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Duckling scare, maybe heat stroke.

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posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 06:08 PM
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So, earlier this year my father decided he wanted some chickens, and he also bought a duck. He kept them in a cage about 6x14, and once the Pekin was grown, we both figured he would do well with some space...and pond. So, I brought that duck back to my place, where there's a 1.5 acreish pond.

Growing up with chickens, the duck thought it was a chicken, and was scared to death of the water. Oh, he's friendly, he just seemed a bit lonely, so I thought maybe I should get him a couple friends.

So I did. About 2 weeks ago while at Tractor Supply, they had Pekin ducklings, so I bought two. Keep them in a cage during the night and when I am not at home, otherwise I let them out as much as possible. They LOVE each other. The ducklings follow him around, and he follows them around, especially when it's treat time. When I bring out the mealworms, the ducklings go crazy, pipping and squeaking like a crackhead needing a fix, and the big duck chimes right in, quack-quacking like no one's business. They follow me down to the pond but won't get in.

One week ago, after going to TS again, they had some rouen ducklings, so I got two of those, too. I left the two duckling breeds apart for almost a week, and introduced them day before yesterday. After pecking order, they are all the bestest of best friends.

Today, I get up and I go outside to check on them, making sure they have food and water, which they do. The big duck is sitting right by their cage, wondering why they are inside and can't come out to play. At night, boy does he give me an earful when I put them up, getting six inches from my face quack quacking like "What the # are you doing?!" Then he tries to get in there with them, and I let him once, but he knocked over their water tray. As I have explained to it multiple times, once they get bigger they don't have to be locked up. Anyway, they were fine when I left.
I went to my uncle's house for a birthday bash for a few hours, and came home. The first thing I went to do, before I even went inside, was to let them out of the cage. When I approached the cage, I didn't know what the # was going on. One of the pekin ducklings was rolling around, the food was scattered, and he was covered in filth, rolling and flopping around, unable to stand. I let the other one out quickly, and picked up the other, examining it. What was wrong? Did he break his neck or leg, but how? He seemed fine, except for rashes where he struggled to stand. He could move his neck fine, feet worked, just had zero balance or coordination, like the ether had set in.  I set him down, he tried to stand, feet extended but he just fell over rolling around, head going this way and that, flopping around. That scared the hell out of me.

I had NO idea what to do or what was wrong and thought I was going to have to put him down. I put him in a smaller plastic tub with some straw, food, and water, and propped him up in the corner, then on to the internet. Is it a vitamin deficiency? They eat the proper food and it happened in the span of a few hours, but I decided to immediately go buy some supplements, especially electrolytes and other vitamins. As I was driving, I started thinking. Did he get stung and have an allergic reaction? There were red rashes on his wings from rolling and flailing around, and his stomach.

I get home, and he is much calmer, propped up on his back in the corner of the plastic tub. Nursed him to get some damned electrolyte water in him, and he drank a little, but still couldn't properly sit for a while, poor thing, just reclined in the corner. Not long after he was able to actually properly "sit" without falling over.

Then a light bulb went off in my head. "Did he have a #n heat stroke???" Took back to the internets, and those symptoms seemed to more closely resemble what had happened.

So I took him into the AC, where it's like 68, and put him in the basement bathroom. Then I went and got a cold pack from the freezer and stuck that a few inches from him.

Every 30 minutes or so I check on him.

First, he took the initiative to eat a little food.
Second time I went in there, he was standing, and said a few things.
Third time, he was standing there raising hell, looking at me like either "Thank you thank you!" or "Let me the hell out of here and back with my friends!"Fourth time, he's just chilling, lets me caress him, snuggled up to the cold pack, and he seems much happier and to be doing much better, thankfully.
Fifth time, he's ready to get the hell out!Sixth time, just chilling.

So far.

That was scary, and I had no idea what to do or what was wrong. I never knew they could get heat stroke like that, and the cage is always in the shade with water.

So I'm going to start freezing some water bottles and keeping them in the cage when they're in there.

He (it) has since and so far recovered, but I'm going to keep him inside for a day or two, just in case. .

I just hope he (it) continues to do all right.






edit on 8-8-2020 by Liquesence because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 06:51 PM
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I have been clearing brush and opening up the wood line behind my house this past month in an attempt to work myself back into shape and improve my view. I also decided to set and refill my corn feeder for the deer. The afternoon I got it set and filled with corn, I walked out the back gate and there was a squirrel just outside the gate laying on his back and breathing heavily. I thought he was dying but after a few minutes I went to the house and drew a bowl of cool water to pour on him to see if that would revive him. When the water hit his face it startled him and his eyes opened but he didn't start to move any. He did seem to take a few sips of water when I poured it over him but other than that I didn't see any improvement. Around an hour later I went back out and he was staggering around in circles and falling over regularly.
The next morning he was gone. I don't know if he recovered or if some critter got him.
I think he was suffering from heat.



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 06:59 PM
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Glad to hear he seems to be OK now. Ducklings are so cute. Love em! When I was a kid, my uncle had a cool lake cabin and we would swim and hang out with the duckies. They loved bread and popcorn.




posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 07:08 PM
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a reply to: ColeYounger

Thank you, and yes they are. When I was a teen, a guy a worked with found a duckling and I took it home. I would take it out every morning to look for worms, and it would follow me down the street on walks.

They're cute and funny as hell.

It seems fine now, just hope...



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 07:09 PM
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Beautiful story and even more beautiful pics. Having been around for a bit and love of all animals I disagree with the heat stroke hypothesis. It's more likely it ate something that upset its equilibrium. Maybe an old potato or some kind of plant that can have effects after ripeness occurs. Are there any berry bushes or apple trees nearby? My mom's ducks used to get drunk on persimmons. Usually they would wait a week or 2 after the fruit fell.

Look up bats getting drunk on YouTube you will see the same effects.



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 07:19 PM
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a reply to: Themaskedbeast


Beautiful story and even more beautiful pics


Thank you.


It's more likely it ate something that upset its equilibrium. Maybe an old potato or some kind of plant that can have effects after ripeness occurs.


I thought about that too, but unless it ate a wayward bug or poisonous insect, which is possible, heat makes the most sense. He was in the cage for 14 hours, and it happened after he had been in there that long.

No persimmons on the property, they don;t have access to the fermenting pears, or any other food stuffs. He wasn't drunk, but I've seen the videos.

Heat makes the only sense, unless he was stung or ate some bug that came into the cage.
edit on 8-8-2020 by Liquesence because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 07:27 PM
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a reply to: Liquesence

I agree with all of you, those are some cute little creatures!

I'm glad the little guy is feeling better.



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 07:48 PM
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a reply to: zosimov

Thank you.




posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 08:30 PM
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a reply to: Liquesence

Awwww, precious pics! I'm so relieved to hear the duckling is doing well now. Hope he stays well.



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 09:17 PM
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a reply to: Night Star

Thank you! I went down and spent some more time with him, and he ate and drank quite a bit as I was there talking to and encouraging him/it.

I put a little balm on the places he had rubbed raw when he was at his worse, to help...



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 10:16 PM
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a reply to: Liquesence

You are a wonderful duckling Dad.





edit on 8-8-2020 by Night Star because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 8 2020 @ 10:21 PM
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a reply to: Liquesence

I hope he is back to 100% soon.
They sure are cute....thanks for sharing the pics.
I hope your extended duck family are all happily swimming in your pond soon.



posted on Aug, 9 2020 @ 09:24 AM
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a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Thank you. He seems to be doing well this morning, but I'm not sure he's 100% yet.

He does seem to be much happier and thankful that I'm taking care of him.



posted on Aug, 9 2020 @ 05:58 PM
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So here's a little "duckdate."

I kept the little guy in the AC through out the night and most of the day. It's still in the low 90s with a heat index in the high 90s, so I bought a small misting system to put by the cage until I build a larger one tomorrow or Tuesday.

Little guy was good throughout the day inside, he just seemed to really want out, but he was calm and appreciative, and he seemed to have eaten quite a bit throughout the day/night. This evening I reintroduced him to his friends, and he was pretty excited, as they were. He seems to be at about 90%, and the little ones are now chilling by the water.

I've also been rotating frozen water bottles in the cage, and they seemed to enjoy that, sitting next to them in the dead heat of the day. They also really seemed to appreciate the mister, so between that and the ice bottle, that definitely helped keep them cool.



posted on Aug, 9 2020 @ 06:03 PM
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a reply to: Liquesence

How cool that they recognize and enjoy one another.
I mean, the little 'ums haven't been with the older one all that long?

How is the irritated skin doing?



posted on Aug, 9 2020 @ 06:26 PM
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a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

As far as the inflammation and rash, I only applied the balm to his little wings. That stuff it THICK, it's like Vicks vapor rub (menthol) but has the consistency of putty. AND it's bright blue, like crayon blue, so it's still there, or the remnants of it, which I suppose is why it's made like it it, so it stays on, lol. The other places on his chest seemed to have subsided and color has returned to normal.

I think the little ones have been with the big one about 2-3 weeks. When he had his episode, they, like me, had no idea what was going on. The big one is again happy to have company, and the little one are glad to be back together like nothing had happened.

It's funny though, when I was putting the balm on him last night he didn't resist at all. He just laid there, let me gently apply this to his wings, and gave the occasional "chirp" of "That feels so good, thank you," approval lol.



posted on Aug, 10 2020 @ 06:34 AM
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Out of curiousity, why did you also feel the need to post this on /pol/? I asked there for your rationale for why you felt this was a political topic. It never received an answer.

a reply to: Liquesence



posted on Aug, 10 2020 @ 09:19 AM
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a reply to: hombero

What are you talking about? What is /pol?



posted on Aug, 10 2020 @ 09:29 AM
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I had a duckling as kid.

Named him Fred.

Fred grew up then went to live with his duck squad.


As for yours, awww poor duckie.
edit on 10-8-2020 by Lysergic because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 10 2020 @ 02:43 PM
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I'm so glad your duckling is doing better! Love the pics!

Just be careful, when they get older. You have to make sure you have the right ratio of boys to girls. And the boys aren't real nice when they start getting "randy".




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