I have been wanting to order waterfowl from this hatchery for a long time, I have read so many good things about them and their stock over the years. I decided to take the plunge this year and get some Saxony ducklings and white Chinese goslings. Birds arrive and right as I open the box I notice 3 of the 12 ducklings have bad wry neck. Ok I have dealt with that in the past with some of my own ducklings but never 3 at a time, at most I had one duckling or chick from a hatch get this condition. So I treat the wry neck with poultry vitamins and the ducklings improve. The next day 1 gosling is showing the same signs of wry neck along with splay legs. I reintroduce vitamin water, add brewers yeast to feed and tape splay legged goslings. By the end of this day I have 3 goslings showing the same symptoms of bent necks so bad they can no longer drink from water source, others are starting to get splay leg too. Out of 8 goslings I am down to 3 and 1 doesn't look like it's going to make it, the goslings do not seem to be responding the the poultry vitamin water as the ducklings did. The other 2 goslings seem to be in good health along with the ducklings but none of these birds are very active. They sit around in the brooder most of the day, I'm really thinking about bringing this bunch to auction, take my losses and look for new stock.
I am no expert but I have been raising waterfowl for 5 years now. I never have had to take care of babies like I have had to tend to this group, it's been a duckling ER the last 4 days. I have never seen a group of ducklings/goslings so inactive just sitting around most of the day. In my opinion these vitamin issues go back to the breeding flock.
I am no expert but I have been raising waterfowl for 5 years now. I never have had to take care of babies like I have had to tend to this group, it's been a duckling ER the last 4 days. I have never seen a group of ducklings/goslings so inactive just sitting around most of the day. In my opinion these vitamin issues go back to the breeding flock.