Newborn duckling with a limp.

A few days ago one of my girls hatched 4 ducklings. They were all doing well until today when I noticed one with a limp. As far as I can tell, it injured it's foot or ankle but it does not appear to be broken. I brought it inside and isolated it from the flock.

I have treated an adult with similar symptoms by isolating it w/ a partner and treating it with Epsom salt baths and duramycin. Is this also the proper thing to do with a duckling who is only 3 days old? If so, does anyone know of the proper dosage of duramycin for a duck so young?

aychbe said:

A few days ago one of my girls hatched 4 ducklings. They were all doing well until today when I noticed one with a limp. As far as I can tell, it injured it's foot or ankle but it does not appear to be broken. I brought it inside and isolated it from the flock.

I have treated an adult with similar symptoms by isolating it w/ a partner and treating it with Epsom salt baths and duramycin. Is this also the proper thing to do with a duckling who is only 3 days old? If so, does anyone know of the proper dosage of duramycin for a duck so young?

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Not sure I'd give an antibiotic to one so young maybe @casportpony will know if it's safe.But may all it needs is a little time I'd bring in one of the other ducklings for company though. Is the foot swollen? maybe try the Epsom salt wraps where you soak a soft wash cloth in the Epsom salt warm water then wring out till almost all water is out then wrap the tiny leg and foot till the cloth begins to cool you can do this many times during the day just make sure the duckling doesn't chill being out of the brooder. I'd also start the duckling on Brewers yeast sprinkled over it's feed for extra niacin 1Tab to 1 cup of feed. Some ducklings show signs of niacin dif others don't but it won't hurt any of them to have the BY.

@Miss Lydia the ducklings were a natural hatch and outside with their mother but I put together a brooder, grabbed the injured one a partner and brought them both inside for observation.

Outside they've already gone for a swim in the pond so first thing I did was fill a bucket to see it swim and it moved its foot normally in water. The ankle appears to be a little swollen so I'm hoping Epsom salts will do the trick.

aychbe said:

@Miss Lydia the ducklings were a natural hatch and outside with their mother but I put together a brooder, grabbed the injured one a partner and brought them both inside for observation.

Outside they've already gone for a swim in the pond so first thing I did was fill a bucket to see it swim and it moved its foot normally in water. The ankle appears to be a little swollen so I'm hoping Epsom salts will do the trick.

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Oh good so the lil one has a sib with it.. When using the Epsom salt just make sure the duckling doesn't drink the water. let us know how the duckling is doing hope it won't take but a few days and it will be back running around again.

@Miss Lydia. My fingers are crossed. I'll keep you posted!

Update: I think the duckling may have a broken leg. The bone between its knee and foot hasurgery an abnormal bend in it. Also, it seemed to get more swollen as the night progressed.

I splinted it using a piece of a drinking straw cut down the middle and wrapped it in that waterproof bandage stuff the vet uses on my dogs after they draw blood



I'm not 100% positive that it's leg is broken and I'm going off of human broken bone symptoms. The duckling wasn't particularly fussy about me feeling its injured leg and I was able to wrap it with little trouble which is contradictory to what I know about broken bones and the pain involved but I know very little of how a duckling would react to pain. If the bone is not broken, am I doing more harm that good by splinting? Do I keep it wrapped until it starts walking normally or is there a time frame to go off of? Are there any type of supplements that I should give it to help its recovery?

@aychbe I'm sorry to hear this could a larger animal have stepped on it? Any way if splinting make sure to keep the normal bend in the leg in other words don't splint to where the leg can't bend at the knee. I'll see if I can find the info @casportpony shared a while back or maybe she'll see this an offer some help. I'd defiently give the lil one some vitamin/electrolytes in the waterer or Poultry Nutri Drench for support while healing.



You also might want to wrap the leg in some soft gauze before using the straw just to make sure the straw doesn't cut into the leg. Is a vet an option? This is over kill but shows how to soften the area before using the vet http://www.thehorse.com/videos/30327/how-to-bandage-a-horses-leg-with-vetrapwrap.

It's entirely possible that one of the adult ducks stepped on it but the largest non-ducks I have are chihuahuas and my drake won't let them get close to the ducklings.

I live in an urban area and none of the vets in my area handle ducks. The closest is about an hour away. If the need arises, a vet is an option.

This morning when I woke up, the little one was standing on both legs and putting weight on the bad leg. It also seems to be holding its foot in a much more natural position versus how a duck does when it has an injury. I removed the straw splint and added a layer of gauze padding. I checked for range of motion and it can move both its knee and ankle. I have the human equivalent of that vet wrap stuff and I finished it with that.

I'll grab some vitamins from the supply place where I buy duck food.

aychbe said:

It's entirely possible that one of the adult ducks stepped on it but the largest non-ducks I have are chihuahuas and my drake won't let them get close to the ducklings.

I live in an urban area and none of the vets in my area handle ducks. The closest is about an hour away. If the need arises, a vet is an option.

This morning when I woke up, the little one was standing on both legs and putting weight on the bad leg. It also seems to be holding its foot in a much more natural position versus how a duck does when it has an injury. I removed the straw splint and added a layer of gauze padding. I checked for range of motion and it can move both its knee and ankle. I have the human equivalent of that vet wrap stuff and I finished it with that.

I'll grab some vitamins from the supply place where I buy duck food.

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Well that's a relief maybe just a bad sprain then. lets hope so.. we have 2 vets here in our small town and neither will see poultry.Hopefully your lil one will continue to heal.. If you can put them in some warm water just to under the belly where hey are floating but can also stand if they want that may help too with strengthening the legs. Just never leave them alone which i am sure you know. They sure are cute. What breed? @aychbe

@Miss Lydia They are a khaki campbell/ black Swedish mix (mother is khaki, father black swede).

I live in an urban area but I know of a vet about an hour away that treats all types of livestock.

There is a demand for both ducks and chickens in my area as urban farming is starting to take off. My municipality permit me to keep 3 ducks so once these little ones are healthy, I plan on rehoming.

I've been keeping ducks for around 3 years now and have controlled hatched around 30 ducklings at this point. When I went away around a month ago, I forgot to tell the person who was watching my ducks to harvest the eggs daily and by the time I returned, they were 2 weeks in. I was surprised that they actually hatched, to be honest.

Now 2 of the 4 ducklings are running in the yard and swimming in the pond I dug earlier this year for my adults. I am not completely comfortable letting then do this but after talking with both people on this board and duck breeders I have correspondedone with, it's completely natural and the ducks all act as a group caring for the young. I had concerns with my drake as he does peck at them but he more or less herds them to their mother although I caught him letting them sit with him earlier.

I will say that this is the last natural hatch I will do. This is too stressful not having complete control in the environment. Also, the pair I have in a brood are super skittish being that they already imprinted on their mother and don't really like being handled. They are so cure it's unfair which is why I barely slept last night worrying about its leg.

It may just be a bad sprain as when I re-dressed it this morning, the swelling had gone down. I'll keep it inside for some r&r, give it some vitamins and keep you updated on the progress. It has been standing on it and placing its for down in a normal position. When it walks, it's awkward but I would expect that with a splint on.