Duck suddenly not walking

[Jenniferaei]

Hi, I have 10 ducks ranging in age from 1.5 to 3.5 years old. They all eat the same diet of Purina Duck Pellets. Yesterday my husband went outside to change out the pool water and play with them by letting them play in the hose mist. They all had fun and behaved like normal. Approximately 6 or 7 hours later I went to put them to bed for the night. One of my 1.5 year old female pekins was laying on the ground on her belly with her left leg/foot stretched out behind her and her right leg/foot tucked under her. She did not get up or go into her sleeping pen with the other ducks. She scooted around on her belly. When I picked her up she just let me hold her all relaxed. None of my ducks do that, they all are skittish. My husband looked at her feet and legs, I massaged around on her belly and bottom. We can't find any source or sign of injury. She did squirm a little as he messed with her right leg. She is still making her happy coos and is eating and drinking. We isolated her with her sister pekin who we hatched at the same time but away from the other 8 ducks. We didn't want the boys bothering her if she is hurt or egg bound. She will push and wiggle herself around but if she tried to stand, she immediately falls back onto her stomach. I did a warm Epsom salk soak tonight as she wasn't showing any signs of improvement after 24 hours of confinement with only her sister (to help keep her from stressing). It is hard to tell when she last laid an egg because the sisters eat there eggs faster than I can usually collect them. (My other girls only eat their eggs if they break). Like I said at the start, she was 100% fine in the afternoon and then like this in the evening. When I read other people's similar posts they talk about a gradual change in behavior over a few days. This didn't happen with her. It was sudden. I am not sure if there is something more I should be doing other than the isolation and warm Epsom salt baths. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[Jenniferaei]

This is her in her Epsom salt soak tonight. I had her soak for 10-12 minutes

 

[ruthhope]

For any pekin with gait problems not obviously caused by bumble foot or injury, give extra niacin. Best to use durvet high level vit B compound, given orally. Soak 1ml into a few mealworms and watch her eat her dose every day.

Are you giving oyster shell on the side to your laying females? They need more calcium than provided by Purina duck pellets.

Is a vet consultation possible? There are pelvic tumors that can compress the nerves to the leg. That is not common but a pissibility

 

[Jenniferaei]

For any pekin with gait problems not obviously caused by bumble foot or injury, give extra niacin. Best to use durvet high level vit B compound, given orally. Soak 1ml into a few mealworms and watch her eat her dose every day.

Are you giving oyster shell on the sidevtobyour laying females? They need more calcium than provided by Purina duck pellets.

Is a vet consultation possible? There are pelvic tumors that can compress the nerves to tge leg. That is not common but a pissibility

Thank you for the feedback and suggestions.

No, I don't give them anything other than the Purina Duck Pellets. They seem to be scared of everything new I try to give them and refuse to eat it. But I will try the niacin on meal worms and see if I can get her to eat it.

Unfortunately, no vet option for ducks around here. When one of our other ducks was attacked 3 years ago and had half his chest chewed off, we had to figure out how to save him ourselves. When another duck had a prolapsed pen*s I had to do that myself too. Another was egg bound, had to do that myself. The flock got wet feather their first bad winter, that was a long learning curve to fix. Amazing what we can learn when we don't have access to in-person assistance and are unwilling to give up on our ducks. This one had me stumped me though since it happened so fast. But I will for sure add the niacin and calcium.

Follow up question, should niacin be a regular part of their diet? If so. How often? Any other vitamins I should be adding?

Thank you again for your feedback!

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you for the feedback and suggestions.

No, I don't give them anything other than the Purina Duck Pellets. They seem to be scared of everything new I try to give them and refuse to eat it. But I will try the niacin on meal worms and see if I can get her to eat it.

Unfortunately, no vet option for ducks around here. When one of our other ducks was attacked 3 years ago and had half his chest chewed off, we had to figure out how to save him ourselves. When another duck had a prolapsed pen*s I had to do that myself too. Another was egg bound, had to do that myself. The flock got wet feather their first bad winter, that was a long learning curve to fix. Amazing what we can learn when we don't have access to in-person assistance and are unwilling to give up on our ducks. This one had me stumped me though since it happened so fast. But I will for sure add the niacin and calcium.

Follow up question, should niacin be a regular part of their diet? If so. How often? Any other vitamins I should be adding?

Thank you again for your feedback!

Put oyster shell in a seperate bowl. Don't mix it. I would add nutritional yeast to the pellets 2 tbsp per cup feed. The cheapestcsource I have found is walmart own brand. But it has a significant cost and I only use it while the ducks are recouperating from niacin deficiency. For maintenance for laying female ducks on chicken layer feed, I add brewers yeast. Cheapest source: Josh's Frogs website. 1 tablesp per cup of feed. I dont use brewers yeast for my adult pekin drakes that have recovered from niacin deficiency, but my son uses it for his laying pekin hens as they are on organic feed and we dont have a source of organic duck feed only chicken layer feed

 

[Jenniferaei]

Put oyster shell in a seperate bowl. Don't mix it. I would add nutritional yeast to the pellets 2 tbsp per cup feed. The cheapestcsource I have found is walmart own brand. But it has a significant cost and I only use it while the ducks are recouperating from niacin deficiency. For maintenance for laying female ducks on chicken layer feed, I add brewers yeast. Cheapest source: Josh's Frogs website. 1 tablesp per cup of feed. I dont use brewers yeast for my adult pekin drakes that have recovered from niacin deficiency, but my son uses it for his laying pekin hens as they are on organic feed and we dont have a source of organic duck feed only chicken layer feed

Amazing information thank you! So, to be clear I understand, the liquid niacin is for during a deficiency and then brewers yeast is for after and oyster shell in a separate bowl is for all the time?

 

[ruthhope]

Amazing information thank you! So, to be clear I understand, the liquid niacin is for during a deficiency and then brewers yeast is for after and oyster shell in a separate bowl is for all the time?

Durvet high level vit B compound 1ml orally per day is the emergency treatment for niacin deficiency

When a duck is recovering add nutritional yeast to the feed and continue until 2 weeks, or so, after all returns to normal

Preventative for laying ducks (particularly laying pekins) on chicken layer feed, add brewers yeast to feed. Brewers yeast does not contain as much niacin as nutritional yeast, but is adequate as a supplement to prevent niacin deficiency and considerably cheaper than nutritional yeast

 

[Jenniferaei]

Hi, I have 10 ducks ranging in age from 1.5 to 3.5 years old. They all eat the same diet of Purina Duck Pellets. Yesterday my husband went outside to change out the pool water and play with them by letting them play in the hose mist. They all had fun and behaved like normal. Approximately 6 or 7 hours later I went to put them to bed for the night. One of my 1.5 year old female pekins was laying on the ground on her belly with her left leg/foot stretched out behind her and her right leg/foot tucked under her. She did not get up or go into her sleeping pen with the other ducks. She scooted around on her belly. When I picked her up she just let me hold her all relaxed. None of my ducks do that, they all are skittish. My husband looked at her feet and legs, I massaged around on her belly and bottom. We can't find any source or sign of injury. She did squirm a little as he messed with her right leg. She is still making her happy coos and is eating and drinking. We isolated her with her sister pekin who we hatched at the same time but away from the other 8 ducks. We didn't want the boys bothering her if she is hurt or egg bound. She will push and wiggle herself around but if she tried to stand, she immediately falls back onto her stomach. I did a warm Epsom salk soak tonight as she wasn't showing any signs of improvement after 24 hours of confinement with only her sister (to help keep her from stressing). It is hard to tell when she last laid an egg because the sisters eat there eggs faster than I can usually collect them. (My other girls only eat their eggs if they break). Like I said at the start, she was 100% fine in the afternoon and then like this in the evening. When I read other people's similar posts they talk about a gradual change in behavior over a few days. This didn't happen with her. It was sudden. I am not sure if there is something more I should be doing other than the isolation and warm Epsom salt baths. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Hi, I have 10 ducks ranging in age from 1.5 to 3.5 years old. They all eat the same diet of Purina Duck Pellets. Yesterday my husband went outside to change out the pool water and play with them by letting them play in the hose mist. They all had fun and behaved like normal. Approximately 6 or 7 hours later I went to put them to bed for the night. One of my 1.5 year old female pekins was laying on the ground on her belly with her left leg/foot stretched out behind her and her right leg/foot tucked under her. She did not get up or go into her sleeping pen with the other ducks. She scooted around on her belly. When I picked her up she just let me hold her all relaxed. None of my ducks do that, they all are skittish. My husband looked at her feet and legs, I massaged around on her belly and bottom. We can't find any source or sign of injury. She did squirm a little as he messed with her right leg. She is still making her happy coos and is eating and drinking. We isolated her with her sister pekin who we hatched at the same time but away from the other 8 ducks. We didn't want the boys bothering her if she is hurt or egg bound. She will push and wiggle herself around but if she tried to stand, she immediately falls back onto her stomach. I did a warm Epsom salk soak tonight as she wasn't showing any signs of improvement after 24 hours of confinement with only her sister (to help keep her from stressing). It is hard to tell when she last laid an egg because the sisters eat there eggs faster than I can usually collect them. (My other girls only eat their eggs if they break). Like I said at the start, she was 100% fine in the afternoon and then like this in the evening. When I read other people's similar posts they talk about a gradual change in behavior over a few days. This didn't happen with her. It was sudden. I am not sure if there is something more I should be doing other than the isolation and warm Epsom salt baths. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

She is standing this morning! I couldn't afford the emergency B medicine yet so just kept doing the Epsom salt baths until I get paid this week. Hopefully just a sprained leg but getting the emergency med, yeast, and calcium regardless as we need them all

 

[ruthhope]

Glad your girl is standing. Do make yourself a ducky first aid kit so that you are prepared and don't have unexpected expenses if a duck is sick or injured in the future.

Get Durvet high level vit B compound -- there are small bottles you need not get 500ml/1pt size from the feed store or on line

Calcium gluconate from the feed store or on line

Neosporin Eye ointment -- from the supermarket pharmacy shelves

Triple antibiotic ointment from the supermarket pharmacy shelves

Oral rehydration solution [or salts to dissolve in water.] from the supermarket pharmacy shelves [Walmart has flavor and color free Pedialyte on its baby products shelves. This is my preferred product.]

Vetericyn spray from the feedstore or online

Vet wrap or cheaper but just as effective human self adhesive bandage from Walgreens/CVS

no stick adhesive dressing pads from the pharmacy shelves

Waterproof tape from pharmacy shelves

I also keep a supply of oral antibiotics for ducks as getting them without a prescription on line takes too long to obtain in an emergency. But it is not cheap: Baytril [entrofloxin] from allbirdproducts.com

Please keep us updated on your girl's progress