Very poorly duckling

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Hanlills777

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One of my ducklings hatched last night but was very stuck and dried to the membrane when checked this morning. We softened the membrane around him a little and he managed to get out of his shell and separate but there was a little yellow gunk left in the shell, I'm guessing he didn't absorb all of his yolk properly?

After some hours I moved him to the brooder and he seemed to perk up a bit but he's very very floppy and weak and just lies there sleeping all the time. Every so often he gives a big cheep and scuttles somewhere else but mainly he's in the corner away from the other 5. He's also moving his beak a lot whilst he's sleeping, almost like little mutterings. I've tried getting him to drink and he has taken a few sips and has had a tiny amount of crumbs but is so lethargic.

Do I just leave him alone or keep encouraging him to drink? I'm thinking he's in the corner perhaps trying to die in peace? I do hope not though. I'm going to check on him a couple of times in the night and hope for the best but is there anything I could do to help him along? He's called Sam :)
 
When Sam is strong enough he will follow the lead of the others and eat and drink when they do. There will be some residue in the shell. Chicks don't eat or drink for the first 24 hours while they absorb the remains of the sac.
 
This is always such a tortuous time when they first hatch. If they don't make it in the first 48 hours then they usually have internal development issues which there is nothing you can do about that can be caused during the development period.
How is he this morning?
It may help if you also post this in the eggs/hatching part of this forum.
Zo
X
 
dorsetduckowner said:
This is always such a tortuous time when they first hatch. If they don't make it in the first 48 hours then they usually have internal development issues which there is nothing you can do about that can be caused during the development period.
How is he this morning?
It may help if you also post this in the eggs/hatching part of this forum.
Zo
X
Click to expand...

Bright eyes and chirping away eating and drinking, can barely tell him apart from the others :)
 
Brilliant! I'm sure I'm not the only person who's been watching out for the next instalment of your soap opera, Hannah! How lovely to have them at home with you, so you can watch them and play with no distractions! Hope you're feeling better today.
 
Thank you, I'm tired today but it was worth it to see him just like the others this morning :) lol Marigold, I know, I prob have made it seem like one big drama a lot of the time rather than fun but it's my first time and I've just wanted to make sure I did everything right with my little lives. I have had fun though and it certainly is amazing! But to follow suit I have another problem with one, just gonna paste in here what I wrote in another post I have (sorry, I dunno how it works with seeing posts)

One pipped this morning and made it's way out slowly today. When it was almost out I noticed a yellow bubble on it's tummy that was then attached to the shell still, I assume this was the yolk sac? It continued to struggle and I was afraid it would pull completely out too early and tear the yellow bubble but after some hours the bubble has now gone and the duckling is now free of the egg. I removed the egg shell quickly, it was quite mucky inside with a little yellow snotty substance at the bottom. The duckling is resting a lot as I know it should but one of it's legs it keeps pulling up so that is up next to it's belly and not down like the other one. I'm hoping it's from the angle it was at when it was hatching as it came out very very slowly and from what I can remember I thought I saw it's leg stuck at that angle on the membrane once but I've had a quick look and tried to move it back and she just keeps pulling it back. Her toes seem curled under also. Is it something that is a big worry or will it correct itself as she gets stronger and starts walking. She is moving around the incubator but not by walking, almost by shuffling awkardly. Any suggestions?
 
I've left her in the incubator over night as I feel uneasy about putting her in the brooder overnight as I can't monitor her and also as she hasn't had long out of her shell properly. I dunno if it's me seeing things or not but her tummy also seems slightly swollen, I'll keep an eye on it and hope it goes down, and will try getting some water in her tomo when she moves to the brooder like I did with Emmett and Sam :) x
 
if you get a poorly duckling some times a little bit of egg yolk boiled and crumbled up given to them can perk them up.
someone suggested it to me and it worked.
 
I did try that on Saturday with Ethel and also some sugar water and she's now fine. I gave little Alice some sugar water earlier but she didn't take much but then she is so so weak. I'm going to take a hard boiled yolk in to school tomo for her, just need to hope she makes it through tonight. Is she ok still being incubated as shell have been in there for 48 hours tomo morn
 
Is Alice the one that yesterday you said wasn't out of her shell properly? I do hope she finally made it and you can pull her through.
Talk about One Born Every Minute, I think there should be a TV show about hatching eggs!
 
Yup that's Alice. No she didn't make it out, the membrane dried to her back and some goo dried around her foot so I assissted in helping take off the rest. Some yolk has been absorbed since yesterday but it's still protruding out of her belly. Nothing dripped out of it when I took off the shell, it seems almost solid now, I've laid her down in the incubator on her tummy as she was very unhappy on her back/side as she was almost upside down. She looked like she took a little sugar water but then drips came out of her nose so I think she was struggling. She tipped her head back a little after that and then seemed fine. She's just so crusty and her head is so dry that her little eyes are dried almost shut :( I'm praying for her xxx
 
Hannah
I've been away and just got back today trying to work through your posts to see how many you've got.Is it 6? I gave mine some probiotic plain yoghurt along with some scrambled egg in the first few days to give them a boost and some natural bacteria-they made a mess with it and it stuck to their fluff but they loved it! of course they had chick crumb(non medicated) too. I too felt worn out with all the emotional effort you put into them. Well done I don't think you could have done any more.
Jo
 
Her yolk sac has absorbed and is now healing well. She's stronger and moving around the incubator and is drinking her sugar water. Unfortunately I had a proper look at her today and her left leg never formed properly, the join at e top is almost fused the wrong way and we can bend it. She'll never walk or swim and I've been in tears this afternoon as I'm aware that this probably means that when the lady who's been helping me (who lives on a farm) has a look tomo that the decision will be to put her down and that breaks my heart as I've fought for her and she's fought for herself and it's to no result. If I could look after a disabled duck I would keep her forever but she'll never nave a normal duck life and I have three cats and a mum who has a massive phobia of birds :( does anyone know of any sanctuaries that would keep a little duck like this alive? And care for her? I know it's a long shot but I feel she deserves a chance at least before people give up on her.

Newtoducks, I have seven healthy and extremely messy ducklings and then my little disabled Alice who's fought so so hard :( x
 
You need to think about Alice here Hanlills. She will never play with her friends and will get bullied. Won't be able to swim or even move about. She may have other internal problems as well and just die a slow death. We had a similar decision to make when we first started hatching and it was very hard until we dismissed our emotions and considered the welfare of the chick only. Then it became very clear what we had to do.
 
Oh I am so sorry, :( the struggle for life is a tough one, and the decision you will have to make may be tough too. In these situations always try to consider the welfare of the duckling, can it thrive? Feed itself or enjoy life as a duck ought too? Consider also is the duckling in any sort of discomfort at the moment.

Lovely news however is that you have after all your trials and tribulations you have 6 or is it 7? Gorgeous, healthy ducklings! :D
 
I have 7 healthies and Alice on top. Chris, I understand, it's so upsetting though, and I'm not very good at turning off my emotions, I'm a crier lol. I will think of her I promise x
 
I think all of us have faced similar situations, maybe not with ducklings but with other treasured animals or birds, Hannah, and we know how hard it is to decide when is the time to let go. There are worse things than death, and at least she has been loved and cared for in her short life. If she had been born in the wild, she would have stood no chance of getting as far as she has with you. I expect the lady who is coming to see them tomorrow will be delighted about your 7 healthy babies, and will help you with the decision about what is best for Alice.
 
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