Duckling help!

[Meowy Catkin]

So I have unexpectedly got five mallard ducklings that were picked up from a road. There were more but they were squashed by the traffic (parents nowhere to be seen and no water/stream/pond nearby).

I have put them in a stable with a shallow tray of water and a bowl of chick crumbs. So far I've not seen them eat. They are perky and very feisty at the moment, but do I need to show them the food or will they find it in their own time?

I've only ever had chicken chicks that have been with their mothers so this is all a bit *eek*.

 

[cobgoblin]

https://poultrykeeper.com/duck-keeping/how-to-care-for-wild-baby-ducks/

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Thanks for that, my googling skills let me down and I could only find pages about domestic ducklings.

 

[Micky]

Wet the chick crumbs, plenty of water, straw for a bed or fleecy blanket, I start puttting them in the sink with water to have a splash around, progressing to the bath as they get bigger, pen them off in the garden if you can and let them graze the lawn, then bring back in, I then use an old sand pit with water as their last 'pond'...after all this they lived out in an old hen house, with deep straw bed and their food, let out for a swim several times a day, moving the hen house for fresh grass until they feather up, then they usually just ****** off without a backward glance or warning! However you might get some of them coming back later in year or following year, which is rather nice..! Good luck

 

[Clodagh]

I am not sure that waterfowl can eat medicated crumbs, if yours are? MOC will know more, she has ducks. Are they warm enough?

 

[Micky]

Mine were on hen feed, watered to a slushy consistency...

 

[MotherOfChickens]

the ducklings were found end of May-they should be off crumb by now, hope they did ok ducklings are tough little things, generally much hardier than chicks as long as they don't get too wet and cold.

they shouldn't have medicated crumb, no and its far better to give them waterfowl specific as they have more need of niacin (B3) than poultry and lack of niacin can lead to growth problems (they go off their legs, its quickly reversed if you spot it in time). Brewers yeast will suffice if waterfowl crumb can't be found. they need to come off crumb by four weeks as its too high in protein and it can lead to angel wing-so a non medicated growers with brewers yeast or waterfowl grower/finisher pellet.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Sadly it's not good news. They just wouldn't eat for themselves, even with vet advice and teaching me how to hand feed them with specific duckling food that could be syringed in.

Sorry I should have updated earlier, but I was really gutted that they didn't make it.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Sadly it's not good news. They just wouldn't eat for themselves, even with vet advice and teaching me how to hand feed them with specific duckling food that could be syringed in.

Sorry I should have updated earlier, but I was really gutted that they didn't make it.

oh I am sorry faracat, well done for trying though x

 

[Clodagh]

oh I am sorry faracat, well done for trying though x

Oops - sorry! Also sorry to hear about the ducklings.