Ducklings sneezing

[DanniC]

Hey all.

my Abacot Ranger ducklings are a week old now, and are getting BIG!!!!! They are making a lot of mess with water, food and poop, which i'm sure is totally normal.. now, my concern is that they are sleeping in some odd places.. i went to check on them tonight, and they are both sleeping on wet patches! their tummys are wet from sitting on the wet area! ive also noticed in the last 2 days or so, that they are "sneezing" or what i would assume to be sneezing.. is there something wrong with them?

thanks, Danni x

[foxy]

Well I wouldn't worry too much about the ducklings sitting in the occasional wet patch, it is almost impossible for them not too! Just make sure they do not get chilled, and have access to a heat source if needed. If they are active and growing well I am sure they are fine.

What type of feed are you using? The crumbles are better and not mash. Make sure their drinking water is deep enough to cover their nostrils and that will help with any sneezing, it could be they are eating a lot and maybe not drinking enough, or their drinker is a bit too shallow. They grow out of things soooo quickly don't they?

[DanniC]

Well they had been sitting there so long the wet bit was warm lol!!

We are using crumb food, I posted a pic in my first thread.. And it probably is that their drinker is a bit shallow.. I'll sort of out when I get home! Thanks

[foxy]

I use a small, shallow ceramic bowl, with plenty of room to get their bills in and have a bit of a splash around. At around two weeks old they move onto a paint tray with filled to about an inch or so.
I think we are due some more photos soon?

[DanniC]

I cut a hole in the lid of a fairly deep Chinese takeaway tub, and they seem to love it! Jet sticks his whole head in and under the lid before pulling it back out!
Are they are risk of drowning from this being only just over a week old? And should I maybe take the lid off and let them have a paddle unsupervised, as and when they want?