I raise the crested ducks myself & have found that neurological problems seem to come with crested breeds of ducks & chickens. The larger the crest, the greater the possibility of problems & it usually strikes when they are first starting to feather in. I have always suspected that some of the crest feathers grow inward & press on the brain, which isn't covered with skull, but I've never seen anything confirming my opinion. I do know that breeding large crest to large crest brings more ducklings with neuro problems. Silkie & Polish chicks can often be brought back to normal with Vit. E, B. & Selenium but I haven't tried it on ducklings since I haven't had any problems in quite a while. Your duck is beautiful & if he were mine, I would definitely try the vitamin treatment. Google "crookneck treatment" for an article by Alan Stanford that tells of the problem, treatment, & dosage. If you try it, please, please post your results. It would be great if it helped crested ducks the way it does with the Silkies. It may take several days or weeks to show improvement, but would be well worth the effort if it saves your boy.
Sheri
