Captive Care for Ducklings

Common Duckling Ailments at WildCare

Use this guide to help you assess the health of the ducklings in our care.

Hypothermic Hyperthermic Habituation &

Ailment Injured or Weak Parasites Bumblefoot Fratricide Angel Wing
(Too Cold) (Too Hot) Imprinting
Peeps frantically Gasping for air, Limping, blood, Appears ill, eyes dull, Unafraid of Calluses or ulcerated Bald patches, loose One or both wings
then will be quiet, open mouth QAR, dropping wing, discolored and/or humans, too lesions on ball of foot feathers, blood, sticking out from
Symptoms cold to touch, breathing, body low energy. smelly fecal matter, friendly. and plantar surfaces scabs, lacerations, body (deformity).
inactive, QAR. feels hot, hold wings isolates self, QAR, low of digits at joints. active fighting.
out from body. energy, dirty cloaca.
Lacks Overcrowding or no Stuck under or Transmitted from Too much human Hard/rough surface, Ducklings will attack Various causes:
waterproofing, too cool space in in-between other sick birds, dirty contact. wet towels, lack of outcast members. growing too fast,
wet and can’t enclosure. something, falling. water, dirty water for swimming, overfeeding
warm up. conditions. dirty conditions, (proportion
Causes excess weight. grain/lettuce),
incorrect incubation
conditions or
hatching problems.
Inform Med Staff Inform Med Staff Inform Med Staff Inform Med Staff Inform Med Staff Inform Med Staff Inform Med Staff Inform Med Staff
immediately. immediately. immediately. immediately. immediately. immediately. immediately. immediately.

DO NOT offer food DO NOT put back Preventative Add daisy doormat so
What do
or water until under a heating Measures only: all concrete surfaces
I do? warmed up. apparatus until cool. Minimize contact, are fully covered.
limit handling, do
Monitor for Monitor for not talk to or peek
overheating. overcooling. at ducklings.
Warm in 100° Cool it down by Will be banded and Fecal test. Not treatable. Will be banded and Will be banded and Will be banded and
Incubator, under a using water, or may go back to monitored while in placed in separate monitored while in
Heat Lamp, or on alcohol on its feet, original group or Test groups as Not releasable. group. enclosure with other group. Tape feathers
a Heating Pad. or put it on oxygen put in separate needed for outcast ducklings, up to the wing for 3-7
enclosure with recurrence. Must be Med staff will monitor or entire group will days, then removed
What Must have space other weak/sick euthanized. and take more be moved into a to allow for growth.
does med for duckling to ducklings. If Will not be placed medical action if it larger space.
staff do? move away from separated, will be with untreated worsens. May adjust diet.
heat if under light introduced into a ducklings.
or on heating pad. herd of other If too severe bird
“outcast” ducklings cannot fly and must
NO exam until when recovered. be euthanized.
duckling is warm.

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Created by: Amy Shipley, Instructional Designer

 Captive Care for Ducklings

Created by: Amy Shipley, Instructional Designer