4week old duck flips over and walks bacward.

[catriona]

My four week old pekin duck flips over and walks backward. she didn’t start doing this until yesterday.

Starting on Monday I allowed them out of their brooding area and onto the grass. I have a flock of 15. four Cayuga, 3 swedish one black and two gray, 4 Khaki Campbell with one crested, 4 Pekin. I got them from Ideal Poultry on May 7.

I feed them Purina sunfresh chick starter with Purina scratch. I also use Brewers yeast. I give them four scoops of starter with one scoop of scratch. Next week I was planning to switch to flock raiser. I also tried plain yogurt, lettuce, and boiled eggs with them. Someone had told me that yogurt was good four ducklings like it is for chicks. They didn’t get none of these things until June 2.

I noticed yesterday that the smallest pekin was resting separate from the others. When I went to check on her she joined the others. Tonight when I went out to check on the she was separate again however, the difference is that when she saw me she flipped and lied on the ground for about a minute. When I got to her she walked backwards instead of forward. When I put her with the others the largest pekin pecked her on the chest. The others didn’t mind that she was there. When I removed the largest pekin none of the others bothered her. Since she is the smallest Pekin for tonight I penned off and area for her with a doun blanket with her. The others seem to be content with each other. They can still see each other. She didn’t protest like the others when I picked her up and her body felt like it was shivering. I took her inside to see if she needed help to poop but nothing happened. She continued to walk backward in the penned off area. It’s not a constant thing. Most of the time she walks normally. She seems to show these symtomes in the evening. the Pekins were all growing at the same rate until this week.

 

[annek]

question on the purina chick starter-you aren't using the medicated chick starter are you? I use purina but mine is used for chicks and it is medicated. That will kill water fowl.

 

[catriona]

I thought about that to and I rechecked the bag and it says that it is nonmedicated.

 

[sammi]

she's being bullied away from food and nutrients..
sometimes this can cause these symptoms.
or she's been pecked viciously on the head ..causing Wry neck or Crookneck..
either way..get her some Poly-vi-sol liquid vitamins, Enfamil brand if possible, no iron, and give 3 drops on beak once a day for days, then 2 drops for 4 days, then taper off for another week.
confine her to her own food and water for a couple days...tho a docile friend that won't bully her might help with stress.
sometimes they do this when they are stressed.

best keep an eye on the bully..
with chicken hens, the bully should be separated to change the flock dynamic..
not sure if it will work with ducks.

here is a link for Wry Neck/Crookneck info, treatment suggestions, and video of chick:
(best to check with "duck person")

http://fowlfacts.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=2008&action=display&thread=429

 

[catriona]

thank you for the information. I'm going to try the liquid vitamins tomorrow. I was wondering if anyone can tell me if tulips are toxic. I've noticed that they all like to sleep under my tulip tree.

 

[sammi]

I know that tulips from a tulip tree are different then bulb tulips..
tulip trees are Poplars..
don't know if they are toxic, but I use to have one at my old house and do know the drop a lot of mess and debris..