Botulism in ducklings?

[justin742]

I have 2 pekin ducklings I bought from Tractor Supply at the beginning of August. Within the first week one of the ducklings started getting lethargic, couldn't hold its head up, and was having issues with balance. I separated them into 2 different brooders as soon as I noticed. The brooders I have are always clean and we keep up on the messes they like to make. I've never had a duck of my own with what I believe is botulism. But what I'm trying to figure out is if I need to keep them separated? It's been a couple weeks since they've been together (They can see each other the way I have the brooders set up) and the other duckling is doing perfectly fine.


Here's a video of the two of them from today:

 

[JNC]

Is it eating drinking just fine? @Isaac 0 @Eggcessive @casportpony

 

[justin742]

Is it eating drinking just fine? @Isaac 0 @Eggcessive @casportpony

Eating and drinking perfectly fine.

 

[JNC]

I’m no expert but it looks like wry neck

 

[justin742]

I’m no expert but it looks like wry neck

I'm by no means an expert either, so it could be. But it sleeps a lot more than the other duckling.

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry about your duck. Botulism causes paralysis of the legs, wings, neck, breathing muscles, and eyelids. Wry neck or a spinal deformity or injury would be more likely in my opinion. Human vitamin E 400 IU and some vitamin B complex given in food might be helpful. I know more about chickens than ducks, but I will tag a
@Miss Lydia and @Isaac 0 for more advice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd defiantly get your duckling on the vitamin E and liquid B complex}Take the vitamin E prick the capsule and squeeze the liquid on the feed. At TSC they carry liquid b complex it will say injectable but we use it orally. You want to give your duckling 1 ml a day over something he really likes so he gets full dose. These are the best ways to rule out say niacin deficiency since they begin to show improvement usually within a week. Depending on how long they have had the problem. You can use b complex in tablet you’ll just need to crush it up. Ducklings need 100-125 mg of niacin a day and even if feeding the best duck food out there, there’s always some that still come down with a deficiency. Pekins being one of the breeds that seem to have it more because they grow so fast. What are you feeding your ducklings? I’d get what you need ASAP. This isn’t botulism.

The quicker these issues are treated the better the recovery. This has been going on almost a month? Please keep us updated on how this little one is doing.

 

[AusHen]

I had botulism in some adult ducks, they were dead in 12-24 hours. I agree with the others with the Vit E and B

 

[justin742]

I'd defiantly get your duckling on the vitamin E and liquid B complex}Take the vitamin E prick the capsule and squeeze the liquid on the feed. At TSC they carry liquid b complex it will say injectable but we use it orally. You want to give your duckling 1 ml a day over something he really likes so he gets full dose. These are the best ways to rule out say niacin deficiency since they begin to show improvement usually within a week. Depending on how long they have had the problem. You can use b complex in tablet you’ll just need to crush it up. Ducklings need 100-125 mg of niacin a day and even if feeding the best duck food out there, there’s always some that still come down with a deficiency. Pekins being one of the breeds that seem to have it more because they grow so fast. What are you feeding your ducklings? I’d get what you need ASAP. This isn’t botulism. View attachment 2815364The quicker these issues are treated the better the recovery. This has been going on almost a month? Please keep us updated on how this little one is doing.

Thank you so much! Huge relief, I will try that and I'll keep you posted on how she is doing! And for food I currently have them on non-medicated start&grow crumbles.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d def start them on some some Nutritional yeast and for the one having issues get it started on the B complex and vit E hopefully there will be improvement may not be 100%. But let’s hope so. Feed formulated for chickens doesn’t have enough niacin for our water fowl. Babies. So we have to supplement. My ducks are all adults and they still get nutritional yeast over their feed. So good for them. I have to use chicken/ chicks feed many of us do.