RafterB_ranch
In the Brooder
- May 27, 2021
- 28
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Wondering if this sounds like the symptoms of a blind duckling (call duck).
and if anyone has experience successfully raising blind poultry.
To start, the duckling (Forest, we will assume a boy for this thread) was malpositioned and found out was in a cool section of my incubator so was 3 days late. I had to assist with hatch, and his bill is quite thin and almost bent to the side, he’s adorable but looks a bit off. he had a difficult time standing and continued to tuck his head up underneath the wing and legs straight back for hours after hatching in the incubator. Eventually ended up standing him up in a mug in the brooder and in the morning he was able to walk.
however now he is growing much slower than the other ducks and mostly just stands awkwardly with his tail tucked under and his head facing forward and still, and softly peeps constantly if the ducklings aren’t sleeping in a pile together.
If I take all the ducks out of the brooder he will follow the peeps and feet sounds when the ducks run different directions but he does not explore the world with his bill.
sometimes when he tries to eat he misses the food or dish. if I hold food on my finger directly in front of him he doesn’t try to peck it like the other ducklings.
if I put a dish in front of him with food and water mash he will take a few sips after feeling the bowl on his belly, but he never takes more than a couple drinks. I have seen him go to the food and water before but often times when the other ducks go to eat and drink he just stands there in his awkward position peeping softly. Definitely has way less food intake than the others.
if this does sound like blindness, has anyone else had blind ducklings that pulled through? Biggest concern is his decreased food intake. I cannot force feed him, and even when I hold food and water right up to him and he knows where it is he doesn’t care much for more than a few bites.
Forest is the smallest yellow one at the back. He is 5 days old. I have them in warm water because I was worried he might have pasty butt, and wanted to help him soak. But now thinking might be his eyes. When he breathes in and out I can see his nares flare as well, not sure if that’s normal.
and if anyone has experience successfully raising blind poultry.
To start, the duckling (Forest, we will assume a boy for this thread) was malpositioned and found out was in a cool section of my incubator so was 3 days late. I had to assist with hatch, and his bill is quite thin and almost bent to the side, he’s adorable but looks a bit off. he had a difficult time standing and continued to tuck his head up underneath the wing and legs straight back for hours after hatching in the incubator. Eventually ended up standing him up in a mug in the brooder and in the morning he was able to walk.
however now he is growing much slower than the other ducks and mostly just stands awkwardly with his tail tucked under and his head facing forward and still, and softly peeps constantly if the ducklings aren’t sleeping in a pile together.
If I take all the ducks out of the brooder he will follow the peeps and feet sounds when the ducks run different directions but he does not explore the world with his bill.
sometimes when he tries to eat he misses the food or dish. if I hold food on my finger directly in front of him he doesn’t try to peck it like the other ducklings.
if I put a dish in front of him with food and water mash he will take a few sips after feeling the bowl on his belly, but he never takes more than a couple drinks. I have seen him go to the food and water before but often times when the other ducks go to eat and drink he just stands there in his awkward position peeping softly. Definitely has way less food intake than the others.
if this does sound like blindness, has anyone else had blind ducklings that pulled through? Biggest concern is his decreased food intake. I cannot force feed him, and even when I hold food and water right up to him and he knows where it is he doesn’t care much for more than a few bites.
Forest is the smallest yellow one at the back. He is 5 days old. I have them in warm water because I was worried he might have pasty butt, and wanted to help him soak. But now thinking might be his eyes. When he breathes in and out I can see his nares flare as well, not sure if that’s normal.
