Whats wrong with newborn ducklings eye??

[askjcm2005]

This duckling hatched yesterday. This week was our first experience with any hatchlings. Our silkies hatched it and this duckling was the 3rd to hatch the first 2 were fine. When I first noticed the egg was hatching it was not fully under the silkie and the hole was a little smaller then a dime. I picked up the egg and the duckling was very active. I put the egg fully under the silkie and left. I dont know much at all but I know they need lots of humidity to hatch and since it was 1/2 way out I didnt want it to stick to the shell or whatever happens. We left for 4-5 hrs and came back to check, we heard lots of chirps so we assumed it hatched, lifted the silkie a little and the hole had maybe gotten to the size of a dime. We checked again 5 hrs later and it had hatched but looked smaller and weaker then the previous 2 so I left it a while with the silkie (who was very warm underneath) once I brought it inside with our other ducklings it still seemed so weak. It did drink some water with vitamins and electrolytes and pecked at anything that resembled food. It couldnt walk well which I know happens but it was worse then ive seen. Seemed to be breathing a little harder and would open its mouth really wide sometimes. It slept funny, not all bundled up but more sprawled out with its head laying on the shavings like the shavings were a pillow, it honestly looked dead when it slept. But when id make a small noise it would wake up and be very alert. It did sleep with the others and was playing around with its beak in the shavings. But from the second I saw it hatched I noticed its eye was not opening all the way??

The duckling seems more normal today but still a little weak but it gets around fine. But its eyes it still the same.

Could the silkie of pecked its eye? I never saw it act aggressive towards any of the babies. Is it just way more tired then the rest from getting out of the shell??

bad eye

good eye

 

[askjcm2005]

Anyone??

 

[desertdarlene]

I don't know. I hope it gets better, though. Here's a bump for you.

 

[duckyfromoz]

It could have been pecked- or poked by something sharp in the nest. I would have expected to see swelling or damage of the silkie had pecked it though. It could be something as simple as a tiny bit of dust- dried egg or shell in its eye. You could try bathing the eye with warm water.

 

[jz]

I'm guessing you've figured it out on your own by now, I hope he is ok. If its any help, I think my duckling was the same way. Weak, uncoordinated movements, one eye half shut, sleeping on his side. We thought he was gonna die. We took a Q-tip with warm water and gently rubbed his eye a few times every so often. He opened it fully by the end of the day. Now he is a giant strong drake.

 

[Miss Lydia]

what an adorable picture

 

[critterranch]

yes warm water and q-tip every few hours. should be fine in a day or too.

 

[Wifezilla]

I had a duckling hatch like that. She was fine within a week or so. Just had a rough start due to humidity issues in the incubator.
I cleaned her eye with saline solution and a qtip twice a day for about a week.