Please help! Duckling having trouble walking

[HilltopHome]

Looks like you've been given good advice. Do you know what type of ducklings they are? Definitely go for that liquid vitamin B complex ASAP and add the brewers or nutritional yeast to their food. I think the liquid vitamin B absorbs well into watermelon, tiny pieces of bread, or over mealworms or slightly frozen peas - but if you feel they can get the full dosage in the treats you're already giving, great. In general, except for getting the meds into them, limit treats at this time and let them caught up on the nutrients they need.

They are American Pekin Ducks and and we are guessing about 8 weeks old. Our local stores didn't have the things you all mentioned so I ordered the Liquid Vitamin B and the nutritional yeast - they arrive tomorrow so I'll start them as soon as I get them! Thank you all so much for helping!

 

[HilltopHome]

If everyone else seems ok-

I would recommend that you separate the duckling that is having problems, and give her 1ml of the durvet B (it is listed for use in cattle, so don’t be surprised by the label), over the smallest amount of dried soilder fly larvae you can get it to “soak” in to.
One time a day.
You will also need to pick up some small syringes and needles so you can draw up the proper dosage, and then “squirt” it over the “worms”. All should be available at TSC or your local feed store (or Amazon)
I do re use syringes and needles for this unless they touch anything other than the cap on the durvet b- I put it on the worms, pull the needle, pull the plunger up and down a few times to “rinse” in a clean bowl of hot water, squirt the syringe out thru the needle at least twice, leave the needle capped and off the syringe, and the plunger up on the syringe to use the next day.
- it is most safe to use a clean syringe and needle every day. You make the call on that -

Give her the “treat” and put her back w her friends as long as she is getting around on and not being bullied.
Add the nutritional yeast to the feed that you typically use for everyone

Make sure they all have free access to grit. Cut out other treats for now.

It would also be very helpful if you can make sure she is getting swim “PT”
That will really help strengthen her legs. She may need solo swim time if they others are all doing well....she might not be going into the pool w everyone else.

Is she able to stand and walk at least “ok”?
Is she preening, eating, and drinking well?

Thank you so much for all the advice! I've ordered the durvet B and the nutritional yeast and they arrive tomorrow so I will start them as soon as they arrive! She doesn't seem to be bothered or bullied by the others and I do make sure she gets water time (which she loves)! She is able to stand and preen but her legs seem to bend back where everyone else stands tall and her joints seems alot bigger (maybe swollen?). She can walk altho' it seems hard and she has started using her tall feathers to balance as she takes a step.

 

[HilltopHome]

You got great advice
I just want to add you may not see improvements for 1-2 weeks
Please don’t give up
Keep giving the durvet vitamin B complex and continue for a week after she has fully recovered
The nutritional yeast I do with all my newborns till 10-12 weeks at 1 tbs to1 cup feed after that I sprinkle it on my adults feed a few times a week and in winter more often
Chicken feed doesn’t provide enough niacin for most ducks and some ducks just need more then others even if they are siblings

Keep the B complex in the fridge as it keeps for a long time this way

Also if using chicken feed by 3 weeks I stop with starter and have them on grower / finisher
I made the mistake my first round of ducks and kept on starter till 7-8 weeks and my little khaki Campbell lives with one angel wing ( vets said it was my high protein feed for to long )
Since then I switched and have never had the issue again and raised many ducklings and currently have 19 ducks ages 2.5 years to 9 weeks
He is father / grandpa to well over 70 so it’s not in his genes ( as some angel wing can be )
I also stay with grower even with my adults as I have both male and female
My calcium is crushed oyster shells in a side dish for my girls

Good luck
And keep us posted on her recovery

Thank you so much for all the advice! I've ordered the yeast and the B complex and they arrive tomorrow. We have been feeding them the chick starter feed that the farm store told us to buy but earlier this week I read somewhere that they probably needed more than that now (we are guessing they are about 8 weeks) so first part of this week I bought Dumor all flock pellets. Is that a good choice or is there something better?

 

[HeritageFan]

Thank you so much for all the advice! I've ordered the durvet B and the nutritional yeast and they arrive tomorrow so I will start them as soon as they arrive! She doesn't seem to be bothered or bullied by the others and I do make sure she gets water time (which she loves)! She is able to stand and preen but her legs seem to bend back where everyone else stands tall and her joints seems alot bigger (maybe swollen?). She can walk altho' it seems hard and she has started using her tall feathers to balance as she takes a step.

Sounds like a likely “candidate” for a solid response to the concentrated b vitamins

Please keep us posted on her progress!!!

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Thank you so much for all the advice! I've ordered the yeast and the B complex and they arrive tomorrow. We have been feeding them the chick starter feed that the farm store told us to buy but earlier this week I read somewhere that they probably needed more than that now (we are guessing they are about 8 weeks) so first part of this week I bought Dumor all flock pellets. Is that a good choice or is there something better?

You’re welcome
If you can get waterfowl feed that’s best
Myself I can’t get it where I am so I feed chicken feed

 

[HilltopHome]

Update: It will be one week tomorrow since I started the Durvet B complex. Not much has changed... she is still sitting a LOT - she uses her wings and tail feathers to stabilizer herself when walking ... she does stay with the other ducklings - sitting close by and she can if they roam off follow along altho' slowly. I feel like her legs are much shorter than the other ducklings and swollen at the joints. Going to keep giving her the B complex and hope she can recover.