raggiedoll88
Chirping
- Jan 14, 2021
- 60
- 170
- 96
I have six ducklings that are just over two weeks old. I've read countless posts on here, articles online and multiple books (Storey's Guide &; The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook are my definite go-to's) but I've still got a few questions about their health & behavior that I haven't been able to find answers to and I'm hoping that you can help!
1. Grit: Yesterday was the first day that I gave them a treat that wasn't their crumble. I gave them some mashed up peas (which they loved
)! I know that I have to provide grit whenever they're eating something other than their feed so I put out a small dish (about 2 in diameter) with a tablespoon of Chick Grit in it. On the bag it said not to let them overindulge in the grit because it could cause an impacted crop but I don't know how much is a "normal" amount, especially since they had such a small amount of mashed peas. They were going to town on the grit like it was their food -- they were all huddled around the dish eating it obsessively -- so I ended up taking the dish out and sprinkling some grit on their bedding for them to pick at instead because I didn't want them to have too much grit in their crop.
I know that you're supposed to give them free access and they should only take what they need when they need it but the bag said for the first few days to monitor their consumption because they might overindulge. How much grit is too much? It sure looked like they were eating a ton of it, especially for the small amount of peas they consumed... Should I really just trust them to not go overboard, even though the bag earned that they might ingest too much?
2. Feather Picking & Bullying:. In the past week I've noticed that most of the ducklings have small patches on their bodies where there are missing feathers. I've seen a few of them get into little squabbles, nipping at each other's bills, and occasionally I'll hear a loud squeak when somebody bites somebody else's tail feather or picks a little too hard at their friend.
Last night my little Cayuga had a nickel-sized spot on her back that was pretty much picked clean. My Buff duckling has a definite patch on her neck missing feathers and I've seen one of my ducklings picking near her eyes. They definitely squabble from time to time and I can't tell if there's an actual bully among my six or if they all equally pick at each other. I know that I can't really separate them though because they all still need the heat plate at only 2 weeks old so I can't remove the perpetrator (if I even find out which one it is) because she would also need the heat plate.
Most of the time they seem fine and happy with each other, they're always snuggling in a little pile together and if I remove a few from the brooder the remaining ducklings cry for their friends. But I'm worried about the patches of missing feathers & wonder if there's anything I can do to prevent it or if I should treat the areas that are missing feathers with anything. Any suggestions?
3. Sneezing: Pretty much from the time that I got the ducklings I've heard the occasional little sneeze here and there from them. Recently I've noticed a few of them seem to be having more frequent little sneezing fits (5-10 little sneezes in a row, a few times a day). I provide a container of deep water for them to clean their nares and eyes with and I try to give them bathtime every day for at least a few minutes in lukewarm water, hoping that that will help them clean themselves as well. They love their bath (although they DON'T love being dried off afterwards, but it's a necessary evil)!
The two ducklings that seem to be sneezing most of all are actually the two biggest ducklings of the bunch (weighing 330g and 346g each). They eat and drink normally and seem healthy otherwise, and I know that from reading other posts on here that many people have sneezing ducklings.
Mine are on fleece bedding that is changed multiple times a day so there isn't really any dust in the brooder that should be causing the sneezing to my way of thinking. There is definitely some fine particles in their duckling crumble that I suppose could be getting stuck in their nares but I'm not sure if that's the case. I'm not sure if there's anything I should do about their sneezing or if I should even really be worried about it since otherwise they seem completely healthy.
I have tried to bring them to a vet (there are three vets in my area that take ducks as patients and they had all told me that I could bring my ducks there once I got them -- I had called before the ducklings arrived to check -- but now that they're here I can't get an appointment with any of them because they say they're all booked up and aren't taking new patients for emergencies right now due to Covid).
I'm really hoping this isn't a respiratory issue since I've read that that can be fatal and I know that they're gaining weight each day (I track their weight daily & record it in the morning and at night) so I know that they're eating and I see them drinking all the time so I know that that's normal, I'm just wondering if I should be worried about my ducklings when they have little sneezing fits or if that's just a normal thing that happens sometimes & I don't need to panic as much as I am.
4. Honking Noise: For several days now I've noticed one duckling in particular had been making a different sound then the rest. It's got a lower tone to it than the normal peeps and sounds slightly raspy, almost like a little honk or quack already, but I'm pretty sure that can't be the case yet because she's so young. She seems to be breathing fine, she's eating fine and drinking fine, and other than the little occasional sneezes she's acting just like all her friends. Any ideas on what could be causing this and if it's something to be concerned about?
I had read somewhere that it could be caused by food or a foreign object stuck in the throat that it should clear itself up in a few days but so far she still has her strange little honking sound and it's been a few days since it started. She doesn't make the sound when she's sleeping, only when she's awake and chattering with her friends. I'm not sure if it was a cough if she would be coughing while sleeping too or only coughing while awake. Any insight into this would be much appreciated!
5. Niacin Deficiency:. I'm assuming that most of my ducklings have a niacin deficiency... I had read on here that Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles were an okay choice to feed ducklings & should be sufficient for their niacin needs, but 4/6 of my ducklings began displaying signs of a deficiency last week. I didn't realize it at the time, I just thought that they were lazy babies, and thought it was cute that they would just lay next to their water/feed to eat & drink.
Then on Friday one of my ducklings stopped walking. At first I thought she had spraddle leg but then it got better within a few hours & she was fine over the weekend, until Sunday night at 10pm when it came back, worse. She could barely stand or walk & when she did walk it was very clumsy & on her hocks. I gave her some Sav-a-Chick electrolytes and probiotics in her water & some extra nutritional yeast with her food but there wasn't much else I could do for her at that time of night (I was with her from 10pm to 3am). By 6am she was moving around again like nothing had happened.
The next day another duckling did the same hobbling-on-the-hocks walk & struggled moving around, and since their bedding is fleece and I had made sure there was nothing they could slip on (because I was afraid of spraddle leg) I concluded that they probably had a niacin deficiency. Between the two with the walking problems and the rest laying around near feed and water throughout the day, I'm assuming that must be the case.
I picked up a bag of organic duckling crumbles & a bottle of Durvet High Level Vitamin B Complex from TSC yesterday. I'm following the recommended dosing for 14+ day old ducklings from the Niacin Deficiency sticky on here. I started them yesterday with half a dose & plan on giving them a full dose today. My question is since I'm going to be providing them with the Vitamin B Complex for a few weeks, can I let them go back to their flock raiser crumbles once I'm done with the little bag of organic duckling food?
I'm assuming it should be okay since the Purina is supposed to be good enough on its own anyway, and the cost for the small bag of duckling food is extremely high ($10 for a tiny bag that they've gone more than halfway through in just about two days).
I had posted a thread in the emergency forum on Sunday night/Monday morning but got no responses... I'm not even 100% sure that it is definitely a niacin deficiency, although all signs point to yes. If it isn't a niacin deficiency then would giving them the Vitamin B Complex hurt them? Or is it okay to do as a precautionary measure?
Here is the video of my duckling struggling to walk on Sunday night. Does this look like it's caused by a niacin deficiency to you?
I would really appreciate any insight, suggestions or tips on any of the above questions... I'm completely in love with my babies & want to make sure I'm doing my absolute best at caring for them. I'll attach a few photos below since who doesn't want to see cute ducklings?!
1. Grit: Yesterday was the first day that I gave them a treat that wasn't their crumble. I gave them some mashed up peas (which they loved
)! I know that I have to provide grit whenever they're eating something other than their feed so I put out a small dish (about 2 in diameter) with a tablespoon of Chick Grit in it. On the bag it said not to let them overindulge in the grit because it could cause an impacted crop but I don't know how much is a "normal" amount, especially since they had such a small amount of mashed peas. They were going to town on the grit like it was their food -- they were all huddled around the dish eating it obsessively -- so I ended up taking the dish out and sprinkling some grit on their bedding for them to pick at instead because I didn't want them to have too much grit in their crop.I know that you're supposed to give them free access and they should only take what they need when they need it but the bag said for the first few days to monitor their consumption because they might overindulge. How much grit is too much? It sure looked like they were eating a ton of it, especially for the small amount of peas they consumed... Should I really just trust them to not go overboard, even though the bag earned that they might ingest too much?
2. Feather Picking & Bullying:. In the past week I've noticed that most of the ducklings have small patches on their bodies where there are missing feathers. I've seen a few of them get into little squabbles, nipping at each other's bills, and occasionally I'll hear a loud squeak when somebody bites somebody else's tail feather or picks a little too hard at their friend.
Last night my little Cayuga had a nickel-sized spot on her back that was pretty much picked clean. My Buff duckling has a definite patch on her neck missing feathers and I've seen one of my ducklings picking near her eyes. They definitely squabble from time to time and I can't tell if there's an actual bully among my six or if they all equally pick at each other. I know that I can't really separate them though because they all still need the heat plate at only 2 weeks old so I can't remove the perpetrator (if I even find out which one it is) because she would also need the heat plate.
Most of the time they seem fine and happy with each other, they're always snuggling in a little pile together and if I remove a few from the brooder the remaining ducklings cry for their friends. But I'm worried about the patches of missing feathers & wonder if there's anything I can do to prevent it or if I should treat the areas that are missing feathers with anything. Any suggestions?
3. Sneezing: Pretty much from the time that I got the ducklings I've heard the occasional little sneeze here and there from them. Recently I've noticed a few of them seem to be having more frequent little sneezing fits (5-10 little sneezes in a row, a few times a day). I provide a container of deep water for them to clean their nares and eyes with and I try to give them bathtime every day for at least a few minutes in lukewarm water, hoping that that will help them clean themselves as well. They love their bath (although they DON'T love being dried off afterwards, but it's a necessary evil)!
The two ducklings that seem to be sneezing most of all are actually the two biggest ducklings of the bunch (weighing 330g and 346g each). They eat and drink normally and seem healthy otherwise, and I know that from reading other posts on here that many people have sneezing ducklings.
Mine are on fleece bedding that is changed multiple times a day so there isn't really any dust in the brooder that should be causing the sneezing to my way of thinking. There is definitely some fine particles in their duckling crumble that I suppose could be getting stuck in their nares but I'm not sure if that's the case. I'm not sure if there's anything I should do about their sneezing or if I should even really be worried about it since otherwise they seem completely healthy.
I have tried to bring them to a vet (there are three vets in my area that take ducks as patients and they had all told me that I could bring my ducks there once I got them -- I had called before the ducklings arrived to check -- but now that they're here I can't get an appointment with any of them because they say they're all booked up and aren't taking new patients for emergencies right now due to Covid).
I'm really hoping this isn't a respiratory issue since I've read that that can be fatal and I know that they're gaining weight each day (I track their weight daily & record it in the morning and at night) so I know that they're eating and I see them drinking all the time so I know that that's normal, I'm just wondering if I should be worried about my ducklings when they have little sneezing fits or if that's just a normal thing that happens sometimes & I don't need to panic as much as I am.
4. Honking Noise: For several days now I've noticed one duckling in particular had been making a different sound then the rest. It's got a lower tone to it than the normal peeps and sounds slightly raspy, almost like a little honk or quack already, but I'm pretty sure that can't be the case yet because she's so young. She seems to be breathing fine, she's eating fine and drinking fine, and other than the little occasional sneezes she's acting just like all her friends. Any ideas on what could be causing this and if it's something to be concerned about?
I had read somewhere that it could be caused by food or a foreign object stuck in the throat that it should clear itself up in a few days but so far she still has her strange little honking sound and it's been a few days since it started. She doesn't make the sound when she's sleeping, only when she's awake and chattering with her friends. I'm not sure if it was a cough if she would be coughing while sleeping too or only coughing while awake. Any insight into this would be much appreciated!
5. Niacin Deficiency:. I'm assuming that most of my ducklings have a niacin deficiency... I had read on here that Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles were an okay choice to feed ducklings & should be sufficient for their niacin needs, but 4/6 of my ducklings began displaying signs of a deficiency last week. I didn't realize it at the time, I just thought that they were lazy babies, and thought it was cute that they would just lay next to their water/feed to eat & drink.
Then on Friday one of my ducklings stopped walking. At first I thought she had spraddle leg but then it got better within a few hours & she was fine over the weekend, until Sunday night at 10pm when it came back, worse. She could barely stand or walk & when she did walk it was very clumsy & on her hocks. I gave her some Sav-a-Chick electrolytes and probiotics in her water & some extra nutritional yeast with her food but there wasn't much else I could do for her at that time of night (I was with her from 10pm to 3am). By 6am she was moving around again like nothing had happened.
The next day another duckling did the same hobbling-on-the-hocks walk & struggled moving around, and since their bedding is fleece and I had made sure there was nothing they could slip on (because I was afraid of spraddle leg) I concluded that they probably had a niacin deficiency. Between the two with the walking problems and the rest laying around near feed and water throughout the day, I'm assuming that must be the case.
I picked up a bag of organic duckling crumbles & a bottle of Durvet High Level Vitamin B Complex from TSC yesterday. I'm following the recommended dosing for 14+ day old ducklings from the Niacin Deficiency sticky on here. I started them yesterday with half a dose & plan on giving them a full dose today. My question is since I'm going to be providing them with the Vitamin B Complex for a few weeks, can I let them go back to their flock raiser crumbles once I'm done with the little bag of organic duckling food?
I'm assuming it should be okay since the Purina is supposed to be good enough on its own anyway, and the cost for the small bag of duckling food is extremely high ($10 for a tiny bag that they've gone more than halfway through in just about two days).
I had posted a thread in the emergency forum on Sunday night/Monday morning but got no responses... I'm not even 100% sure that it is definitely a niacin deficiency, although all signs point to yes. If it isn't a niacin deficiency then would giving them the Vitamin B Complex hurt them? Or is it okay to do as a precautionary measure?
Here is the video of my duckling struggling to walk on Sunday night. Does this look like it's caused by a niacin deficiency to you?
I would really appreciate any insight, suggestions or tips on any of the above questions... I'm completely in love with my babies & want to make sure I'm doing my absolute best at caring for them. I'll attach a few photos below since who doesn't want to see cute ducklings?!
) and I'm supplementing with Vitamin B Complex. They had been on Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles but two of them developed walking issues while on that so I switched then over to organic Duckling Crumbles... But they're eating so much daily at this point that I can't afford to keep buying the duckling crumbles... It's $10/5 pounds which lasts less than a week compared to $20/50 pounds with the flock raiser. So I figure supplementing niacin with the flock raiser is my best bet for now.
, lol I spent so much time putting a bowl of grit in and then panicking and taking it back out thirty seconds later. I think the first time raising anything is just super nerve wracking. But it sounds like you’re doing an amazing job 
