b3 Complex help

[Italianmango]

Hello! I am new here, my name is Thea. I am a brand new duck and chicken mama. I have a question on niacin deficiency. I have been researching and reading and my head is spinning from my tendency to over research and over think! We have a pekin who is about 4-5 week old. She was showing niacin deficiency about a week ago so I was adding nutritional yeast to the food till this past weekend when I noticed she wasn't getting any better but rather was getting worse (shaky legs, plopping down after a while, etc) so back on the computer to research I went! Then on Mon we started the B complex with her (the injectable cattle one). I put 1/2ml into a small amount of water with some chick starter feed and give it just to her and another pekin (same age) and I do that 3 times a day. In addition I add 3/4ml into the chick feed and add water to make a mash for all the ducklings and feed that 3 times a day (we have a total of 6 that are all about the same age - 2 are pekin).

All of this to ask, am I doing this correctly? The baby pekin that is having the problems is standing a bit longer and her legs look stronger so I do see some improvement but after awhile I still see shaky legs and then she'll plop down. So this will be beginning day 4 of doing the B complex, is the improvement I am seeing normal or should she have improved more after 3 full days of doing this? Do I need to do anything more? Am I doing it correctly? Ack! My head is spinning all the while I feel like I am failing this poor baby pekin!!

 

[nmr]

I literally just pour the b complex into a bowl of water with veggies "duck soup"---I don't think there's a wrong way to do it, but you shouldn't expect to see immediate effects---it could take a couple weeks.

Look at the sticky thread on niacin deficiency

 

[BelovedBirds]

Hello! I am new here, my name is Thea. I am a brand new duck and chicken mama. I have a question on niacin deficiency. I have been researching and reading and my head is spinning from my tendency to over research and over think! We have a pekin who is about 4-5 week old. She was showing niacin deficiency about a week ago so I was adding nutritional yeast to the food till this past weekend when I noticed she wasn't getting any better but rather was getting worse (shaky legs, plopping down after a while, etc) so back on the computer to research I went! Then on Mon we started the B complex with her (the injectable cattle one). I put 1/2ml into a small amount of water with some chick starter feed and give it just to her and another pekin (same age) and I do that 3 times a day. In addition I add 3/4ml into the chick feed and add water to make a mash for all the ducklings and feed that 3 times a day (we have a total of 6 that are all about the same age - 2 are pekin).

All of this to ask, am I doing this correctly? The baby pekin that is having the problems is standing a bit longer and her legs look stronger so I do see some improvement but after awhile I still see shaky legs and then she'll plop down. So this will be beginning day 4 of doing the B complex, is the improvement I am seeing normal or should she have improved more after 3 full days of doing this? Do I need to do anything more? Am I doing it correctly? Ack! My head is spinning all the while I feel like I am failing this poor baby pekin!!

Its best not to put it in water as this will dilute it, and with the other ducklings eating it too, you cant be sure shes getting the full dose needed. I would continue adding nutritious yeast to their food. And for the one with weak legs, simple give her a treat of mashed banana, or a few peas with 1ml of B complex over the top. (if you give her peas, make sure she has access to chick grit)
Make sure she gets the whole amount and the others dont eat any.
Keep doing this until her legs get stronger! The progress can be gradual, depending on how severe the deficiency is. But you should see more improvement soon, its normal to take a few days.

Being a duck mum can be stressful, I feel your pain!! It'll work out soon! My Sprightly had a niacin deficiency as a 2-4 week old, shaky legs, lying down, pigeon toed badly, and I felt the same way! It was hard. But she's all grown up now and her legs are strong again!!

 

[ruthhope]

Hello! I am new here, my name is Thea. I am a brand new duck and chicken mama. I have a question on niacin deficiency. I have been researching and reading and my head is spinning from my tendency to over research and over think! We have a pekin who is about 4-5 week old. She was showing niacin deficiency about a week ago so I was adding nutritional yeast to the food till this past weekend when I noticed she wasn't getting any better but rather was getting worse (shaky legs, plopping down after a while, etc) so back on the computer to research I went! Then on Mon we started the B complex with her (the injectable cattle one). I put 1/2ml into a small amount of water with some chick starter feed and give it just to her and another pekin (same age) and I do that 3 times a day. In addition I add 3/4ml into the chick feed and add water to make a mash for all the ducklings and feed that 3 times a day (we have a total of 6 that are all about the same age - 2 are pekin).

All of this to ask, am I doing this correctly? The baby pekin that is having the problems is standing a bit longer and her legs look stronger so I do see some improvement but after awhile I still see shaky legs and then she'll plop down. So this will be beginning day 4 of doing the B complex, is the improvement I am seeing normal or should she have improved more after 3 full days of doing this? Do I need to do anything more? Am I doing it correctly? Ack! My head is spinning all the while I feel like I am failing this poor baby pekin!!

For ducks with symptoms of niacin deficiency, its important that they ingest 1ml of Durvet High level Vit B Complex orally every day. To do that, it is best to soak the 1ml into a treat -- a few mealworms for example -- and observe you duckling eating the full dose. You cannot be certain your duck gets enough Niacin if the Vit B Complex in their water.