Crested duck not walking

[Mandrogora]

I have a 5 week old white crested who is not walking. Yesterday I noticed she seemed pretty tired while out in the pool. I just posted a few days ago about our black swedish who seemed to be acting a bit off but now is acting totally normal. I thought maybe they could be going through the same type of thing but last evening I realized she wasn't supporting herself on her feet at all. If I stand her up she will hold herself for a few seconds then lays down. I have her in a wire crate in the same pen as the others so she can still talk back and forth or else she gets upset. She is eating and drinking. Seems more tired than usual but her eyes are clear and alert. I put her in a warm Epsom bath this morning and she went for a supervised swim with the others this evening. She swims good but her legs look wide apart to me when she paddles. My guess is that maybe she was stepped on? She's in with 5 others, all different breeds but same age. One of which is a pekin, so she is quite big. I don't see any swelling and I'm fairly certain nothing is broken. Could it be a sprain? Or could this be a crested problem? She is from Metzer farms. They eat Purina flock raiser and brewers yeast, as well as greens and healthy treats.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry, title got me curious... What is a "created" duck? Realize it's a misspelling and should read Crested... You can "edit" and fix it if you wish. I'm sorry but know nothing about ducks. Good luck with it regardless!

 

[Drake Wrangler]

I'd put my penny on a Crested duck issue but it is young and might grow out of it especially if given more space. They certainly eat well enough. I have a few ducks with varying degrees of crest size. One is like an 80s hair band, another is split in 2 spots, and a couple just have a single feather pop. They are all a pinch different in behavior than the non-crested and are therefore "special". I plan not to breed them together and perhaps not at all, unless I am certain it is with non crested ducks from another blood line.

*edit: There is research on the formation of a 'fat body' on the inner part of the brain in correlation with having the crests and it is different for each one. That may push on the other sections of the brain. I can't be sure but perhaps extra fat in the diet might effect it.

 

[Mandrogora]

Sorry, I meant crested duck.
She has a pretty large crest on top and a smaller one on the side as well. It has gotten quite a bit bigger in the past week or so with her feathers coming in. I must admit I was ignorant to the problems crested ducks could have until I started reading after getting her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd still even though she is crested start her and the others 2 on a B complex liquid vitamin a lot of the times leg issues is from a niacin deficiency and it can be treated with a niacin supplement but if one already is having issues then B Complex seems to work faster because it's more concentrated. Can you post a pic of your crested duckling?

But for now I'd grab the B complex you can pick it up at TSC in the cattle dept 1ml per duck daily or Walmart has human form and it's 3 ml per duck daily it's less concentrated.

The little one may always have some degree of difficulty because she is crested but I bet my money on niacin def for leg issues. If treated asap hopefully by day 3 you'll begin to see improvement we have seen great results from the B Complex this year.
I am hoping that is what it is since it can be treated easily enough. All ducklings if fed chick starter need to have extra niacin supplement added to their diet daily till 10 weeks old since chick started doesn't have enough for water fowl.

 

[Mandrogora]

Thank you. I'll try that. Is this the right product?
https://www.murdochs.com/globalasse...oduct-photos-s7/durvet-636875-062831-main.jpg

 

[Lil Drake40]

That would be fine too the one I was referring to is a liquid and it’s easily mixed into some kind of treat like mealworms or thawed green peas. @CayugaJana

 

[Mandrogora]

The only liquid they have is injectable. Can that be given by mouth?
https://www.murdochs.com/globalasse...duct-photos-s7/durvet-9710273-015075-main.jpg

 

[Lil Drake40]

Yes sorry forgot that is was injectable you’ll need a syringe with needle to get it out then put over a treat or use a needle less syringe and put tiny amounts just inside the bill

 

[CayugaJana]

Great advice given! And the #1 leg issue with duck when there is no obvious sign of trauma. Some people notice a difference in their ducks after 1 day. But I’d give them the dosages @Miss Lydia suggested for a week. Then you can put a couple drops on their food daily to keep the legs healthy while the bones and muscles are growing. Niacin and other b vitamins that are in the complex are essential to proper bone and muscle growth. It has the same function in humans except we require a lot less than they do. The sitting down and bowed out legs are also classic signs of niacin deficiency. If you think about it, if the muscles aren’t forming it makes sense that they won’t be able to withstand their own weight. So they sit. The muscles also don’t hold the leg bones tightly in the correct places, so they pop outwards if that makes sense. If you will look close, you will probably see her leg muscles quivering under her weight because they are weak. But the good news is the body can build proper muscles and bones as soon as the deficiency is fixed. Sometimes the bowed legs can’t be corrected if not fixed soon enough. But she probably hasn’t gotten that far. Let us know how your precious one is doing please?! And someone is always online to help if you have questions!