Anyone know what's wrong with this little guy? (leg problems)

[RodgerT]

He's the little guy facing the camera. He can actually walk a little on his "knees" but he doesn't spread his feet and straighten his legs to stand up. It looks to me like his legs are under his body OK, he just won't straighten his legs. If he tries to swim he actually goes backwards, though he can modify his kick to go forwards a little.
I've been giving him extra brewers yeast for 5 days but I don't see too much improvement. He stays with a brother in a separate box so that I'm sure he has access to the food. (Purina Duck pellets}

https://imgur.com/a/Kj7S2KH

 

[RodgerT]

Thanks for the advice. I'm working on everything.
The water isn't white, that's the bottom of the kiddie pool. The water was just very clean being as I'd just cleaned everything. The ducks turned it grey in about 5 minutes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

He needs some duck shoes to straighten out his feet for one.
here is an idea https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffsb&q=how+to+wrap+for+curled+toes+in+poultry&atb=v263-1&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GiHgrco2Yc/

Brewers yeast doesn't have near the niacin that little one needs. Can he bend his legs completely straight. like for standing? Is there swelling around the hock area? Can you post of picture of his legs so we can see them really well?

If you can get some liquid B Complex TSC carries it. And start him on it asap it will benefit all your ducklings. if this is a niacin def they can make a good turn around at the age of your duckling. But it maybe slipped tendon.

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nutritional-yeast-vs-brewers-yeast.1393856/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...of-slipped-tendons-in-bantam-duckling.987977/ Don't know if this is what is going on with your duckling hopefully some good pictures will show if it's slipped Tendons.

 

[KaleIAm]

I'm sorry to hear about your duckling. Miss Lydia gave you some great advice about getting the liquid B complex.

Are the other ducklings walking correctly? Also, I'm just curious, is their water white?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for mentioning that @KaleIAm I meant to ask.

 

[KaleIAm]

Thanks for the advice. I'm working on everything.
The water isn't white, that's the bottom of the kiddie pool. The water was just very clean being as I'd just cleaned everything. The ducks turned it grey in about 5 minutes.

The little sweethearts are sure messy!

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's fine and exactly what you want, hopefully will help. If he isn't going to be able to walk as well as his siblings. It maybe a death sentence to release him. Actually, since they are dependent on you for their food and care are you sure they will make it in the wild? If you don't mind me asking how did you come by these eggs? Since there isn't any swelling or heat or redness in the hock area, maybe its a birth defect, But hopefully the B complex the water therapy and even massage will help.
How's he doing with his bandaid booties?

 

[RodgerT]

He doesn't seem to mind the boots and is still eating well so we'll see how the vitamin B does. I only gave him 1/4 ml into a quart of water because I was unsure of the niacinamide, but I'll give him 1 ml tomorrow. It seems like swimming might be helping him too. It gives him a chance to use those muscles without having to support his full weight.

I bought these eggs, 12 of them, with 11 making it to hatch. One never developed. I got them because a few years back I was forced to incubate 7 eggs from a nest next to our porch that the mother had abandoned. My dogs made her abandon it so I felt I had an obligation to take care of them. They turned out fine and I released them into a large neighborhood pond with (probably) their siblings from wherever their momma made her second nest. Or, that's what I believed because there were 6 adolescents of the same size as my guys. For the last several years local ducks have stayed for the winter at our local ponds.

But I am teaching them to get bugs from the water (meal worms and cricket parts) , and to eat grasses and bugs from the back yard. They're going into a movable pen this weekend. I haven't been handling them because I don't want them to lose their fear of big mammals and my dogs are helping with that. They obviously know the food comes from me but they'll have lots of water plants and minnows at the pond. Plus, they will get treats from the local children, though I'll be educating them not to feed them bread.

Of course I would never release limpy in this condition. I don't even know if he would make it as a yard duck if he doesn't improve. So I'll be doing everything I can to help him with this. I really appreciate the help.

 

[RodgerT]

So sad to say that Limpy couldn't be helped and had to be gently put down.

I was even willing to spend the money for an operation, but after a thorough examination by a competent exotic pet veterinarian it was determined that an operation almost certainly wouldn't help. The only option would have been to fuse the leg bones into a straight configuration and leave him with always straightened legs. His quality of life wouldn't have been good.

On a brighter note, Limpy's brothers and sisters are doing well. They have all the basic duck skills and growing healthily.