[WR1]

Our broody silkie has hatched  2 plymouth rock chicks and 1 khaki campbell duckling (hatched on monday) the chicks are feeding well but the duckling seems to take three or four steps and has to sit down is this normal for ducklings??  We are feeding them all on chick crumb is this ok for ducklings? The duck doesn't seem to be eatiing a great deal of food. Any advice please.

[poultrygeist]

Hi. I think the chick crumb is OK and we've been feeding rabbit food, as advised by a wildlife hospital. They like it !!

Don't know about the sitting down. I know spraddled legs are  a potential problem with ducklings but don't know any more than that.

One of the resident duckies will spot your post any time now.  

Also a small amount of marmite on a bit of bread can boost their vitamin (B or D or whatever vitamin is in marmite!) that they need.

Rob  

[WR1]

Thanks Rob  will try the marmite tomorrow .

[Kate and her Ducks]

Not normal for ducklings. Should be running about like mad by now. Chick crumb should be fine providing its not medicated as many of the anti coccosidosis meds are toxic to ducks. They need more niacin than chicks but chick crumbs should be enough. Could supplement with treats to encourage it with things like chopped up grass, dandilions, lettuce or mines favourite, tomatoes.
Is it drinking enough?

[poultrygeist]

Kate will have to confirm this, but could you put some crumb into a very shallow saucer of water to encourage it ?

Or is that a silly idea ??  :roll:

Rob  

[WR1]

I've not seen him/her drinking at all thought that maybe the problem ,tonight tried to show him/her the water was not having any of it , wadled back to mum.

[Vember]

Have you tried actually dipping it's head in the water?? I had to do that with a gosling  :?

[WR1]

There are another two duck eggs under the  silkie the 28 days should have been yesterday how many days extra should we give them before we can say they definitley will not hatch ?

[Vember]

I'd give it a few more days for the other eggs WR1

Hope the little duckling starts to do better soon  

[WR1]

Thanks will try the swimming lesson tomorrow.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Ducklings like chicks don't need to eat or drink fro 24 hours but think it should be by now. The sometimes need a little nudge in the right direction to get them going. I read that hardboiled egg yolk is good to get them going and have used this to start off some of the "picky eaters" (they don't stay like that). Have also used Rob's idea of crumbs in water although generally just ends up messy it can help, works better with things that hold their form like chopped dandilion leaves as it give them something to peck at. Also agree with Vember, have had to dunk a couple of mines beaks in the water to get them drinking. I did have one very weak one I thought was going to die (at 24-36 hours was still just lying on its side , twitching its leg) and I gave it water followed by a sort of broth of water, chick crumb and boiled egg yolk with a pippette and it made a spectacular recovery.

[WR1]

The duckling seems to be eating and drinking only if we hold him too it . Can we put a shallow dish/plate in for him/her to have a little paddle once in a while o'r is he to young he/she is 4 days old?

Thanks

Catii

[Kate and her Ducks]

Most of the books etc recommend only letting them swim from about 6 weeks. I completely ignored this and have never had a reason to regret it. That being said only ever let them swim supervised till about 5 weeks as they can get pretty waterlogged if left to their own devices. I did however give them paddling water thet they can stand easily in from a week and supervised swimming. It will get the hang of eating in the end.

[WR1]

Thank you .

So do you think we could put a shallow dish in for him/her , because the mum has also hatched some Plymouth Rock chicks and i was wondering if it would stil be ok becasue I read somewere that chicks arnt ment to be wet . ?

Thank you

Catii

[Kate and her Ducks]

I've never kept chickens but from nosying on here I understand that drowning can be a real problem with chicks. Ducklings are also enthusiastic little souls and the water does tend to go pretty much everywhere so might be better to leave it at supervised paddling time till all a little older. Wouldn't want Duckie to lead his chick siblings into trouble.
Might start withholding advice untill we get some pics of the little 'uns. Its the rules you know