Duckling sits too much

[Gimmeaduck]

Does the little one's legs shake when he is standing? I had a runner duckling that sat all the time and after an outdoor run, it's legs were shaky. Frozen peas sprinkled with niacin helped after a few days. I also learned that clover, dandelions, and grass are high in niacin. I would fill a bucket with lots of weeds and dump them in the pen.

Not that I have noticed but I will watch for it and give some clover and grass heads and dandelions for them to pick at. I just cannot help but suspect something is wrong because he walks to the water sits and then drinks while the littler one will stand and drink. He is also a bit more clingy.
When I get back to TSC I will check on something to add just a bit of niacin to their diet or the organic store has brewers yeast, I can get that.

 

[Gimmeaduck]

They should be hitting their niacin requirements on that feed as long as they're getting enough. Are you feeding them free choice right now?

I've had a couple ducklings who've liked sitting more than I would care for too. Some will recommend supplementing their feed with brewer's or Nutrional yeast, but I'm honestly not a fan. Yeast has a pretty distinctive smell, powders up on the bottom and gets messy when the ducks get their food wet, and if you have enough ducks, it's a pretty fruitless endeavor trying to make sure everyone gets an even fill. A duck who eats off the top isn't going to get anywhere near the same amount of yeast compared to one who cleans off the bottom. Depending on the brand the stuff can get pretty pricey too.

Another thing that gets often recommended on here, which I find 100% more preferable, is Vitamin B Complex. Might be a bit harder to find depending on where you're located, but many feed/animal supply stores in the US carry it.

This is the brand a lot of us use. I picked up mine from Tractor Supply Co. It says injectable but you can just put 1 mL over their favorite treat and feed it to them orally. If your ducklings are less than a week old I think you'd only want to do .5 mL. @Miss Lydia could probably confirm that. She's super helpful with these things. I'll give it to them once a day for a few days if I'm worried their legs are looking a little weak. Pretty happy with the results.

I only have two ducklings that are maybe two weeks old. They are still tiny.

 

[Gimmeaduck]

No I have not

Does the little one's legs shake when he is standing? I had a runner duckling that sat all the time and after an outdoor run, it's legs were shaky. Frozen peas sprinkled with niacin helped after a few days. I also learned that clover, dandelions, and grass are high in niacin. I would fill a bucket with lots of weeds and dump them in the pen.

No, I have not noticed that. Only that the one is smaller, appears skinnier (but eats as much as it wants), walks to the water and then sits to drink, sits a lot, swims and dives and is active in 4-6 inches of water but keep on foot on the bottom except when diving. Its an odd little duck. I worry about it. I don't want to keep harping on it but it gives me concern. I don't want to lose it. It does not act sick at all, but it appears to have something wrong I just don't know what it is, maybe just a "runt" syndrome.

 

[Gimmeaduck]

Does the little one's legs shake when he is standing? I had a runner duckling that sat all the time and after an outdoor run, it's legs were shaky. Frozen peas sprinkled with niacin helped after a few days. I also learned that clover, dandelions, and grass are high in niacin. I would fill a bucket with lots of weeds and dump them in the pen.

No it does not shake at all. They got peas yesterday and today, I ordered some brewers yeast. They climb all over me when we go outside. I lay in the grass while they play but they always come over and climb under my arms for shade and safety I suppose. I lap it up, because i like to cuddle with them. They will come over and jump inside where my arm on the grass and created a space and lay down and then look out over my arm. They are very funny. I simply adore them and it is great bonding time.

 

[Spotgieter]

Does the little one's legs shake when he is standing? I had a runner duckling that sat all the time and after an outdoor run, it's legs were shaky. Frozen peas sprinkled with niacin helped after a few days. I also learned that clover, dandelions, and grass are high in niacin. I would fill a bucket with lots of weeds and dump them in the pen.

Goosey, we have a new runner and he's doing the same. He sits a lot and when he's standing, his legs are very shaky. I give them liquid niacin and feed them yeast flakes with their food. Reading through the thread, I see that Yeast flakes aren't great, but should be using the Bcomplex. I have some of that too, but not the brand pictures.

 

[Goosey Girl]

Try lots of clover, dandelions, and grass. Dump a big pile in the pen. These have lots of niacin. I grab handfuls of these throughout the day for my new goslings. They figure out within a day that grass is yummy.

Also, get them out running. Put them in the yard, walk quickly away and they will follow. Run them until they are tired. My young ones weren't too keen on swimming at a young age, but once they are about 10 days old, you could put them in a kiddie pool for a couple minutes and see what happens (only on warm days with warm water).

I've never used yeast, but last year, (before I knew that my green yard was a field of niacin rich growth), I was adding the contents of niacin vitamins (the flush version) to a small plate of smushed, defrosted, frozen peas twice a day.

I think the key is the exercise. I figure they are called runner ducks for a reason. My black runner, now 9 weeks old, had shakey legs for almost a week. She preferred sitting while the other runners ran. This lazy phase lasted about 3 weeks. She now is active and the most erect standing of all my runners.

As long as you don't see any deformities and the duckling is eating normally, don't fret.

 

[Goosey Girl]

 

[Spotgieter]

View attachment 3136022

Thank you so much!! My husband and I took him (Mikey) and his goose brother (Sulley) outside today and he ran some I've gave both of them 3 to 4 drops of niacin in their water this morning. I hope the exercise and niacin helps his legs.

Try lots of clover, dandelions, and grass. Dump a big pile in the pen. These have lots of niacin. I grab handfuls of these throughout the day for my new goslings. They figure out within a day that grass is yummy.

Also, get them out running. Put them in the yard, walk quickly away and they will follow. Run them until they are tired. My young ones weren't too keen on swimming at a young age, but once they are about 10 days old, you could put them in a kiddie pool for a couple minutes and see what happens (only on warm days with warm water).

I've never used yeast, but last year, (before I knew that my green yard was a field of niacin rich growth), I was adding the contents of niacin vitamins (the flush version) to a small plate of smushed, defrosted, frozen peas twice a day.

I think the key is the exercise. I figure they are called runner ducks for a reason. My black runner, now 9 weeks old, had shakey legs for almost a week. She preferred sitting while the other runners ran. This lazy phase lasted about 3 weeks. She now is active and the most erect standing of all my runners.

As long as you don't see any deformities and the duckling is eating normally, don't fret.

I have capsules of the non flash niacin that I'll add to some smashed Peas today. Your runner is beautiful

 

[Goosey Girl]

Thanks! We are raising 6 runner ducklings with our Sebastopol goslings. I discovered that most runners love to run, so it keeps our goslings running too instead of just sitting around being lazy. And, the Sebastopol goslings love being close to people, so the runners are not as aloof as most since they all hang out together.

Your gosling is so cute and seems to be the exact size that ours was when she had shakey legs (just starting to get his real feathers). He'll be fine; just make sure you've lowered the protein amount in their feed to the 15-17% level.

Here's our young flock in their new nighttime home...

 

[Spotgieter]

I would love to have a Sebastopol goose They're so beautiful! .....I wanted to ask about the protein percentage, because I don't know about that.