Baby wood duck is acting drunk-please help!!!

[Linds982]

I have a baby wood duck that is probably close to 3 weeks old-his mother and siblings were killed by a dog-anyway, I have read that it can be a challenge to get a baby wood duck to eat-but he eats like a champ-but will only eat bugs. So I have had him on a steady diet of meal worms and then crickets, moths, and whatever other bugs I find. I have been thinking for about ten days that he may be a little too clumsy, that he may not be walking right. Then over the last 3-4 days it was gotten way worse really quickly. As of last night then worse even this morning, he can't even take a step! He loses is balance and falls upside down. Then he has varying hard time rolling back over. Then the same thing again. It's just heartbreaking. When I put him in the water(fresh water each time he swims) he swims ok, till he tries to get out and he just flips and rolls. Then I have to pull him out of the water because he is so out of breath. I was thinking this could be because of unbalanced diet-he has no interest in greens, veggies, fruit, or waterfowl starter-so I went to the feed store and bought avian vitamins to put into his water today-Please does anyone have any advice or any experience with this?

Thanks

 

[Linds982]

I considered niacin deficiency, but then I just read that mealworms have niacin? Maybe he needs more?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I considered niacin deficiency, but then I just read that mealworms have niacin? Maybe he needs more?

He may need more than the meal worms are giving. try putting meal worms mixed into his waterfowl mixed with a little warm water. that may get him started eating his feed. I have to be honest I know nothing about wild wood ducks but this does sound like a nutritional imbalance. getting the vitamins is a good idea too. but if you get niacin be sure it "plain" not flush free or time released they leave the body to fast. you may have to ask for it at pharmacy or getting Brewers yeast sprinkling on it's feed will give it niacin also. 150meg niacin to 1 gallon of water mixed well and put into waterer. If it's a niacin problem you should see improvement in a few days. and