Duck deformity?

QuackersandQuail

Hatching
Mar 8, 2025
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I had a batch of ducklings hatch yesterday and one has a wound or deformity in the middle of its bill. This one did have a hard time hatching so I am unsure if it is a deformity or an injury. It is smaller than the others, has almost a weird shaped head compared to the others, and seems to have something up with its lower jaw. Jaw seems crooked/doesn’t close all the way.
This is my first hatchling with any issues so I am unsure if I should ride it out to see if the wound closes or call? Pictures included.
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I had a batch of ducklings hatch yesterday and one has a wound or deformity in the middle of its bill. This one did have a hard time hatching so I am unsure if it is a deformity or an injury. It is smaller than the others, has almost a weird shaped head compared to the others, and seems to have something up with its lower jaw. Jaw seems crooked/doesn’t close all the way.
This is my first hatchling with any issues so I am unsure if I should ride it out to see if the wound closes or call? Pictures included.View attachment 4067790View attachment 4067791
Is it like a dent? It's hard to see from the pics.
It's very hard to see, but are the nares formed correctly? I can't really see them. If they are not deformed, the likelihood is this little one will be okay, just keep an eye on them and ensure they're doing okay eating, drinking and breathing without problems.

Bill deformities aren't too uncommon, most are okay but some can worsen as the duck grows, so monitoring them is important.
 
It's hard to tell if it's a deformity or an injury. Midline deformities are relatively common in humans and duck embryo development follows a similar process. I think you should just wait and see, with this little fluffy.
 

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