Duck severe limp help!

[Quackpack22]

I have a male pekin duck which just this morning I went out and noticed he is limping severely.... not wanting to put weight on his leg.... could this just be a sprain??? I picked him up and felt the leg no sign of pain...but joint felt warmer then rest of leg.... should I want a few days and see how he does and separate him from other ducks or take to vet ??

 

[CoriM]

I'm sorry about your duck! I don't know about the joint being warm, and what that indicates, however I have a very large Pekin who has twice developed a limp for an unknown reason. I was also very concerned, but since I couldn't see anything really wrong with the leg, chose not to visit the vet and just to restrict her walking as much as possible. The first time it took about two weeks for her to get back to normal, but she did. Her latest limp developed about 4 weeks ago, and was severe at first. I kept her contained in the run until she started getting around a little bit better (a few days), and now she still limps a tiny bit, but is much better. I let her out in the yard with the other ducks for a short time, but I carry her back and forth to the yard and try to just baby her a bit until it's fully healed.

 

[Quackpack22]

Ok, I will try that first because there is no sign of injury really.... mine are in a enclosed 12x12 barn and are let out in a run when weather is nice. I'm in UP Michigan we've been experiencing some negative weather and single digits lately!! But they have straw and a heat lamp to take the edge off when really cold. Thank you for the reply! I will tr to update!

 

[chickens really]

Pekin suffer leg issues because they are a meat bird and meant to be butchered before the legs go.
Ducks were not bred to be pets but used for meat and eggs so no one bred them for stability as pets.

 

[casportpony]

I have a male pekin duck which just this morning I went out and noticed he is limping severely.... not wanting to put weight on his leg.... could this just be a sprain??? I picked him up and felt the leg no sign of pain...but joint felt warmer then rest of leg.... should I want a few days and see how he does and separate him from other ducks or take to vet ??

If a vet is an option that would be best.

If not, can you tell us what type of food you are feeding and if he's been getting a vitamin B supplement? I say this because some Pekins need food that contains a lot of niacin. Without that niacin, they can develop perosis, which could explain what you are seeing. If perosis is caught soon enough you have a better chance of treating it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How old is your Pekin drake? Any duck can be a pet. Yes Pekins and even Muscovy can also be meat birds but if given right care and management can lived long healthy lives. Maybe you need to start your drake on some b complex and see if that helps. B vitamins can really benefit leg problems in Pekin and other breeds of water fowl. Even lately I have seen educators rec it for chicks and chickens. it's an inexpensive way of treating and ruling out a deficiency.

 

[DuckyDonna]

How old is your Pekin drake? Any duck can be a pet. Yes Pekins and even Muscovy can also be meat birds but if given right care and management can lived long healthy lives. Maybe you need to start your drake on some b complex and see if that helps. B vitamins can really benefit leg problems in Pekin and other breeds of water fowl. Even lately I have seen educators rec it for chicks and chickens. it's an inexpensive way of treating and ruling out a deficiency.

Tractor Supply has this for $17.99 I believe. It's like a miracle. 1 ml over a treat he will eat right up.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks @DuckyDonna this is the best there is!

 

[sourland]

B vitamins, slight restriction from exercise, and monitored feed intake if he is overweight - obesity can lead to serious leg problems.

 

[Miss Lydia]