Hatching is a very tiring process. Newly hatched ducklings will likely be tired right after they hatch, but prolonged tiredness in your duckling is not a good sign.
If your ducklings are weak after hatching you’d need to look into why this is happening, this article explores why your duckling may be weak after hatching.
Table of Contents
Duckling weak after hatching:
Ducklings are bright, happy, and energetic little birds, if you find that one, or some, of your ducklings are weak and lethargic after hatching then there is likely something wrong. Here are reasons why this may be happening:
Tired from the hatch:
It doesn’t seem like it but hatching can be a very tiring process for ducklings. These birds can take 36 hours to hatch taking breaks in between. It’s safe to say that the birds will be quite tired after this process.
What to do:
As long as the birds come out safe and healthy after the hatch then you have nothing to worry about. You can try to perk the bird up by giving it some sugar water, the sugar water will give the bird an energy boost.
Heat Stress:
Ducklings who live in warm environments are always at risk of developing heat stress, heat stress can make your ducklings weak after hatching.
Just as humans become lethargic when in environments where the temperature is too high for us, ducklings can feel the same way.
Signs of heat stress in ducklings include the bird holding its wings out to the sides of its body, the bird sitting down for long periods of time with its eyes closed, panting, having droopy wings, laying on its side, and general lethargy.
What to do:
The first thing that your should do is to get the ducklings into some shade or move them to a cooler environment away from the sun and any heat sources.
Have small tubs of water available that they can cool off in, place these tubs of water in shaded areas so that the water doesn’t warm up. You can also place some ice cubes in the pools of water to keep the water cold.
Allow your ducklings to have access to these pools of water, the birds will stand in and splash around the tubs and this will help them cool off.
Feeding the birds water-dense treats will also help cool them off. Water-dense treats appropriate for ducks include chilled sliced-up strawberries, cut-up watermelon, sliced-up cucumbers, grapes, berries, and peas.
Botulism:
Botulism is a disease caused by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This disease can affect a wide variety of animals, including ducklings.
The Clostridium botulinum bacteria thrive in moist, low-oxygen environments. Your birds may catch this disease if they come into contact with contaminated soil, if they eat contaminated food, or, if they come into contact with contaminated water.
Newly hatched ducklings are especially vulnerable because their immune systems are not as strong as adult duck immune systems.
A bird that becomes infected with this bacteria will be weak, have trouble breathing, develop muscle tremors, will stumble, and may fall down when trying to stand.
What to do:
If you suspect your ducklings may have this illness it would be best to get professional help as soon as possible.
Keep the bird in a quiet isolated area until the bird can be taken to the vet. You can isolate the bird in a dog crate or a cat carrier. Ensure that the bird has access to its own food and water while in isolation.
The bird’s fresh water should be served in a small container. Make the container deep enough so the bird can drink out of it but don’t make it so deep that the bird can drown in it.
You are giving the bird medicated chick feed:
Ducklings need to be fed early on in life but it is important that your feed these birds the right feed.
Chicks and ducklings may be similar in some ways but giving them the same feed is not recommended.
Ducklings eat much more than chicks do. If you start feeding your newly hatched ducklings medicated chick feed then the birds will overeat the feed, overdose on the medication, and this can cause them to be weak and have other health-related issues.
Giving your duckling chick feed is also not recommended because ducks and chicks have different nutritional needs. What will work for your chick may make your duckling weak and lethargic.
What to do:
The recommended food to give your ducks is duck starter crumbs. This feed contains all the nutrients that the birds need to grow healthy and strong.
You can also feed the bird duckling-safe treats like peas, chopped lettuce, grapes, tomatoes, moistened oatmeal, and mealworms.
Avoid feeding your ducklings feeds made for chicks or feeds made for any other animal for that matter.
You can also feed your bird some sugar water to perk it up temporarily. The bird may be too weak to eat on its own but giving the bird sugar water may give it the boost of energy that it needs.
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: Duck poop black , White duck poop, How To Make A Duck Diaper Out Of A Sock, Sugar Water For Ducklings
