Not sure why ducklings are dying :(

[Jenbirdee]

oh there is also the theory that medicated chick feed can kill ducklings, but i believe it’s been disproven, however, some people still believe in it. so to be on the safe side I always get nonmedicated.

i also keep a bottle of liquid b complex in my fridge for any duck that needs a hefty boost of niacin. i put 1 ml over a small dish of treats like meal worms. for a tiny duckling give less than 1 ml , perhaps just a few drops.
always be very extra super careful at giving anything direct to their mouth, it’s very easy to aspirate them. this is helpful article to show where the trachea opening is, “ how to administer medicine”

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Kanrayhen24]

i’m glad you switched away from a heat lamp bulb some bulbs have a teflon coating and that kills birds fast. I have heard many times helping a bird hatch can make it weak too and there are things like pasty butt that can kill them . but you said you know about that and have taken care of it so that’s good. If you feed them anything other than their starter crumbles, they need grit on the side in a little dish. They will take what they need, but without grit, they can’t digest anything except their feed. The water needs to be deep enough for them to dunk their whole face into it. Otherwise their little nostrils (nares) get clogged up and their eyes can have troubles too. Do you have a thermometer you can place into their brooder to see what the temperature actually is in each side. ( warm side and cool side)
Maybe you can post a picture of your set up.

Sorry for the late response! My eggs are hatching today they are wiggling around I've just been to an animal store and bought grit and a feeder for them plus the nutritional yeast to add to their feed! I don't have a thermometer for inside the brooder but I will get one ASAP. I will add a picture of my set up soon

 

[Luv Ducks]

I pray that you have good luck with the ones that are hatching. I have hatched out quite a few and even one that I helped ended up being one of my healthiest ducks so I was Blessed. The others have given you good advice and I pray that all goes well for you.

 

[Jenbirdee]

How are your ducklings?

 

[Yardmom]

Medicated feed (which the label you show has) is not good for ducklings. How it fights the cocci can hurt the ducklings.

 

[Penpal]

What Yardmom wrote.

Only buy feed that has "ducklings" written on the label.

 

[Duck Breeder]

I have recently hatched one duckling in an incubator after the mother abandoned her eggs. The duckling sadly only made it 2 days and then died and since then I have rescued another 2 that were being attacked which also died a few days later. I have a brooder set up with water and feed and I had a heat lamp but I've now got a brooder heating plate for when my next 2 ducklings hatch. The ducklings all went lethargic and stopped moving around but we're still eating and drinking. Any ideas on what's happening with them? Could it he the feed?

My wife found that feeding duckling Pureed peas make them grow faster and stronger the ducklings that get the peas grow 25% faster and are much stronger when they get outside. I take the feed crumbles and put them in the blender and grind them fine and we stopped losing ducklings and the temp has to be just right so get a good thermometer. good luck

 

[Duck Breeder]

I have recently hatched one duckling in an incubator after the mother abandoned her eggs. The duckling sadly only made it 2 days and then died and since then I have rescued another 2 that were being attacked which also died a few days later. I have a brooder set up with water and feed and I had a heat lamp but I've now got a brooder heating plate for when my next 2 ducklings hatch. The ducklings all went lethargic and stopped moving around but we're still eating and drinking. Any ideas on what's happening with them? Could it he the feed?

Frozen peas

 

[Kanrayhen24]

How are your ducklings?

Hello one hatched the day before yesterday and the other isn't doing so well I currently have him in the incubator in his lower half of his shell because the yolk hasn't absorbed and I can't tell if it's ruptured or not. He's in a little cup with a damp paper towel underneath holding him in place so I hope he will be okay! He looks quite small compared to the other one but I think it's because his feathers aren't fluffed up. Any ideas what I could do? This is zip haha I thought it was a fitting name

 

[Jenbirdee]

Hello one hatched the day before yesterday and the other isn't doing so well I currently have him in the incubator in his lower half of his shell because the yolk hasn't absorbed and I can't tell if it's ruptured or not. He's in a little cup with a damp paper towel underneath holding him in place so I hope he will be okay! He looks quite small compared to the other one but I think it's because his feathers aren't fluffed up. Any ideas what I could do? This is zip haha I thought it was a fitting name

zip is so cute! thanks for sharing a picture! As for the other smaller one to me, it sounds like you’re doing the right thing. I don’t have much experience with hatching eggs, except the eggs that were under my chicken and my goose. I didn’t ever use an incubator so I don’t really know, but I’ve read a lot of posts on here and it sounds good what you’re doing. i hope she absorbs the yolk and fluffs up nicely for you. maybe @KathiQuacks can give hatching advice