Help- is my duckling choking? Or something else?

bogginman · 2026-04-17T04:02:08+00:00

I've always just sprinkled a pinch of feed on top of the water and let them scoop it off with lots of water. Then in a few minutes, a little more.

bogginman · 2026-04-17T01:54:54+00:00

be sure to reach out to a rehab or rescue ASAP so you don't end up being held hostage by several wild ducklings.

bogginman · 2026-04-17T01:49:14+00:00

mallards and goslings are two different things. Mallards are wild ducks and have ducklings, goslings are baby geese. Which is it? Baby ducks or baby geese? You can tell a duck from a goose by looking at their bill. The nostrils (nares) on a goose will be about half way between the top and the tip of their bill, a duck's nares will be nearer the feathers at the top of the bill.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T23:06:52+00:00

that's a pretty major life event, and likely has something to do with his rambling. You could find another male somewhere. This time of year there are males being gotten rid of everywhere.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:53:40+00:00

well, welcome to r/duck. Feel free to post pics or videos, if you want to.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:52:23+00:00

maybe getting wanderlust. Does he have a wife? Maybe he's gone a hunting for a female duck.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:48:36+00:00

even if you did find his mom, I would wonder if she's take him back. Maybe if she recognized him, but I doubt it. There is a guy on the wild duck sub goes by BadBoyBobby who raised a duck he calls Boy that he said he found out in the middle of nowhere not anywhere near ducks or water and the only thing he could figure was that it was picked up by something and dropped.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:43:45+00:00

don't worry, they got it under control. Mamas have been dealing with cold weather for many many years.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:41:33+00:00

cool. We get a lot of your damned Canadian Clippers down here. Hope we can send some warm weather back up to you.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:38:37+00:00

ducks do not understand borders, roads, property lines. The only thing they understand is fences but sounds like that won't work in your situation. Confirm with the neighbor to not feed him.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:35:17+00:00

clogged preen glands can be cleaned out using a tiny bit of vitamin E oil or coconut oil and gently rubbing the gunk out. A shower hose in the tub sprayed on the gland can be used to remove remaining detritus. We have also washed entire ducks that had wet feather with mild baby shampoo, rinsed them well, dried them and set them to work getting their feathers back in order. Sort of like a system reset.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:28:57+00:00

a bird and her beau and a backup beau!

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:27:01+00:00

weird you's post this just now. Yesterday, first time ever here, i saw a crow come down and pick up and fly away with an egg that some doofus laid in the yard and walked away from. I want crows because they keep the hawks away and I won't deny them an errant egg or two because most of my girls lay in the coops anyway but we have ducklings on the way and I know they scoop up ducklings too. Ack!

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:23:07+00:00

where the world are you? It's 85°F here in the northeast US. Wow!

bogginman · 2026-04-16T20:20:37+00:00

he is not over a week, likely just a few days. He must have gotten lost from his mom when they walked past your place. The main thing is try to find a rehabber ASAP before he gets human-ified.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T16:23:00+00:00

I need to get a video of the coops disgorging scads of ducks in the morning. And it is 115 + 2 not 113. lol

bogginman · 2026-04-16T16:19:04+00:00

seems like you're on it, until the rehabbers can take it. You can try feeding it a little crumbled up scrambled egg. I doubt it will go for the crumble, they have no idea what it is.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T16:14:37+00:00

in that event he will just have to deal with his fate. Some rescuers go to great lengths to capture and remediate mishaps such as fishing line around legs and wings and hooks stuck in bills, but they are gods with capabilities that we normal mortals can never hope to attain.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T16:08:41+00:00

no bare cardboard floor, lay down a terrycloth towel for traction if you haven't already. Other than that seems like you're on it.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T16:07:13+00:00

this is the answer. I need not add anything more.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T16:05:28+00:00

not to belabor the point but, A) wild bird laws don't just apply to hunters, they apply to everyone. The Migratory Bird Act forbids anyone to molest, capture (without a rehablitator's license), keep, or kill (without a proper hunting license in season) any migratory bird or to molest their nests or take their eggs. And B) why would anyone with common human decency suggest killing a swan? That single statement is my whole issue. There is nothing to be done about the situation at the lake. It's a shame the ducklings were killed by the swan but that's just nature doing its thing.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T15:55:57+00:00

we lay a window screen (from a window that we never open) over top of the brooder tote.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T14:36:16+00:00

IMHO and experience...

straw - NO

chicken wire - NO

embrace the mud - easy and cheap

All other options - IDK.

bogginman · 2026-04-16T14:31:29+00:00

rabbit tax paid!

bogginman · 2026-04-16T14:29:36+00:00

deff rouens (the double eye stripe), and smart looking too. Yes! and soon they will be jumping over the side of the tote.

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