Duckling Leg Problems 🦵

[KimTatum03]

Hey everyone. Just starting out with ducks and was wondering if anyone can help me figure out what’s wrong with this baby.

 

[LennyoftheSwamp]

Looks like a possible niacin deficiency, I'd try supplements. What's the daily diet consist of?

 

[KimTatum03]

Looks like a possible niacin deficiency, I'd try supplements. What's the daily diet consist of?

I’ve just been giving them the duck starter pellets like I did with my older ducks.

 

[KimTatum03]

 

[Miss Lydia]

Pellets are for adults crumble for ducklings.
Also even feeding the best feed formulated for waterfowl there can still be some that will get leg issues from niacin deficiency. Especially large breeds like Pekins since they are considered meat birds and grow super fast which causes the problem.
So to get this duckling back to healthy legs a liquid B complex [1ml] over a tasty treat daily. TSC carries one. Durvet liquid B complex. Make sure he gets 1 ml daily. Once his legs are strong you can stop giving the B complex. and start giving Nutritional yeast sprinkled overfeed. But you may need to do either one for quite sometimes at least till the ducklings are 10-12 weeks old and possibly older. My adult ducks still get nutritional yeast a couple of times a week because it is so good for them,. They can't od on it because what the body doesn't need they pee out.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[KimTatum03]

Pellets are for adults crumble for ducklings.
Also even feeding the best feed formulated for waterfowl there can still be some that will get leg issues from niacin deficiency. Especially large breeds like Pekins since they are considered meat birds and grow super fast which causes the problem.
So to get this duckling back to healthy legs a liquid B complex [1ml] over a tasty treat daily. TSC carries one. Durvet liquid B complex. Make sure he gets 1 ml daily. Once his legs are strong you can stop giving the B complex. and start giving Nutritional yeast sprinkled overfeed. But you may need to do either one for quite sometimes at least till the ducklings are 10-12 weeks old and possibly older. My adult ducks still get nutritional yeast a couple of times a week because it is so good for them,. They can't od on it because what the body doesn't need they pee out.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

Thank you so much for all of this information. I was so upset to see my little baby hurting

 

[Miss Lydia]

They respond so well to this liquid B complex it’s truly amazing. Please keep us updated.

 

[KimTatum03]

They respond so well to this liquid B complex it’s truly amazing. Please keep us updated.

I will! I’m just waiting on my lunch break to go to TSC. I swear people that I work with think TSC is a restaurant I go there so often

 

[KimTatum03]

Pellets are for adults crumble for ducklings.
Also even feeding the best feed formulated for waterfowl there can still be some that will get leg issues from niacin deficiency. Especially large breeds like Pekins since they are considered meat birds and grow super fast which causes the problem.
So to get this duckling back to healthy legs a liquid B complex [1ml] over a tasty treat daily. TSC carries one. Durvet liquid B complex. Make sure he gets 1 ml daily. Once his legs are strong you can stop giving the B complex. and start giving Nutritional yeast sprinkled overfeed. But you may need to do either one for quite sometimes at least till the ducklings are 10-12 weeks old and possibly older. My adult ducks still get nutritional yeast a couple of times a week because it is so good for them,. They can't od on it because what the body doesn't need they pee out.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

On this vitamin b we just let them consume it orally with the treats right!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes just put 1 ml over a treat per each duckling. If you just have one with the issue make sure it gets full dose.