1 duckling with niacin defiency, only eating mealworm for now and 1 more duckling not eating or drinking at all.

[Miss Lydia]

Chick grit is best. I’d be worried about them getting blocked up with fine sand.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Chick grit is best. I’d be worried about them getting blocked up with fine sand.

I didn't think of that. I was actually thinking regular old sand, like from a beach and stuff, which is coarser.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Only problem I see is ducklings will try and eat anything just about and they may over indulge in sand [just me and being a worry wort]

 

[Kimmyh51]

Hi community of BYC, with heavy heart I have 2 ducklings with problems.

First duckling have niacin defiency and is only eating mealworm for now. Tried to feed peas and carrots but the duckling doesn't eat at all. Doesn't show interest at all. Now I've been adding vitamins into their drinking water. Any tips on letting the duckling eat other food?

Second duckling does not show interest in food at all and it has been 3days. I tried feeding food via force feeding but it is not enough. Further things to take note is that this duckling will spasm about 2 to 4 times daily when agitated. Any tips on saving them?

Give them multi b vitamins with 50-100mg niacin in the tablet (dep on size of duck ie 100mg tablet for almost full grown domestic, 50mg for smaller ducklings or mallards. Crush the tablet thoroughly and mix in a small amount of water and give with a syringe, or if you know how to pill a duck do it that way (you can google this).
forget the peas and cqrrots neith3 hqve anything remotely close to the large amount of b vitamins you need to correct a niacin deficiency.

Also what has lead you to determine there is a niacin deficiency? While this i have heard can make ducks eventually not eqt and die, the main symptoms would be lameness, and the bird would still be happy to eat, but might have problems walking and getting to food.

if you have general symptoms of illness like not eating, lethargy etc, you may have birds with a viral or bacterial infection. When birds, especially young birds get sick enough for you to see they are obviously not well, they are really, really sick. If you are not 100% sure what is causing them to be sick you need to get them to a good vet if at all possible, for a diagnosis. When birds get so sick it is obvious to you, they are already well along a path they may not be able to turn back from, and you dont have time to try this and that. you need a definite diagnosis, now, and then you need to treat exactly what is wrong and treat it now And n then you may still lose the bird, time is of the essence. a bird will hide illness until they hqce no reaerves left to hide it any more, so when you see they qre sick this is telling you that they are almost out of reserves to fiht whatever is wrong and eight now they are very much, losing the battle…

Hopefully you have a good bird vet near you who can give you a definite diagnosis.

if it is just niacin deficiency, then give them a good strong dose of a multi b tablet or capsule, ie something u can read the pack and it will tell you exactly how many mg of niacin is in there. Brewers yeast and similar foods high in niacin can be variable as to how much they actually contain you can’t be sure there is enough , so id go for something where you know for sure it contains a high enough dose.

Give a 3-4-5 week duckling a tablet with at least 50mg niacin, one a day, till they can walk normally and are normally active. Make sure it only has b vitamins in it as some have herbs and other vitamins which may be toxic or toxic in high doses.
if they are not eating, or lethargic, consider that it might not be niacin deficiency but something else needing urgent treatment.

if you don't have any good bird vet within driving distance then maybe video the bird and look at it analytically and post a list of everything u notice, from its poop, to its behaviour, to its walking or not walking, to its eating or not, to its bedding, environment, other ducks its been in contact with, any recent injuries even if minor, etc etc, every little detail, and hopefully someone on here may have some guidance as to what is causing it.

 

[lychi]

Give them multi b vitamins with 50-100mg niacin in the tablet (dep on size of duck ie 100mg tablet for almost full grown domestic, 50mg for smaller ducklings or mallards. Crush the tablet thoroughly and mix in a small amount of water and give with a syringe, or if you know how to pill a duck do it that way (you can google this).
forget the peas and cqrrots neith3 hqve anything remotely close to the large amount of b vitamins you need to correct a niacin deficiency.

Also what has lead you to determine there is a niacin deficiency? While this i have heard can make ducks eventually not eqt and die, the main symptoms would be lameness, and the bird would still be happy to eat, but might have problems walking and getting to food.

if you have general symptoms of illness like not eating, lethargy etc, you may have birds with a viral or bacterial infection. When birds, especially young birds get sick enough for you to see they are obviously not well, they are really, really sick. If you are not 100% sure what is causing them to be sick you need to get them to a good vet if at all possible, for a diagnosis. When birds get so sick it is obvious to you, they are already well along a path they may not be able to turn back from, and you dont have time to try this and that. you need a definite diagnosis, now, and then you need to treat exactly what is wrong and treat it now And n then you may still lose the bird, time is of the essence. a bird will hide illness until they hqce no reaerves left to hide it any more, so when you see they qre sick this is telling you that they are almost out of reserves to fiht whatever is wrong and eight now they are very much, losing the battle…

Hopefully you have a good bird vet near you who can give you a definite diagnosis.

if it is just niacin deficiency, then give them a good strong dose of a multi b tablet or capsule, ie something u can read the pack and it will tell you exactly how many mg of niacin is in there. Brewers yeast and similar foods high in niacin can be variable as to how much they actually contain you can’t be sure there is enough , so id go for something where you know for sure it contains a high enough dose.

Give a 3-4-5 week duckling a tablet with at least 50mg niacin, one a day, till they can walk normally and are normally active. Make sure it only has b vitamins in it as some have herbs and other vitamins which may be toxic or toxic in high doses.
if they are not eating, or lethargic, consider that it might not be niacin deficiency but something else needing urgent treatment.

if you don't have any good bird vet within driving distance then maybe video the bird and look at it analytically and post a list of everything u notice, from its poop, to its behaviour, to its walking or not walking, to its eating or not, to its bedding, environment, other ducks its been in contact with, any recent injuries even if minor, etc etc, every little detail, and hopefully someone on here may have some guidance as to what is causing it.

Thanks for the concern and advice, now two of the ducks are adults and the female duck just laid an egg Last night