Duck with turned in feet

[JoAnn42]

A little bit better today then yesterday but only one dose given so far

 

[Miss Lydia]

A little bit better today then yesterday but only one dose given so far

Great news!!

 

[Haunted55]

I was given a mallard today - and I noticed that it's little feet/legs turn in, more than I think they should. I was told that it is a couple months old (that she bought it as a duckling in the spring) - is it too late to do something for it's legs? It can walk, but often steps on it's on feet - and swimming wasn't as much as a breeze as I think it should be.....for a duck. Any suggestions??

It's never too late to try and get results. Get some plain niacin [not the slow release or the no-flush] and add it to their water. I get mine at Wally World, it's behind the counter so you have to ask. It's 500mg pills which I cut into quarters. For babies, I use 1 of these quarter tabs in the qt. waterer I start them off with, every other day for the first week and then they normally go up to a 64 oz. waterer and I still add only 1 quarter tab.. After that is 1 to a gallon of water everyday when they are 3 months old. All ducks and geese need extra niacin so this could be added to everyones water. Chickens can benefit as well so a communal waterer is fine. Niacin is one of the Bs so is water soluble so there isn't much chance of overdosing.

At this point, I wouldn't worry about trying to wrap the foot or leg, just give the niacin and let it learn how to walk. It will be fine. Once they hit the ground, they learn pretty quickly how to compensate and ultimately 'fix' the problem. I have a couple that will still step on their own feet and their feet face straight! Silly buggers. I also have a few that have the inturned feet or foot and they can run, walk and fly with the best of them. Swimming is a non issue with them as well. I have a couple of Mallards right now who are a little iffy about the water. They kinda like it but their swimming is half hearted at best and these have no issues with their feet or legs. They figure it out, trust me. Have patience, ducks are very adaptable and will prove you wrong every chance they get and most often in ways you never thought possible.

 

[32708fl]

I have a new duckling that is not growing as fast as the others and sits a lot. I noticed her fett are turning inward. What can be done?

 

[kcbdcarnold]

Interesting....I had no idea this could be a niacin deficiency. We have a duck that was given to us and it's legs are turned in and deformed looking- she has been that since a baby, so we thought it was just a deformity. She is slow to get around, but with a ramp built to accommodate her and steps in and out of the "pool", she does just fine. Actually, she is sitting on eggs at the moment, so hopefully will be hatching them sometime in the next week!

 

[Mommy Quack]

I bought 2 ducklings at TS and I'm having problems with one leg & wing. Same side. He can only walk a step or two. Food suggestions? I read in previous post to give nician.

 

[dotknott]

Can you elaborate on the problems? While you're at it, tell us what you're feeding them, plus any vitamin supplements and/or treats you've been providing.

Diet is the easiest thing to fix, and is often the usual culprit. Let's start there.

 

[CassandraMyers]

I have a pekin duckling that I hatched myself it has one curled foot I noticed it has some red at the end of his toes it doesn't stand up he does the back stroke is there anything I can do to help him

 

[Isaac 0]

I have a pekin duckling that I hatched myself it has one curled foot I noticed it has some red at the end of his toes it doesn't stand up he does the back stroke is there anything I can do to help him

Could you start your own thread on the duck forum, and provide some more information about the duck/ and a few pictures/video?

 

[Gil Barany]

She doesn't seem like she is in pain but I don't know for sure. I have now put the two ducks in an outside pen during the day where they have more walking space on grass and will see if there is any improvement. So far no further improvement and she sits most of the time as it is so hard to walk. I really hope something happens soon. When I put them in the bathtub, I can see that the one with the crossed legs struggles to swim a bit and ends up going in circles. I am just going to keep up the hydrotherapy, exercise and niacin and give her time. Where do I find Brewer's Yeast? I was at the grocery store and couldn't find any!

I've got 8 pekins left out of 12 and all have had sprained hips/legs, etc and get over it in about a week. When we had 12 we had 2 drake's. The drakes are fast aggressive and somewhat violent with the females wanting to breed almost all year. They weigh more and if a female tries to fight back, she usually gets hear head pushed into the straw grass or gravel, but the extra weight on her legs is evident. I keep them all together in a 10x10 cage from TSC and the roof covered with a tarp so their food bowls don't get wet from the rain.
I also let them free range right from the beginning. They have learned the boundaries of the yard on their own. We have 10 acres and they stay with in a 2 acre area all around the house. Plus free ranging allows them to eat all sorts of bugs (all day long!!) Bugs are high in protein, which is good for them. They do everything from ticks to spiders to big grasshoppers.
I had a pond dug for them which they really like. However when they sense danger like big snapping turtles, they won't go back out. Have had them stay out for a whole year.
And ducks sold at TSC are born the day before and only know the tubs the live in. I have bought some of them for 1/2 price after they get to be a week or so older.
Has em all for 4 years. Some killed by physiological brain disease, some by racoons. All just part of owning them. But boy are they precious to have around...