Duckling Can't Walk - Diagnosis? Advice?

[Rhondax6]

mine too had the stinkiest diarrhea with the niacin deficincy. Have you given niacin yet? Our Pancakes was better the next day and I was amazed considering she couldn't walk without falling over on her back the day before.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I wish i could help you, but The green is usually a sign of not eating, and could even be liver? you might want to research that. and please don't quote me. but What is rimerella? I sure hope all your doing makes her feel better and she gets over what ever it may be. I also feed my duckling Brewers yeast sprinkled on top of her feed. 1 teas. per cup, I read some where. http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=173382679370316&topic=278

 

[Amiga]

Your questions:

Thank you, Amiga, for the input. In your comment you say "based on her diet." I'm curious what aspect of her diet could cause a niacin deficiency. Is it that I'm feeding chick starter? The spinach treats? I'm asking because I have 10 more babies, and if it is possible, I would like to prevent any future niacin deficiencies. How would my duckling have become deficient in the first place? Chick starter should be nutrient complete for chickens and is widely recommended as duck feed. Does it lack sufficient niacin? If so, why is it recommended? Also, when feeding a niacin supplement (in my case, brewers yeast), how often, how much and for how long does the supplement need to be fed?

Chick starter does not have enough niacin for ducklings, which require three times the niacin that chickens do (per Holderread in Storey's Guide). There are articles that report no problem with ducklings on chick starter. My gut is that some ducklings manage okay (may have internal problems not visible, or get enough from bugs, who knows), while others are more sensitive. I have a duck that has trouble getting enough calcium, for example, and the rest do fine.

Spinach is said to be a problem for calcium uptake - I have not heard it interfering with niacin.

Yes, chick starter is widely recommended as duck feed. What can I say? It probably goes back to a wide spectrum of sensitivity in ducks to niacin deficiency, and whether or not they get niacin from bugs and worms or not.

Please check with a search of the forum, but I recall those using brewer's yeast sprinkling it on the food. I don't recall the exact amount - some don't seem to measure, just sprinkle. And it seems to be a developmental need, so I'd say till they're seven months old to be safe.

 

[louandneil]

My duck is having the same prob I have seen 3 vets who don't know. When you said about the niacin I have got some 100mg capsules if I resolve into a gallon on water how on earth will I get that amount into her

 

[Amiga]

You won't be able to get the whole gallon into her. The way I give vitamins to my ducks is to mix up the proper ratio (100 mg in a gallon, for example), then set that in their waterer for a day. What they don't drink gets put on the compost pile. There's some waste involved.

I give extra calcium with calcium gluconate liquid. I add it to the water I mix their food with. They rarely eat every bit in the feed pan. But after no more than 24 hours, what's not eaten must be composted to avoid risk of illness.

 

[speckled_egg]

Thank you all so much for your support and advice! The cause of Clementine's immobility seems to have been injury related, and with hydrotherapy she was able to take her first steps after ten days of healing. Unfortunately, I hired someone to take care of leaky pipes in the ceiling, and they went through the duck run and left the door wide open! My dogs got in and decided to play with the duckling that couldn't walk.

It really was not the way I would have wanted her to go. RIP Clementine.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I am very sorry to hear that. RIP Clementine.

 

[Mama duck 8]

I think thats spraddle leg, That duckling has to be put down