Duckling suddenly lethargic and not eating

[ChickenTumble76]

Hello,
I am a first time duck owner. I currently have an almost two week old Rouen duckling. Earlier today she was playing around and when we went to check on her she started to drink a lot of water, not eat and is not acting herself. We are not sure what is going on and any help would be great!.

 

[ruthhope]

What are you feeding her? My first thought is niacin deficiency which is common in ducks on chick starter crumbles without a high vit B supplement. You need durvet high level vit B compound. It's a liquid that we give orally to ducks. At 2 weeks old, your duck can have 1ml a day soaked into a few mealworms or crumbles: stay and watch it eat the full dose. If it throws around some of the mealworms and you can't be sure it ate it all, give a second dose later in the day. Continue the high level vit B for at least a week after cessation of symptoms

If you cannot get durvet high level vit B compound from your feed store immediately, order on line from Amazom and buy a human Vit B 3, niacin, preparation from a pharmacy. Be sure the Vit B3 is flushable (no flush no good) and not long acting. Use that until the durvet arrives.

Also change the duckling onto duck feed with good levels of niacin. I just got a bag of Dumor duck crumbles 22% protein and extra niacin for two ducklings I am caring for. But add nutritional yeast 1tablespoon per cup of crumbles. The cheapest source of nutritional yeast is Walmart own brand. I would continue added nutritional yeast until your duck is fully feathered and possibly up to 12 weeks. My son has his laying Pekins on brewers yeast year round but I don't use it for my flock of adult drakes. Just my rescued ducklings

Let us know how you get on

 

[ChickenTumble76]

What are you feeding her? My first thought is niacin deficiency which is common in ducks on chick starter crumbles without a high vit ab supplement. You need durvet high level vit B compound. B it's a liquid that we give orally to ducks. At 2 weeks old, your duck can have 1ml a day soaked into a few mealworm or crumbles: stay and watch it eat the full dose. If it throws around some of the mealworm and you can't be sure it ate it all, give a second dose later in the day. Continue the high level vit B for at least a week after cessation of symptoms

If you cannot get durvet high level vit B compound from your feed store immediately, order on line from Amazom and buy a human Vit B 3, niacin preparation from a pharmacy. Be sure the Vit B3 is flushable (no flush no good) and not long acting. Use that until the durvet arrives.

Also change the duckling onto duck feed with good levels of niacin. I just got a bag of Dumor duck crumbles 22% protein and extra niacin for two ducklings I am caring for. But add nutritional yeast 1tablespoon per cuo of crumbles. The cheapest source of nutritional yeast is walmart own brand. I would continue added nutritional yeast until your duck is fully feathered and possibly up to 12 weeks. My son has his laying Pekins on brewers yeast year round but I don't use it for my flock of adult drakes. Just my rescued ducklings

Let us know how you get on

Thank you so much for responding!.
So we had her on natures best duck crumble and then switched her to mazuri waterfowl starter. I’m wondering if the switch was too much for her?. Where we are, it’s harder to find what we needed at our local feed stores so we went with the duck crumble first but then we were able to find the duck starter from Muzuri. Should we go ahead and keep feeding the duck starter and put her on the nutritional yeast?. Not only that but should we go ahead and do the Vitamin B compound?.

Thank you

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you so much for responding!.
So we had her on natures best duck crumble and then switched her to mazuri waterfowl starter. I’m wondering if the switch was too much for her?. Where we are, it’s harder to find what we needed at our local feed stores so we went with the duck crumble first but then we were able to find the duck starter from Muzuri. Should we go ahead and keep feeding the duck starter and put her on the nutritional yeast?. Not only that but should we go ahead and do the Vitamin B compound?.

Thank you

I would leave her on Mazuri, addnutritionsl yeast and urgently start Durvet high level vit B compound from Amazon if it is not available locally. Some ducklings/ducks need more niacin than in the duck pellets/crumbles.

 

[ChickenTumble76]

What are you feeding her? My first thought is niacin deficiency which is common in ducks on chick starter crumbles without a high vit B supplement. You need durvet high level vit B compound. It's a liquid that we give orally to ducks. At 2 weeks old, your duck can have 1ml a day soaked into a few mealworms or crumbles: stay and watch it eat the full dose. If it throws around some of the mealworms and you can't be sure it ate it all, give a second dose later in the day. Continue the high level vit B for at least a week after cessation of symptoms

If you cannot get durvet high level vit B compound from your feed store immediately, order on line from Amazom and buy a human Vit B 3, niacin, preparation from a pharmacy. Be sure the Vit B3 is flushable (no flush no good) and not long acting. Use that until the durvet arrives.

Also change the duckling onto duck feed with good levels of niacin. I just got a bag of Dumor duck crumbles 22% protein and extra niacin for two ducklings I am caring for. But add nutritional yeast 1tablespoon per cup of crumbles. The cheapest source of nutritional yeast is Walmart own brand. I would continue added nutritional yeast until your duck is fully feathered and possibly up to 12 weeks. My son has his laying Pekins on brewers yeast year round but I don't use it for my flock of adult drakes. Just my rescued ducklings

Let us know how you get on

She has seemed to eat a little bit. I kept her quarantined to make sure she is eating something. She ate the mealworms but still a little lethargic. I tried to make a mush with some food and just trying to make her interested. She is pooping white/ clear ish liquid. Is that normal with a deficiency?

 

[ruthhope]

She has seemed to eat a little bit. I kept her quarantined to make sure she is eating something. She ate the mealworms but still a little lethargic. I tried to make a mush with some food and just trying to make her interested. She is pooping white/ clear ish liquid. Is that normal with a deficiency?

The white poop is urates in watery poop which is the ducky equivalent of urine. When the duck is eating the urates get mixed in with poop and are less obvious