Weird Duckling Head Twitch?!

[duck010203]

Hey guys, I just recently got two pekin ducklings, and they seemed to be doing great. But now all of a sudden, they aren’t eating as much, drinking as much, and have started this weird head twitch. It’s strange to me, as we have had ducklings in the past and I have never seen them do this. They just bob their heads repeatedly, almost uncontrollably. I just want to make sure nothing is wrong with them, and that they are healthy. Thank you!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What does your waterer look like? It's important for ducklings to have water deep enough to submerge their nostrils to keep them clean. They also can have problems swallowing feed, so the water needs to be close to the feed.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Wow, was not aware of that. Always thought they needed water to eat but never knew why. Always learning on BYC, thank you oldhenlikesdogs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Wow, was not aware of that. Always thought they needed water to eat but never knew why. Always learning on BYC, thank you oldhenlikesdogs.

I feed my adult ducks a pellet ration for easier swallowing. The crumble was always a struggle for them, and my water bucket ended up with a sludge of feed at the bottom as most of the feed fell out of their mouths trying to swallow it. Some people feed moistened feed to ducklings to help them get it down.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Always learning on BYC