Duckling is having a hard time

[JaredandLauren]

I just got ducklings today and I know there’s always a chance that at least one won’t make it, but I want to try everything I can to help it. He/she seems very unstable on her legs and kind of topples over if she tried to stand up to walk . She managed to kind of roll over to her water for a drink but is not moving around with ease like the rest of them. Do ducklings get splayed leg like chicks do or is it something else?
Thanks!

 

[fatty and friends]

what do you feed them? how old are they? what breed is she? where did you get her?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I just got ducklings today and I know there’s always a chance that at least one won’t make it, but I want to try everything I can to help it. He/she seems very unstable on her legs and kind of topples over if she tried to stand up to walk . She managed to kind of roll over to her water for a drink but is not moving around with ease like the rest of them. Do ducklings get splayed leg like chicks do or is it something else?
Thanks!

They can get splayed legs if they are walking on a slippery surface.
Or if they just hatched like that.

Could just be that it needs a little more niacin.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[JaredandLauren]

They can get splayed legs if they are walking on a slippery surface.
Or if they just hatched like that.

Could just be that it needs a little more niacin.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

I put brewers yeast in their food for extra niacin

 

[JaredandLauren]

what do you feed them? how old are they? what breed is she? where did you get her?

I got them just this morning. I am feeding them duckling starter and I’m adding extra niacin into their food. They are a day old, I got them from Murdoch’s. They are magpie.

 

[Isaac 0]

Do you have a video of the duckling?

If you have access to a feed store, I suggest getting a poultry vitamin such as Nutri-dench, or poultry cell and attempt to give the duckling a drop or two, either by dripping a drop along with its bill or by soaking a cotton swab in the mixture and wiping it in its mouth.

Electrolyte and fluids deficits can be a common problem with ducklings so such treatment would address both scenerios. If the duckling is willing to eat you can try offering warm mashed scrambled eggs as that would provide some nutrients.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I put brewers yeast in their food for extra niacin

The brewers yeast might not have quite enough for the boost it needs. Read through that article.

Could be a number of different things but supplying some extra nutrients at least something you can try to give it a shot at recovery.