Simply Quackers
In the Brooder
I very recently got my first set of poultry to raise all on my own. I am the very proud mama of 5 Rhode Island Reds, 5 Bard Rocks, 5 White Leghorn, 5 Brown Tetras, 10 Black Sex Links, 12 Americanas, and 4 ducks. Now the chickens were gotten purely as a food source, we will be butchering some and we will be using the eggs, but the ducks were gotten purely as pets. I got 4 because I know that they do not do well without other ducks to socialize with. I have one that I am concerned with. He, not sexed just my suspicion, has what I believe to be wry neck. I bought some vitamin supplements from the Local Family Farm and Home store, Tractor Supply didn't have any in stock when I stopped by there, and put them in the water within the first day of noticing that something was off with him. The first sign was when we put them in the tub to swim while we were cleaning out their tote, he was swimming in circles and his face was really close to the water. The next day it seemed to be worse and now he is constantly looking with his head sideways. I do see little signs of improvement and he seems very happy. He is vocal, he is grooming the other ducks as well as himself, he loves the water, but when I tried to put him in the tub yesterday he could not keep his face out of the water. I have read the posts about the oregano, basil, etc that you can feed them to boost the vitamin E and selenium, and the vitamins that I got have high amounts of vitamin E in them, but is all of this effort for nothing?
I have wrestled since almost the beginning about whether I should see how it goes for a few more weeks or just have someone come to put him out of his misery cuz right now it's not like he can even function as a normal duck.... He is almost half the size of the other ducks now even though he is the first one to the food and water and we actually take him while the others swim and give him food and water time by himself so that we are sure he is getting plenty of access to it.
I expected to lose at lease one bird just due to the fact that we bought them from Tractor Supply and you never know what you are getting going that way, but so far we haven't and I am extremely happy about that. I just don't want to make this guy suffer if he isn't going to get better. I know that the vitamins take about a month to fix the problem, if that really is the problem, so I am not expecting an over night miracle.
Any advice is very much appreciated.
I have wrestled since almost the beginning about whether I should see how it goes for a few more weeks or just have someone come to put him out of his misery cuz right now it's not like he can even function as a normal duck.... He is almost half the size of the other ducks now even though he is the first one to the food and water and we actually take him while the others swim and give him food and water time by himself so that we are sure he is getting plenty of access to it.
I expected to lose at lease one bird just due to the fact that we bought them from Tractor Supply and you never know what you are getting going that way, but so far we haven't and I am extremely happy about that. I just don't want to make this guy suffer if he isn't going to get better. I know that the vitamins take about a month to fix the problem, if that really is the problem, so I am not expecting an over night miracle.
Any advice is very much appreciated.
