Can you tell me whats wrong with my duck? :( new owner!

[marsbars]

Hi, i'm a new duck owner and I absolutely adore my two little ducklings!

Their bond absolutly fascinates me, they go everywhere together! But my littlest one has something wrong with its leg

Can you take a look?

Thank you! </3

BTW, it doesnt seem to be in pain...it hops around the best it can and will swim..but tires easily. Also when I held him he kicked back with that leg.

 

[duckies5]

I would take your duckling to the vet. that looks serious.

 

[Cetawin]

Poor baby...that looks like a defect not an injury ... I am not sure a vet could fix it. The foot is twisted away from the frontal position and may have some deformities. As long as the duckie can walk and swim, let him/her go on with life in what is normal for him/her.

I would fill the sink with room temperature water, deep enough so that duckie cannot stand. Toss a handful of frozen peas in the water. Watch duckie for the ability to swim, dive and float. As long as duckie can do that, he should be okay.

Your issues may come later when duckie grows up and has weight on that leg. I would consider getting a third duckling just in case this duckie cannot survive later...ducks do not do well alone, so think ahead and be prepared to make sure the other duckie is not left suddenly alone.

Good luck with the baby. Also...what are you feeding them? They need more niacin and less calcium than chickens. So a 50/50 of wildgame turkey starter and unmedicated chick starter is great. Purina start n gro, flock raiser and layena make a great series of food for duckies. But make sure nothing you feed them is medicated.

 

[marsbars]

I figured as much because it isn't painful for him. He can hardly walk now I'm afraid when he's older he won't be able to support his weight as an adult /:

When they swim the bigger one dives and plays around but I have yet to see the little one go under. Is there nothing I can do for him ?

The guy I got them from just gave me a sack of what he feeds them.

Thank you for looking.

 

[Mom 2em All]

I also have a duck with a disability. Her leg doesnt work either. They are about six weeks old. I may be off, i have lost track. One duck used to walk fine- then one day, she couldnt. Slipped tendon on one leg- so she waddle walked...sort of hopped with her good leg.

Now that she has gained weight, I notice that the other leg doesnt work any more. She walks on her "knees", and uses her wings to pull herself. If you put both of your arms on a table, bent at the elbow with your hands and forearms upward in the air- then bend your hands toward each other at the wrist- that is what her legs look like when she is "standing". In the water, she is fine. She swims, dives, etc. But she cant keep up with her buddy- who runs back to her desperate quacking, all day long. (He/She also steps on the crippled duck all the time). It is so heart-wrenching to watch her try and get from point A to point B and she becomes exhausted. I carry her and move her around, but she cannot easily forage or "be a duck".
Im pretty sure I know her future- once it becomes painful or she develops wounds from this crippling, I will have to let her go.

I dont have any advice, but I can sympathize with your situation.

 

[marsbars]

Should I let him go now? It's awful watching him just try to walk and struggle to swim

 

[FarmrGirl]

I would try to fix the defect it before culling. Chicks get spraddle leg all the time and as long as you catch it when they're tiny it's easy to get the legs going in the right direction. Try this link for a good tutorial: http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

 

[ducks_rcool329]

I have a snowy mallard that has a leg that is even more deformed than that, and he does fine... the others stick by him and he cal waddle and swim just fine

 

[The Duck ABC's]

I have to say it doesn't look that good, but I had ducklings born with their feet in all kind of strange positions and they turned out just fine. Obviously there is not much that can be done, if it is a defect and vets are quite expensive. The best you can do and hope that it will work and put the duckling on a vitamin regiment. You state that it is otherwise a little bit weak, so this wont hurt. Plus it can be a neurolocal problem due to a deficiency. Then the vitamin regiment may help. Vitamins A, B, and E are linked to muscle and nerve weaknesses. So go to the feed store and buy a poultry vitamin additive for the drinking water. Don't worry it will be good for both birds. If you cannot find one then you have to get over the counter vitamins to help. The first one you can get, and I would get it for the weak one, is Polyvisol without iron drops for infants (vitamin isle). One drop directly into the beak 2 to 3 times per day for the duckling with the problem. Keep it on it for 2 weeks and see what happens. You also need to net niacin. Make sure not to get the flush free version. You mix 100mg per 1 gallon of water for drinking water. This will be great for both ducklings.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I had a few runners hatch like that late last year. Both of them were in the wrong position in the egg- and had pipped at the small end. The second one had a bend in its leg the same curve as the egg when it finally emerged. My vet has said that there really wasnt much that could be done as the leg was rotated from the hip joint. I actually spent the day with a friend who I gave the boys (and others ) to over easter - and they are doing well. We sat around watching them wander around the yard- and I didnt go inside until I had watched the boys put themselves to bed. The wandered up the ramp and into the coop no problems. Quiet a coincidence- but one of the boys was named Nemo by his new owner as well- He does stumble sometimes when trying to keep up with the others- but in general he gets around fine. He has a lazy wing as well- not angel wing- but because of the deformity and limp he walks on an angle making me think his spine may have a slight twist as well- so his wing often hangs a little. The other one- when little had foam sticky pads on its feet to try and help it walk- as well a the leg strapped up for two days- but it had no effect. I hope your little does as well as my two boys did growing - as it will still have some hope for a fairly normal life. Time will tell- Im sure you will do whats right for the little one anyway - such a little sweetie.