Duckling having trouble walking

[and202]

We have 3 week old ducklings and one of them isn't walking like the rest of them. He can hardly stand up and when he does have to walk he has a really hard time and it looks like he's drunk, staggering all around. Most of the time he is just sitting while all the other ducks are moving around. He is also a lot smaller than the rest of them. I've read a lot about Niacin deficiency in ducks so I have been adding brewers yeast to the ducks food only for a few days now. I guess I'm just wondering if it's possible for only 1 duckling to have a niacin deficiency. And if this is what it sounds like is wrong with my duckling.

 

[and202]

I have been keeping him in our screen room, so he can still hear the other ducks, but not be with them. They bill him a lot to try and hurt him more, so he has supervised visits! If you have a plastic tote, you can possibly put you duckling in there, at night my guy gets put in a container in the house to rest in. This is the
Poly Vi Sol, but from what I've been told get the kind without iron. I got the wrong stuff, but the second picture is of a Poly Vi Sol I got at a health food store, has all the same ingredients, just no iron. You can find at Walmart,CVS, Rite-Aid, any pharmacy. It is actually a multi vitamin supplement for infants and toddlers! I have had no luck finding Brewers yeast anywhere! Saturn is starting to fight us when we give him his medicine and standing by himself for about 20 seconds now.. so I think it is slowly helping him. Every night I tell him that I want to see him moving more the next day!
I do hope this helps you out!

I found my brewers yeast at the local health food store. It was labeled nutritional yeast...but it's the same thing.

 

[ChickenMomma19]

I don't know how similar this would be to a chicken, but my chicken did this too. He had problems with his leg as a chick, would stand well, and avoided the crowds of chicks. When he got older he went about two weeks where he did not move at all. I had to feed and water him with a lot of extra effort. We hand moved him so his wasn't sitting in his poop and gave him baths in Epsom salt, after a few of those he got much better! He hasn't had a problem since then.
I don't have any idea if that helps, if anything maybe a little hope? Try the Epsom salt bath maybe that was the trick!
Good luck, I hope your babies get feeling better soon!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just got some epson salt yesterday! I am going to give him a bath with it tonight. I hope it woeks! I sure would love see him up and running with his flock!

Remember Epsom salt is also a laxative so don't let your birds drink it.

 

[New duck mama]

I am also having a similar problem with my Pekin Drake, he is approximately 11 weeks old. I have been reading through any post I can find to help me. He was up and running with all my others ducks, and 5 days ago, I noticed that he walked a few steps and would plop down. My husband & I checked his legs. There were no visible injuries, so we got some Niacin tablets (to dissolve in water) and Poly Vi Sol without iron. Have been giving him the Poly Vi Sol until yesterday, and went to dissolved niacin in warm water to give a little bit bigger dose. He is very alert, has started eating more, and I give him warm baths at night, snuggle with him, then put him to bed. He is separate from the other ducks currently. At night I bring in his "girlfriend " to keep him company, and boost his moral. I guess what I am asking is how long will it be before I will possibly start seeing a n improvement in him?? Thank you for reading and helping me out!

 

[and202]

I am also having a similar problem with my Pekin Drake, he is approximately 11 weeks old. I have been reading through any post I can find to help me. He was up and running with all my others ducks, and 5 days ago, I noticed that he walked a few steps and would plop down. My husband & I checked his legs. There were no visible injuries, so we got some Niacin tablets (to dissolve in water) and Poly Vi Sol without iron. Have been giving him the Poly Vi Sol until yesterday, and went to dissolved niacin in warm water to give a little bit bigger dose. He is very alert, has started eating more, and I give him warm baths at night, snuggle with him, then put him to bed. He is separate from the other ducks currently. At night I bring in his "girlfriend " to keep him company, and boost his moral. I guess what I am asking is how long will it be before I will possibly start seeing a n improvement in him?? Thank you for reading and helping me out!

Wow sounds like you are doing a great job so far! What are you keeping him in away from the other ducks? I have yet to remove my little one because we have a very curious puppy in the house that might think he's a snack. Also what is Poly Vi Sol? We have just been using brewers yeast in the food and still haven't seen any progress.

 

[New duck mama]

I have been keeping him in our screen room, so he can still hear the other ducks, but not be with them. They bill him a lot to try and hurt him more, so he has supervised visits! If you have a plastic tote, you can possibly put you duckling in there, at night my guy gets put in a container in the house to rest in. This is the
Poly Vi Sol, but from what I've been told get the kind without iron. I got the wrong stuff, but the second picture is of a Poly Vi Sol I got at a health food store, has all the same ingredients, just no iron. You can find at Walmart,CVS, Rite-Aid, any pharmacy. It is actually a multi vitamin supplement for infants and toddlers! I have had no luck finding Brewers yeast anywhere! Saturn is starting to fight us when we give him his medicine and standing by himself for about 20 seconds now.. so I think it is slowly helping him. Every night I tell him that I want to see him moving more the next day!
I do hope this helps you out!

 

[New duck mama]

I just got some epson salt yesterday! I am going to give him a bath with it tonight. I hope it woeks! I sure would love see him up and running with his flock!

 

[New duck mama]

Remember Epsom salt is also a laxative so don't let your birds drink it.

Okay, good to know! Thank you!