Duckling neck crooked can't walk

zippy11455

In the Brooder
10 Years
Mar 31, 2009
95
0
29
Khaki Campbells hatched May 20th. Purchased at feed store as day olds. One out of 5 purchased hasn't been growing well the last week to 10 days. Falling behind the others. This morning it's neck is twisted, it can't walk normally and can barely stand. It is still eating and drinking a small amount if I hold the food in a position it can reach. Has been feed only nonmedicated game bird starter 26% protein purchased at Agway feed store.

Any ideas what is wrong and how to take care of this duckling?
 
I dont know if you have the same thing going on, I have no experience with ducks so...BUT, I just went thru Wry neck (crooked neck) with one of our chicks...I thought for sure she was a goner (had her isolated in a kennel because she couldn't walk right and most the time was doing headstands into somersaults ) but I can happily , quite happily, report that she has seemed to have made a full recovery!
After the invaluable advice from people here I went and picked up Polyvisol drops w/o iron and started her on those 2 times a day and within a few days I noticed improvement and within a week she was back in with the rest of her little buddies and is happy as can be...I am still giving her vitamins each evening but will probably start doing that every other evening after a few more days. They say it is caused due to a lack of vitamins? We give vitamins in the water but some need more than others.

I would check and see if this would help??? Good luck!!

Jen
 
Called my regular vets office to see if he had any ideas. Found out he just had emergency bypass surgery. Then I called Cornell Vet School Clinic for advice (I live 2 miles away). They don't give out any info over the phone. Have to bring ducking in for emergency visit. $125 to walk into the door. My family Dr doesn't charge that much for a visit.

Picked up the vitamins going to try that. Duck will either live or die. Hard to justify $125 on a $4 duckling.
 
I've had this happen with a duckling and it turned out to be a case of salmonella. She acted as if she were drunk, her neck became crooked, she couldn't eat or drink because of her ataxia (clumsiness for lack of a better word).

Unfortunately, waterfowl can't be treated with the same meds that other poultry are. Salmonella is a potentially deadly disease. In the mean time, her diarrhea will also dehydrate her.

In our case, the vet showed me how to tube feed her (as they're easier than chickens, apparently). She was put on a specific antibiotic regimine. You must have correct antibiotics for ducks are they're more sensitive.
Here's a website that might help with that:
http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/S/0zM_Gracilicutes/Salmonella/Salmonella_anatum.html
Another site:
http://www.avianbiotech.com/diseases/salmonella.htm

In the mean time, until you can get a vet's help, I'd look into Glenda Heywood's mash. High emphasis on the probiotics, yogurt, in it as well as the vitamin E to help with the neurological symptoms. She's posted it in a number of these posts or PM me if you can't find it.

In the mean time it's important that you remove this ducking to her own brooder and clean everything very very thoroughly.
 

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