A duckling that is eating the right foods for its age and weight has a higher chance of living a long and healthy life, but a duckling that isn’t eating well likely won’t live to be old and healthy.
So what if your bird isn’t eating at all? This article looks into why your duckling is not eating or drinking.
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Duckling not eating or drinking
A change in your duckling’s behavior usually means that there is something going on with the bird, this can mean something is going well with the bird, or something is going wrong with the bird.
Here are reasons why your duckling is not eating or drinking:
It’s too early:
Ducklings start to eat about 24-48 hours after they hatch, this is very normal for them. Before this, they don’t eat.
They don’t have to eat immediately after hatching because the birds get all the nutrients that they initially need from the yolk.
While in the egg, the ducklings are nourished by the egg yolk and this yolk is absorbed into the bird’s abdomen just before hatching. It is used up as food in the first 24/48 hours of the duckling’s life.
What to do:
It is absolutely okay for your ducklings to not eat during their first 24/48 hours of life. This shouldn’t be cause for alarm and this is actually very normal.
You should be patient with the bird during this time, introduce food to the birds until they start eating, just don’t force them to eat. When they are ready to eat you can start off by giving them a diet of waterfowl crumble.
They don’t have the energy to eat
Hatching is not an easy undertaking, most ducklings will need time to rest after hatching. Because of this, the duckling may be tired and may not have the energy to eat or drink.
What to do:
Try to give the bird an energy boost and see if the bird sums up the strength to eat. You can do this by giving the bird molasses or a few drops of sugar water. Doing this may give the bird the energy boost that it needs to be able to eat.
If the bird can’t get up and drink on its own then you can dribble the sugar water, or molasses, on the bird’s beak, the bird will open its mouth and drink when you do this.
If the lack of energy is caused by an illness, then you’d need to get the duckling to a vet. He/she will treat the duckling and help the bird regain its energy.
The food is difficult to swallow
Your ducklings may be eating but may not be eating much because the food is difficult to swallow. Not all birds will be able to eat the duckling feed that you offer them and this may be why the bird isn’t eating.
What to do:
If your birds find eating the food provided difficult, you can add a little water to soften the food and make it easier for them to swallow.
You can also try to give them easier-to-eat foods, for the time being, foods like egg yolk, warmed plain yogurt, and finely chopped hard-boiled or scrambled eggs can be offered.
The bird doesn’t like the food being offered
Ducklings too may have preferences when it comes to food. It can be frustrating but it’s inevitable. If your bird doesn’t like the food that you offer it then it may refuse to eat it.
What to do:
Don’t force your duckling to eat certain foods if they don’t like them, instead, offer other foods for a little while and see if they will eat them.
You can try feeding your birds yoghurt, egg yolk, or a feed soup made of egg yolk mixed with feed to get them used to the taste of feed.
Be aware of what your ducklings prefer to eat and what they don’t. For the time being, focus on what they like to eat as a way of increasing the amount of food that they eat.
The duckling has pasty vent
Pasty vent happens when a duckling’s droppings dry on its vent This can lead to the blockage of the vent and this may be what is causing your ducklings to avoid eating.
If this is what is going on with your bird you shouldn’t panic but you must take action fast.
What to do:
Start off by checking your bird’s vent to see if the bird has pasty vent, compare your bird’s vent with another bird’s vent.
A duck that doesn’t have pasty vent will have a clean vent with no poop or debris. A duck that does have pasty vent will have a vent plugged up with poop or debris.
If you realize that the bird does have pasty vent you’d need to get a warm wet cotton ball and lightly rub this cotton ball across the bird’s vent area.
If it’s a severe case, you might have to see a vet. He/she will correct the issue and your duckling will spring back to life once treated.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other duck related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Is Duck Poop Good For Grass?, How To Train A Duck To Walk On A Leash, Mother Duck Kills Duckling, Ducklings Dying Suddenly