, they will follow my son back to the brooder, the Rouen lagging a bit behind the Mallard, but he has this funny almost like a bow-legged gate. It's a good 40 feet from the brooder and he makes it all the way no problem.
Being totally new to this duckling and chick obsession, I might be just a silly, worried mom, but something just set off an alarm bell in my head when I noticed his gait, especially in comparison to the mallard. So am I nuts or should I be concerned?
Again, any advice would be most gratefully received.
We noticed that our new 5 day old Rouen leg's, seem a little weak. They are not splayed, per se, but he/she seems to hold them apart more than the mallard and while he/she runs around and keeps up with the mallard, he lies down a lot more than her. He will walk from one end of the brooder to his food and water and plunk himself down. They are the same age. The Rouen is definitely bigger than her, his feet are larger and his legs seem robust, but while she stands to drink and eat, he'll waddle over and then plunk himself down to eat and drink. They are on duck starter mixed 1/10 with grit and I have added a vitamin/electrolyte mixture to their water. Storey's said it could be a lack of Niacin? I don't think he had a great diet from where I got him. Mind you he had just hatched last Sunday and I picked him up on Thursday. I saw mom and dad and they were huge, gorgeous, very healthy looking Rouens.
I had them on paper towels in the brooder, but he had been on grass for 3 days before I got him and I thought maybe it was too slippery for him, so I put them on straw. If I take them out, they will follow my son back to the brooder, the Rouen lagging a bit behind the Mallard, but he has this funny almost like a bow-legged gate. It's a good 40 feet from the brooder and he makes it all the way no problem.
Being totally new to this duckling and chick obsession, I might be just a silly, worried mom, but something just set off an alarm bell in my head when I noticed his gait, especially in comparison to the mallard. So am I nuts or should I be concerned?
Again, any advice would be most gratefully received.
